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Project Updates for collection: Living Lab Facilities / Programs

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  2. equipment installed

    Associated Project(s): 
    Geothermal at Gable Home
    Energy Models for Campus Facilities

    The geothermal heat pump is now installed at the Gable Home, at the Energy Farm. Professor Yun Yi will create an energy model, and Mark Taylor said, "I can work with one of my RA’s to draw up the system in a 3D model for use in presentations and papers."

    The model is the “QE0930.” 

    Attached Files: 

  5. Article: Rapid Decline of News Coverage for Pollinators

    Associated Project(s): 
    Increase Pollinator-Friendly Areas
    Bee Campus USA

    Craig Chamberlain, a Social Sciences Editor for Illinois News Bureau, released an article highlighting the lack of coverage dedicated to bees in mainstream news. Supporting his article with a study from researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, it was found that the amount of attention dedicated to "pollinator population topics" has significantly declined over several decades.

    Read Chamberlain's article through Illinois News Bureau or the PDF in the attached files!

    Attached Files: 

  6. Environmental Justice Plan Brainstorming Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Environmental Justice Plan
    Resilience iCAP Team
    iCAP 2020: Illinois Climate Action Plan

    On December 3, 2020, a small group of community and campus staff (Scott Tess, Morgan White, Ximing Cai, Sharva Hampton-Campbell, Kaamilyah Abdullah-Span, Ruby Mendenhall, Meredith Moore) brainstormed key principles of the environmental justice plan (iCAP 2020 objective 8.3). The notes from this initial meeting is attached and the group will continue to meet monthly. 

    Attached Files: 

  7. Weekly Update - Word of mouth, Bike donations

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Pretty slow around these parts—per usual for this time of year.

    A story: A gentleman comes in on Wednesday looking for bikes. We get to talking and he’s volunteered at Working Bikes (the org we give abandoned bikes to) up in Chicago, he knows his way around a wrench. He buys a nice road bike and that was that. An hour later, he brings a friend back; she signs up for a membership. Two days later, same guy is back with another friend; he buys a membership, too. Says they’ll both be back on Monday to work on a bike. Word of mouth really is the best marketing.

    This week I’ll still be processing the donations from the kids bike event that were not kids bikes. We got a lot of adult-sized bikes that aren’t worth saving, unfortunately.
    The numbers:

    Visitors: 11
    Sales: $254
    Memberships: 2 for $60
    Misc: $4

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Manager

  8. Tests Performed for Illinois Biodiesel Initiative's Quality Control

    Associated Project(s): 
    Illinois Biodiesel Initiative (IBI)

    As provided by Allison Narlock, the current quality control lead for Illinois Biodiesel Initiative (IBI), IBI performs a series of standard tests for every batch. The tests, with the ASTM test number, are the following (in no particular order:)

    • Acid Number: D974
    • Water and Sediment: D2709
    • Flash Point: D93 (D6450), we use the closed cup method
    • Oxidative Stability: D2274
    • Visual Inspection: D4176
    • Cold Soak: D7501
    • Cloud Point: D2500

    For each test, results are recorded to provide information as needed.

     

  11. Trees Promote Health and Wellness

    Associated Project(s): 
    Tree Campus Higher Education
    Resilience Commitment

    In the January 2021 Newsletter, the City of Urbana discussed the health and wellness benefits of trees, as well as its plans to promote tree planting throughout the city:

    Trees affect our health and wellness. Humans breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide, whereas trees absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. With a mutually beneficial relationship, one large tree can supply enough oxygen for four people. This is really wonderful, however, it takes around five trees to absorb the CO2 produced by just one person.

    Additionally, trees also trap air pollution. This greatly affects our health. Trees also help to clean water by acting as a natural filter. Plus, trees decrease stress for us and improve recovery time from illnesses. These are a few of the reasons Urbana's Urban Canopy is tantamount to human life, health, and progress. Trees are always working to keep us healthy and strong – help us do the same for them! *

    We’re asking you to partner with the City of Urbana — on an individual basis or through your neighborhood association, service organization, business or church — by sharing the cost of new trees through our Co-op Tree Planting Program.

    The City of Urbana Arbor Division will be adding to Urbana's Urban Canopy this coming Spring, 2021. These are made possible by the generous donations through the Co-op Tree Planting Program. 

    "If all goes well this will be good for roughly 40-45 vacant tree planting sites throughout town. These site will be planted with Urbana Heritage species and mostly native species to Illinois. I will be selecting these sites during January for spring planting order," Kevin Sanderson, Arborist and Urbana Arbor Division Supervisor, said.
     

  12. Weekly Update: Happy New Year, Kids bike giveaway

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Happy New Year! The final week of the semester—and the two weeks preceding it—were a whirl of kid bike prep for our event, which took place on December 19th.
    Here’s a story CI Living did on the event:  https://www.wcia.com/ciliving-2/the-bike-project-hosts-kids-bike-giveaway/
    We gave away 40+ bikes in less than half an hour and our community really came through in providing those donations on such a short time frame.
    This week will be a lot of cleaning and organizing—kids bike parts are strewn every which way as we hustled to get the bikes finished—and an inventory once-over to see where we stand on parts and bikes.
    Thanks!
    The numbers:

    Visitors: 7
    Sales: $19

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Manager

  13. Updated list of needed student projects

    Associated Project(s): 
    Independent Student Projects
    Tree Campus Higher Education
    Champaign County Sustainability Network (CCNet)

    This is a list of projects that need students to work on.  It will be updated periodically by sustainability staff members, the last update was 1/2/21:

    • Tree Canopy Analysis: Work with F&S staff to complete a GIS analysis of the university's tree canopy, in support of the Tree Campus USA designation. This will include comparison to peer institutions and a presentation of the results and methodology to the Tree Campus Advisory Committee. Depending on time availability, it can also include an analysis of the local tree canopy, off campus. Contact Morgan White at mbwhite at illinois.edu.
    • CCNet Website: Work with the Champaign County Sustainability Network (CCNet) leadership team to redesign and publish the CCNet website (old version is online at http://www.champaigncountynet.org/). There is a monthly brown bag sustainability networking event on the Third Thursday of each month, but the website hasn't been updated since 2016. Contact Morgan White at mbwhite at illinois.edu.
    • If you have a project idea, please contact us at sustainability@illinois.edu, or submit it through the iCAP Portal Suggestions page.

  14. Monthly water usages totals now available for the BIF

    Associated Project(s): 
    BIF Greywater Pipe System

    Monthly totals for water consumption in the greywater pipes at the Business Instructional Facility have now been added to the corresponding iCAP portal page. In the future, totals will be updated upon request. Send requests through the Suggestions form on the iCAP Portal.

    See the attached spreadsheet to find the daily totals from Mid-October 2019 to November 2020. Vales are listed in gallons, measured per year as the overall usage.

    Attached Files: 

  15. Funding Award: Living Lab Platform for CIF geothermal

    Associated Project(s): 
    Geothermal at the Campus Instructional Facility (CIF)
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    The SSC approved $9,318.16 in funding in Fall 2020 for a Living Lab Platform at the CIF. This project expires 12/16/2022.

    Attached Files: 

  16. Re-Home Wall Rehab and Siding

    Associated Project(s): 
    Illinois Solar Decathlon
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    The SSC approved $60,000 in funding for re-home wall rehab and siding in Fall 2020. The project expires 12/16/2022.

    Attached Files: 

  18. Resilience Team Meeting Minutes from 12-10-20

    Associated Project(s): 
    Resilience iCAP Team
    Urban Biodiversity Master Plan

    The Resilience Team met on December 10th and had a fruitful conversation about how to help our surrounding communities while maintaining an equal two-conversation where community, faculty, student, and governments are all heard. Comments were discussed regarding our next recommendation, the Urban Biodiversity Master Plan. 

    Agenda, meeting minutes, and chat log are attached.

    Attached Files: 

  19. Sol Systems Blog about SEE Fellows student project

    Associated Project(s): 
    Solar Farm 2.0
    Sustainability Minor
    Independent Student Projects

    Sol Systems published a blog today sharing information about the collaborations with the UIUC Sustainability, Energy, and Environment Fellows program, the campus-wide minor in sustainability.  

    "This past week, two groups of students from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign presented to Sol Systems regarding their findings through the university’s sustainability minor capstone course. The students conducted an emissions audit for supply chain and land-usage for the university’s second utility-scale solar project, Solar Farm 2.0, a 54-acre, 12.3 MW dc system on the Urbana campus that is being developed by Sol Systems. The presentation and partnership served as part of Sol’s sustainability initiatives and acts as the foundation for building Sol’s framework for future and current solar project developments...."

    Read the full post online at https://www.solsystems.com/groundwork-for-solar-sustainability/. 

  20. Energy Models for SDC, MEB, Freer, ISRH

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Models for Campus Facilities

    The Energy Models for the following building projects are attached:

    • U16015 - Siebel Design Center [1517]
    • U12262 – MEB [0112]
    • U15043 – Freer [0064]
    • U12054 - ISRH Dining [0275]
    Attached Files: 

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