According to a 2011 summary of BLUE efforts, the following items were completed in conjunction with the BLUE initiative:

LEEDⓇ

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEEDⓇ) is a green building certification and rating system established by the US Green Business Council which provides a framework for the design and construction of green buildings.  The F&S Planning and Construction Divisions successfully implemented LEEDⓇ Silver standards and practices on all capital construction projects over $5 million. As of January 2011, all new construction will strive for LEED Gold Certification.  Facilities & Services employs 25 LEEDⓇ Accredited Professionals.

Sustainable Planting

Sustainable plants are native species that are resilient to insects and disease.  Once established, they require minimal fertilizer, watering, and upkeep.  The F&S Grounds Department planted 80 native trees last year and more than 2,300 native grasses in the last three years.  Campus locations with native grasses include: Roger Adams Laboratory, the Institute for Genomic Biology, the Agricultural Engineering Building, and the Veterinary Medicine Basic Sciences Building.

Battery Recycling

Call2RecycleⓇ provides free collection boxes, pays for shipping, and accepts rechargeable Nickel Metal Hydride, Lithium Ion, and Small Sealed Lead batteries less than 11 lbs in weight.  The Physical Plant Service Building began the Call2RecycleⓇ rechargeable battery and cell phone recycling program in October 2005.  Rechargeable batteries are considered hazardous waste and must be recycled or disposed of according to EPA regulations.  Facilities & Services has saved approximately $7,000 in disposal costs in the last six years.

Retrocommissioning

Retrocommissioning is an in-depth analysis of a building’s heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems.  This program restores peak operating conditions while optimizing the control strategies for energy conservation, sustainability, and client comfort.   

Since August of 2007, engineering teams have accomplished system updates and upgrades in 16 campus buildings for an average energy reduction of 28%. 

Community Involvement

The F&S Environmental Compliance Department is always working towards enhancing environmental management and sustainable practices on campus and in the community.  Community collaboration and education are important components of stormwater management practices and fulfill requirements of the University’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System Permit (MS4). 

The Office of Public Engagement awarded Environmental Compliance a grant to construct a rain garden for the Robeson Elementary School in Champaign, Illinois. This project demonstrates contemporary stormwater management practices that mitigate playground flooding.  The project engages students by incorporating the rain garden into the school’s curriculum.  Environmental Compliance collaborated with professors, students, landscape architects, local businesses, and Unit 4 administration to design and construct the rain garden. 

The 2011 Green Infrastructure Maintenance Conference addressed native plantings, rain gardens, porous pavements, and green roofs.  The event was hosted by Environmental Compliance and the Landscape Architecture Departments and sponsored by the Office of Public Engagement along with the MS4 Technical Committee.

The 2010 John Street Watershed Class was a collaboration between the University of Illinois and the City of Champaign to address neighborhood flooding.  Environmental Compliance participated by lecturing and assisting in the construction of two rain gardens.