Sustainability@UIC

Can We Inform Students and Affect Their Effort to be More Sustainable?

2014-01-09T12:47:00.000-06:00

(This blog post is courtesy of a student-group in the Fall 2013 Honors Seminar 201)

It is not uncommon to come across a sustainability related event or story happening at UIC. Yet, there is always room for improvement. The key demographic for minor improvements in results lies with the large student body. The question is, how do you get them involved?

We set out to study whether publicly displaying information regarding UIC’s current efforts to be sustainable would affect students’ behavior or opinions. Would they be more considerate of unnecessary power usage? Recycling? Would signs cause students to slightly change their behavior in a way that would successfully spread sustainability efforts?

We chose to focus on Lincoln Hall (one of UIC’s LEED Certified building) as our model of sustainability at UIC. The plan was simple, inform the students about sustainability in Lincoln Hall and later ask them if they felt in any way more inclined to participate in the sustainability movement.

Water and Lincoln Hall

The average American uses 100 gallons of water per day, but a person only needs 1 gallon a day to survive. When it comes to the bathroom, 27 of the 100 gallons come from flushing the toilet, with 3.5-7 gallons per flush on older toilets. The low flow toilets at UIC only use 1 to 1.6 gallons per flush, cutting down on the amount of water used. This information, along with the complete breakdown of the average American’s water usage, is found on the Environmental Protection Agency’s website (http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/pubs/indoor.html).

Nearly every student at UIC notices the huge difference with Lincoln, Douglas, and Grant Hall compared to the other buildings on campus, not many actually know how much greener these buildings are though. Most do not even realize that these buildings are LEED certified. The purpose of the poster that presented the above information regarding water was mainly not to get students to cut down on the water usage, but instead to get students to realize that UIC is making a huge effort to become more sustainable and “greener.”

Recycling at UIC

Perhaps the most effortless way a student can contribute to UIC’s sustainability effort is by recycling effectively. UIC provides the means to recycle by having separate bins for trash and recyclables. Over the last decade the recycling rate at the university has doubled and the amount of recycled material overall has increased year to year; however, there is still room for improvement. In every building there are separate bins for trash and recyclables, the goal is to maximize the efficiency of this system. By creating signs that inform students of the benefits of recycling, as well as showing UIC’s current efforts, we hope to appeal to their conscience and create a behavioral change that would hopefully become permanent. In theory, it seems a student would be more inclined to take an extra step to recycle if they are aware that others are partaking in the effort that ultimately benefits the community.

Urea-formaldehyde-free Lincoln Hall

Urea-formaldehyde is used commercially as insulation for homes and many basements. They were used drastically in the 1970’s in the United States. They were great for conserving energy especially heating in the colder climates. The danger comes from the breaking down of the material over time, which it emits a formaldehyde vapor. This vapor has health effects on the eyes, nose, and the respiratory system.

Modern construction techniques have started using replacement materials including melamine formaldehyde resin and polyurethane. While these materials have been proven to have less of a negative affect on the people’s health, they aren’t completely safe. Lincoln Hall’s composite wood and agrifiber use no urea-formaldehyde. This has helped the building achieve the LEED citification and has also has guaranteed that the building will be safe for people for many years to come.

Solar Energy and Lincoln Hall

The sun is an amazing resource when it comes to energy. For as long as we will be living the sun will be giving us what is essentially free energy, as long as we can harness it. Solar energy is a great alternate energy source, because not only is it not going to run out for billions of years, it is completely clean energy. It is amazing to see that the University of Illinois at Chicago is making such a great example by integrating solar power in its energy supply. Solar panels on Lincoln Hall have produced 249 megawatt hours to date. This is enough to power 24,900 homes for a year. This is also the equivalent of saving 4,497 trees. Not only is UIC producing clean energy and decreasing CO2 emissions that would have otherwise been produced from energy that comes from a power plant, It is actually saving them money, roughly $6,500 a year.

Conclusion

While we only hung posters in Lincoln Hall, we did see results indicating that people were in fact seeing our posters. Not only were people seeing our posters, but also almost half of the survey responders saw the posters and believed they were successful in their purpose. The ultimate goal was to inform students and create changes in their behavior to increase sustainability. In the span of time in which the project ran we determined that our posters were distributing information, but we lack the time to determine their effects on the behavior of students overall. Some made the choice to use less water at the sink, some recycled when they otherwise would have not, but ultimately we cannot conclude with certainty that the posters will permanently change behavior. The effects of the posters could be more positive over time, however, repeated exposure might change the outcome in a positive manner. Ultimately, any improvement and increase in awareness is a win, and although the success in behavior change is inconclusive, it is certain that the posters are effective in introducing students to sustainable efforts on campus.

Taking the Initiative at the UIC School of Architecture

2013-10-27T10:17:00.000-05:00

At the end of Spring 2013 Semester, the UIC School of Architecture studios were battle scenes of art supplies and takeout containers. With only a few bins for trash and recycling, the recycling bins were being ignored and used for anything and everything. Trash was piled high, and unused, while destroyed materials covered the floor. Cardboard models were left to fall apart, and bottles or cans were left empty on tables. Almost everything had to be tossed.

Considering the amount of specific material needed within the Architecture studios, it was no surprise that the standard bins and guidelines were no match for the chaos of finals week.

Seeing the issue at hand, the UIC Office of Sustainability and the UIC School of Architecture decided to take the initiative towards recycling and preserving materials used within the Architecture studios. This happened through a series of minor, easily-executed actions.

Organization of Work Space and Storage Space
Additional Larger Recycling Bins and Separate Trash Bins
Detailed Recycling Guidelines and Posters

This is the first semester with these recycling changes and additions, and it is great to see the students beginning to make the effort. Considering midterms just finished, the studios are still in good condition! The bins are being used properly, the studio environment is cleaner and more organized, and the informative posters remain in securely in place. Now you actually see students referring to the poster before disposing of an item, and talking to each other about what to throw away and what to recycle. Staff encourage students to recycle, and students also encourage one another.

There is a lot of progress that still needs to be made, but we are off to a good start with UIC School of Architecture! This is a proven example that if behavior is questionable, change can stem from even the smallest actions or a comment from a peer.

Are you involved in a college or department that is burdened by specific recycling needs or requirements? If so, contact Joe Iosbaker, Recycling Coordinator with the UIC Office of Sustainability, to start taking action!

Science complex retrofit to cut energy use 30 percent

2013-10-02T13:04:00.000-05:00

See more at: UIC News.

Science complex retrofit to cut energy use 30 percent

Anne Brooks Ranallo
October 2, 2013

An energy retrofit at a science complex at the University of Illinois at Chicago is expected to reduce energy consumption by at least 30 percent and save $18 million annually.

Science and Engineering Laboratories complex at Taylor and Halsted streets. (Click on image for larger size)

The energy efficiency and infrastructure upgrades throughout the Science and Engineering Laboratories Complex will affect four laboratory buildings and a supporting office building, totalling more than 1.2 million square feet. Four of the buildings date from the mid-1960s.
“We expect the project to yield immediate cost savings for UIC, but more important is that it supports UIC’s Climate Action Plan and will help us meet our goal to reduce our carbon emissions at least 80 percent by 2050,” said UIC Chancellor Paula Allen-Meares.
The project is expected to directly create 592 jobs, according to Ameresco, the energy management company contracting with UIC.
The energy reduction is consistent with the City of Chicago’s Sustainable Chicago 2015 Action Agenda for commercial buildings to reduce energy consumption by at least 20 percent by 2015.
“Energy efficiency is an excellent strategy that saves money, reduces environmental impact and creates jobs,” said Karen Weigert, chief sustainability officer for the City of Chicago. “The Science and Engineering Laboratories Complex, where future leaders in this space will be educated, is a wonderful location for this large project.”
The two-year construction project will include new and recommissioned air handling units, HVAC control systems and equipment, chilled beam, high-performance fume hoods, lighting retrofits, weatherization of the building envelope, and energy recovery systems.
Cynthia Klein-Banai, associate chancellor for sustainability, said the energy reduction of 9,219 metric tons of carbon dioxide is equivalent to taking 1,921 cars off the road or planting 71 acres of trees. The 81 million kilowatt-hours of electricity to be saved is enough to power about 2,500 homes.
“UIC is committed to becoming a more sustainable campus by reducing our environmental impact, generating economic benefit, and creating a more comfortable, healthier environment for the thousands of students, faculty and staff who use those buildings daily,” Klein-Banai said.
UIC ranks among the nation’s leading research universities and is Chicago’s largest university with 27,500 students, 12,000 faculty and staff, 15 colleges and the state’s major public medical center. A hallmark of the campus is the Great Cities Commitment, through which UIC faculty, students and staff engage with community, corporate, foundation and government partners to improve the quality of life in metropolitan areas around the world. For information about UIC, visit www.uic.edu.
- See more at: http://news.uic.edu/sel-retrofit#sthash.zrzCIHAy.dpuf

Science complex retrofit to cut energy use 30 percent

Anne Brooks Ranallo
October 2, 2013

An energy retrofit at a science complex at the University of Illinois at Chicago is expected to reduce energy consumption by at least 30 percent and save $18 million annually.

Science and Engineering Laboratories complex at Taylor and Halsted streets. (Click on image for larger size)

Science complex retrofit to cut energy use 30 percent

Anne Brooks Ranallo
October 2, 2013

An energy retrofit at a science complex at the University of Illinois at Chicago is expected to reduce energy consumption by at least 30 percent and save $18 million annually.

Science and Engineering Laboratories complex at Taylor and Halsted streets. (Click on image for larger size)

Douglas Hall gets Gold!

2012-09-21T14:34:00.000-05:00


Surrounded by permeable pavement, allowing stormwater to return	to groundwater.

Native plants are low-maintenance and don't require irrigation

Douglas Hall is the second building on UIC's campus to gain a LEED honor by receiving gold certification. Douglas Hall shares the geothermal ground source heat pump system that Grant and Lincoln Halls currently use. Other highlights include solar panels, recycled rubber floors on the second and thrd floor and the photovoltaic system on the roof that was partially funded by a grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation. More information about Douglas Hall can be found at the College of Business website. See also Press Release.

Floors from recycled rubber, natural lighting, high-efficiency windows

Douglas Hall PV System

2011-10-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

On August 24, 2011, the new and improved Douglas Hall was introduced by the UIC family. Also known as the College of Business Administration's home base, the building has been drastically improved both in interior and exterior. Besides the many student exchange areas, classrooms, and other renovations, it is what has been done "underneath the hood" that stands out at Douglas Hall.

The building is on the path to being UIC's second LEED certified building, with an official announcement to be made by mid-2012. In addition to the light, water, and space conservation in the building, Douglas Hall has a unique Solar Photovoltaic (PV) system in place on the building rooftop. The PV array is unique because it uses microinverter technology to optimize the production of electricity from the panels. Think of it like a string of modern holiday lights - if one bulb goes out, all the other lights don't.

Partially funded by a generous grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation, the PV system allows the solar panels on building to convert the solar radiation gathered into direct current electricity. Douglas Hall contains 261 solar panels mounted on ballasted racks. With a rated capacity of 54.81 kW, this PV system is expected to generate 67,000kWH of electricity annually, or approximately 8% of the building's needs.

As a student, I see as the PV system on Douglas Hall to be a trendsetter. I remember reading the Chicago Flame before renovations were complete about the upcoming renovations in Douglas Hall; however, I never actually understood the direct impact that this would have. As UIC begins to renovate other buildings around campus, the PV system will be looked on as innovative technology for the UIC community. In both the short and long run, the PV system allows energy to be made from natural sources - less and less harsh environmental impacts will be made by UIC. The PV system reaffirms to the world: UIC is a leading example of education and sustainability successfully joining forces.

To learn more about the additions in Douglas Hall, please go here.
For more information on PV systems, please go here.

Also, check out a video about Douglas Hall and the PV system:

Recognizing Building Service Workers

2011-08-12T14:33:00.000-05:00

We feel that it's important to support and highlight individuals on campus who help make our recycling program run better. To get things started this summer, we wanted to begin by recognizing the hard work of the Building Service Workers (BSWs) who play an integral role in improving recycling operations on campus.

In the past year, a number of buildings (SEO, EEI, CSB, DHSP and SPHPI) have been supplied with new equipment funded by a grant from the State of Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Check out the graphs below to see how the DCEO grants, which helped increase the equipment and/or promotion of the recycling program in these buildings, and recycling behavior from building occupants and BSWs, have affected recycling in each building.

The percentage increase in paper fiber recycling at UIC buildings with DCEO-funded grant support; SPHPI had a more than 450% increase!

The averaged monthly weight (in pounds) of bottle & can recycling at UIC buildings with DCEO-funded grant support; SPHPI had an average monthly weight of about 300 pounds, while DHSP had recycled on average 260 pounds per month.

Of these, the building with the greatest increase in paper and cardboard recycling, as well as the greatest average monthly weight of bottle and can recycling, was the School of Public Health/Psychiatric Institute. Over the last year, there were five BSWs who worked there: Martin Flores, Sylvia Padilla, Ofelia Ruiz, Toya Sevier and Glenn Willoughby. Their Assistant Facility Manager is Genneine Johnson.

To recognize these individuals, we held a small awards ceremony in the BSW offices at SPHPI. The awards included a certificate of appreciation and a gift of candy. We did some research and used candy that was actually made locally in Chicago! Using re-used jars provided by Office of Sustainability staff, the gift packages were filled with Tootsie Rolls and Starlight Mints.

We want to continue the BSW recognition program throughout the year, and will be looking at our building recycling data to determine which buildings have been showing the greatest improvements. In addition to building data, we want to know of other ways that the BSWs in your building support sustainability, so we encourage students, faculty and staff to nominate a Building Service Worker using our online form.

UIC in 'green colleges' guide

2011-05-03T07:31:00.000-05:00

UIC's green roofs, like this one atop the Behavioral Sciences Building, help put the campus in the Princeton Review'sGuide to 311 Green Colleges.

Photo: Roberta Dupuis-Devlin

UIC in 'green colleges' guide

The latest Guide to 311 Green Colleges by the Princeton Review includes UIC among the institutions of higher education profiled in the United States and Canada.

This second annual guide, released April 20 to coincide with Earth Day, selected schools "that demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities, and career preparation," said Princeton Review, which published the findings in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council.

Cynthia Klein-Banai, associate chancellor for sustainability, calls the inclusion "testament to the hard work UIC's students, staff and faculty have put forth to making this campus a more environmentally sustainable place to work and study."

Klein-Banai hopes the guide will help attract sustainable-minded students to the university.

School selection was based on a "green rating" from a 50-question survey on environmental and sustainability related commitments and initiatives, sent to administrators at 703 schools.

Schools scoring in the 80th or higher percentile were included in the guide. Nine colleges and universities in Illinois made the list.

The 220-page guide is available online.

UIC Geothermal Case Study

2011-03-02T13:59:00.003-06:00

National Wildlife Federation Campus

GOING UNDERGROUND ON CAMPUS:

Tapping the Earth for Clean, Efficient Heating and Cooling

A Guide to Geothermal Energy and Underground Buildings on Campus

As a founding organization of the climate action movement, the mission of NWF’s Campus Ecology is to foster climate leadership on campuses nationwide and to protect wildlife and our children’s future against the growing threat of global climate change. This report presents a scientific overview of global warming and a review of the business, educational and moral arguments for confronting this problem. Case studies from a diverse group of leading campuses illustrate energy-conserving and emissions-saving projects, effective financing strategies and creative ways to involve the campus community.

Article on UIC (p. 33)

University of Illinois at Chicago

System – A large vertical closed-loop field provides heating and cooling for two renovated buildings on campus, and a third structure will soon be added to the system. In total, the system is calculated to satisfy eighty percent of the maximum load of all three buildings. It started with Grant Hall, a 15,000 square-foot office and classroom building which was renovated in 2007. Its loop field required 14 boreholes drilled 500 feet deep. Based on Grant Hall’s success, a 50-borehole loop field drilled 500 feet deep was added in the same area and hooked up to the newly renovated 25,000 square-foot Lincoln Hall. This 1960s-era classroom building reopened in late 2009. The loop field also was designed to accommodate nearby Douglas Hall, the 25,000 square-foot home of the business school which is undergoing renovation in 2010.

Highlights – Grant Hall’s $190,000 geothermal system cost was primarily funded by the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation, with the remainder from UIC funds designated for renovations of classroom and laboratory space. (The subsequent 50 wells cost approximately $650,000 to install.) To date, the Grant Hall system is performing better than originally expected, achieving an estimated eighteen percent in energy savings over the former heating system and contributing to a fifty percent cut in overall energy use for the building since the renovation. As reported by Cynthia Klein-Banai, Associate Chancellor for Sustainability, the

geothermal HVAC equipment provides more comfortable heating and cooling than was delivered previously by the central heating plant. With geothermal, it is easy to maintain a 72° temperature year-round. In the past, complaints about inconsistent temperatures were common, especially during the transition seasons of spring and fall.

Challenges –Proving that adding the geothermal systems provided an economic benefit was a challenge with each of the three buildings. Savings were calculated based on energy models for Lincoln Hall, but the data has been inconclusive, due in part to the fact that, in the past, the buildings were not metered individually for the steam or chilled water coming from the

central plant. Also, the combined square footage of the three buildings adds up to only about one percent of the total 7,000,000 square-feet on campus. While it is clear that overall energy consumption in the buildings is lower, electricity use has increased somewhat due to running the geothermal pumps and compressors.

Takeaway – Asked about the future of geothermal at UIC, Klein-Banai noted that “UIC has a mandate from campus administration and the University of Illinois Board of Trustees to reduce its energy consumption. Now that we have seen the success of geothermal, the board would like to see it used to the extent possible on all three University of Illinois campuses.” The success of geothermal systems is also helping propel the university’s sustainability dialog among students, faculty and staff. UIC currently is developing a formal policy on green building and energy through the Chancellor's Committee on Sustainability and Energy which will be an integral part of UIC’s climate action plan.

“The geothermal system is a good example of how the three interlocking circles of sustainability work together; environmental—by reducing fossil fuel consumption and carbon emissions, social— by making a better learning environment, and economic— by saving money.”

–Cynthia Klein-Banai, Associate Chancellor for Sustainability

LED: Lecture Hall E1

2010-12-20T11:44:00.001-06:00

Before the 2010-2011 Academic School Year, LED lighting was incorporated into Lecture Hall E1. An LED lighting system implementation helps gain energy efficiency because the lights burn very cool instead of producing 98% of their energy as heat like regular bulbs. The lights last anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 hours compared to incandescent and fluorescent bulbs lasting merely 1,000 to 10,000 hours. These bulbs are not only without the fragile filaments allowing them to withstand heat, cold, and shock, but they also give off more lumens (light power) per watt.

Keyser Visual provided the installation of four types
of LED lighting into the Lecture Hall.

Par 38 lights replaced 90w track lights

Saving 76 Watts per Product

8in can conversion kits were used to replace the old 26w 8 in cans

Saving 45.6 Watts per Product

1x4 Troffers replaced T12 Liner-Chaulkboard

Saving 18.8 Watts per Product

Cove lighting replaced Fluorescent Blubs

Saving 63.6 Watts per Product

Assuming an investment cost of around $19,600.00 the payback period of the lighting including installation is going to be approximately 28months. The estimated energy savings of 42,863kwh reduces costs by $3,000.43 and maintenance & disposal costs are reduced by $12,219.81 giving Lecture Hall E1 a total savings of over $15,000!

Over the lightings useful life, 325,761 kWh of savings will reduce Carbon Dioxide damage by 229.7g, Sulfur Dioxide by 115.4g, Nitrogen Oxides by 267.6g, and Mercury by 32.0g, all totaling $133,903!

Analyzing the total savings further, maintenance savings take 52%, products savings hold 26%, light energy savings hold 19%, and HVAC energy savings hold 3%.

As an initial testing for further lighting implementations throughout UIC, Lecture Center E1's LED feature will provide a healthier environment for students and faculty. The absence of flicker caused by conventional lighting will help to reduce headaches and eye strain when students are in lecture and the absence of hum will reduce irritability, hyperactivity, fatigue and attention deficits. In addition, LED lights will not cause burns due to temperature and do not contain mercury or emit UV rays.

Sustainable Food Award!

2010-12-03T11:55:00.001-06:00

NRDC Announces Third Annual Growing Green Awards to Honor Extraordinary Contributions in Sustainable Food!!

Nominations are due by December 10, 2010
$10,000 cash prize in the Food Producer category
$5,000 cash prize in the Young Food Leader category

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) announces its third annual Growing Green Awards
to recognize individuals who have demonstrated original leadership in the field of sustainable food.
Through this national award, NRDC will recognize extraordinary contributions that advance
ecologically integrated farming practices, climate stewardship, water stewardship, farmland
preservation, and social responsibility from farm to fork.

A Growing Green Award will be given to an outstanding individual in each of four categories,
including Food Producer, Business Leader, Knowledge Leader, and Young Food Leader. Cash
prizes of $10,000 and $5,000 will be awarded in the Food Producer and Young Food Leader
categories, respectively, and all winners will be widely celebrated through outreach to media and
NRDC’s networks. i Winners will also be celebrated on April 28, 2011 at an event to benefit
NRDC in San Francisco. Award selections will be made by an independent panel of sustainable
food experts. Information about award eligibility, selection criteria and process, and the award
selection panel are provided below.

Eligibility
Recipients may represent a variety of fields including food production, food service, retail or
restaurants, academia, journalists, policy advocacy, and government. The panel will consider

www.nrdc.org

111 Sutter Street, 20 Floor
San Francisco, CA 94104
TEL 415 875-6100 FAX 415 875-6161

NEW YORK ⋅ WASHINGTON, DC ⋅ LOS ANGELES

candidates from across the country (candidates operating outside of the United States will not be
considered). Individuals in the following four categories are eligible:

Food Producer: Farmers or other food producers, including aquaculture, who employ innovative
techniques to sustain agriculture, the natural environment, workers and community;

Business Leader: Entrepreneurs who effectively use the marketplace to promote sustainable food
systems, develop infrastructure that enables producers to be more sustainable, or advance
sustainable innovations anywhere along the supply chain from farm to fork;

Knowledge Leader: Scientists or practitioners who advance the knowledge that is needed to increase
the sustainability of American food production; and

Young Food Leader: Sustainable food advocates, entrepreneurs, thought leaders and innovators who
are 30 years old or younger.

Growing Green Awards Criteria
In selecting from nominees, the awards selection panel will consider the following criteria:

• Innovation in promoting ecologically-integrated food systems. This may include minimizing
inputs of energy, water and chemicals; reducing pollution and global warming gas emissions;
use of on-farm polyculture; increasing natural resilience; and stewardship of biodiversity,
pollinators, open space and land resources.

• Potential to achieve wide scale adoption, implementation or behavioral change.

• Advancement of health, safety and economic viability for farmers, farmworkers and rural
communities.

Selection Panel and Process
The awards will be selected by an independent panel with staffing assistance from NRDC.

NRDC is grateful to the following sustainable food leaders who have volunteered to join the
Growing Green Awards selection panel:

Dan Barber, Executive Chef and Co-Owner of Blue Hill restaurant and member of the President’s
Council on Physical Fitness, Sports and Nutrition

Michael Pollan, Knight Professor of Science and Environmental Journalism, University of
California Berkeley

Maria Rodale, Chairman and CEO, Rodale Inc. and Co-Chairman of the Rodale Institute Board of
Directors

Dr. Tom Tomich, WK Kellogg Endowed Chair in Sustainable Food Systems, and Director,
Agricultural Sustainability Institute, University of California Davis

How to Apply
Applications will be accepted until close of business on December 10, 2010. The application must be
submitted electronically using the website application process at
http://www.nrdc.org/growinggreen. Application materials may include up to 10 pages of text (12
point font please), photographs, articles or other supporting materials. Please combine multiple
files into a single attachment.

In the last two Growing Green Award competitions we received many excellent nominations that
came very close to winning. We will consider previously submitted nominations again this year
upon request.

Please contact Suzanne Vyborney with questions at gga@nrdc.org or by phone at (415) 875-6134.

Meet Last Year’s Winners
NRDC's 2010 Growing Green Awards winners, listed below, were selected from a pool of 170
impressive candidates for their outstanding achievements in sustainable food and farming. You can
hear them tell their stories here.

Food Producer: Russ Lester, Dixon Ridge Farms
Business Leader: Karl Kupers, Shepherd's Grain
Thought Leader: Fred Kirschenmann, Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture
Water Steward: Mike Benziger, Benziger Family Winery

The $15,000 prize funding has been donated by NRDC supporters and will be distributed through NRDC.

SRF Gets Retrocommissioned

2010-11-18T10:27:00.001-06:00

I enjoyed reading this recent article on UIC's Rec Facility. Not only because I love to hear about projects catering to UIC's Climate Action Plan, but also because I am a frequent visitor to the center. It is sad to see recently built facilities costing millions that are very well kept from the visitor's eye, but waste so much energy. With the amount of water usage from the showers, the swimming pool, and drinking fountain, it makes me wonder how UIC looked at this while creating the geothermal system for the classrooms. I am not familiar what-so-ever with the regulations/policies involved with that though.

However, seeing that changes are being made and that there is commitment from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is very exciting! Having a strong interest and belief in sustainable redesign promoting efficiency not only for the environment but for the people, I have no doubt that this is just the beginning of a fast spreading retrocommissioning of UIC!

Recap of the article:

Wednesday, November 17th the UIC News reported that the Student Rec Facility is soon to be undergoing a project to boost UIC's Climate Action Plan by reducing its energy and carbon footprint!

The $40,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity will also help UIC save as much as $60,000 a year! The grant will go towards consultant pay to inspect the building and find ways to reduce energy and costs in the building.

Vytenis Milunas, director of project management, stated that they are looking at the various systems in the facility and setting up energy meters to see how much energy is being used. The Student Rec project is actually a pilot program for retrocommissioning- finding ways ways to fine-tune existing buildings to make thm work more efficiently without major renovation.

“The project will optimize the system, increase user comfort and keep the university from wasting energy,” said Kate Yoshida, program coordinator in the Office of Sustainability.

Energy usage from lighting has been reduced by stopping usage when the building is empty.Coming up, they will be working on hot water circulation run-time, the fan belts on the aircontitioning fans, and the usage of fresh air in the building. “If it works out well, we’ll be implementing these types of changes in more buildings on campus and we’ll be one of the models the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity will base future projects on,” Milunas said.

Original Article at: http://www.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/uicnews/articledetail.cgi?id=14781

Rare Air on City Hall's Green Roof

2010-07-14T11:05:00.002-05:00

As a Chicago Conservation Corps (C3) leader/volunteer, I was invited to tour City Hall's famed Green Roof courtesy of the Department of Environment. This was a rare opportunity to amble through the rolling green landscape which includes over 100 varieties of native species of grasses, flowers, shrubs and even trees. There we were, under a cloudless blue summer sky, surrounded by the dramatic Chicago skyline, standing in a fragrant prairie buzzing with insects and blazing with color. I thought how wonderful it would be if everyone had a chance to enjoy this kind of idyllic verdant place to recharge and reconnect with other living things.

-Kate
View more pictures of the trip here.

How UIC saves money, energy and makes the work place more comfortable

2010-05-11T13:30:00.001-05:00

UIC is wrapping up the work on upgrading the heating and cooling systems in the Education Performing Arts and Social Work (EPASW) Building. The old system had Air Handling Units (AHUs) that were outdated and regularly broke down, resulting in compromised performance and an inability to maintain comfortable temperatures. There was difficulty in maintaining and regulating various temperatures because of non-functional thermostats and bad controls. There was no chiller to provide additional cooling when the theatre is in use. Pneumatic controls were also outdated and unreliable and caused overheating in many spaces. In the 1980s in the first wave of energy conservation, the semi-variable air dampers were installed in some rooms to modulate air flow. Later, when problems occurred, the dampers were simply removed and not repaired. All of these inefficiencies meant high power consumption and high maintenance costs. The building system was made up of five AHUs, perimeter heat from the campus central plant, and reheat coils to reheat air in the ducts when necessary.

This project took out the 5 old AHUs, installed state-of-the-art, more efficient units. They shut-off the reheat system and will try to operate the building without them. So far this past winter there were no complaints due to the removal of the reheat coils. The new efficient AHUs will better maintain and regulate the required temperature and will provide more comfortable space conditions for the occupants. A new energy-efficient chiller was added for the Theatre which will provide more reliable service throughout the year. Replacement thermostats and dampers will provide better temperature control in all rooms. The new web-based building automation system (BAS) will facilitate online control of the system, providing more efficient operation, service and savings benefits. New controls on the perimeter radiation system will allow the building engineer to monitor and control the temperature of the perimeter heating units.

Automation will improve comfort. New wireless thermostats with integral motion sensors were installed to replace the old ones. They were used to control the branch dampers. The thermostats will be set to work within a reasonable range under the occupants’ control. They will work on stand-by mode when no motion is detected in the room (unoccupied mode). When someone is present they will be activated to the temperature set by the occupant. The new BAS system will monitor and control occupancy, airflow, and temperature. Building occupants will be able to access the BAS system on-line and see how the building is performing and the temperatures in the rooms with thermostats.

The new equipment is approximately 8% more energy efficient than the old equipment. Also, the BAS will allow the fans to run at lower speeds at least 30% of the time which is estimated to increase the total energy savings to 15%.

All of the design work for this project was done by UIC’s own Office of Capital Program (OCP) staff. This, too, resulted in significant savings for the project. Thank you to OCP for saving the campus money, energy, and reducing our carbon footprint!

Is there a better way to save $10 million?

2010-01-07T17:12:00.000-06:00

The financial crisis that the university finds itself could be seen as an opportunity to look closely at the efficiency of our operations and how to make them more sustainable. We should evaluate our use of human and material resources to see how efficient they are. Perhaps there are ways proximal departments can share staff and equipment. The Office of Sustainability’s offices are in the same corridor as Facilities Information Management’s offices and we’ve started thinking about whether we could share a fax machine. Informally, our staff help each other out but maybe formalizing it would make more sense.

One of the biggest opportunities we have for efficiency is in the energy sphere. A recent university-wide energy task force report presented to the Board of Trustees and UI president proposed that we could save 20 to 25% of energy used in buildings “through regular, prudent investment in conservation measures”. The problem is always making the large initial capital investment when the funds are not there. One way many universities, schools, institutions, and facilities have dealt with that lack of capital is through energy performance contracting and third party financing. How does this work? An ESCO (energy services company) performs a detailed (investment grade) audit of a facility’s energy systems from lighting, to HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), to power plants and determines what kind of equipment upgrades and energy management practices could be implemented that would save energy. Saved energy means saved $$. The ESCO will then guarantee those savings on an annual basis so the institution can secure financing based on that “equity” and pay the ESCO to conduct those projects. However, if the facility doesn’t save that money (and all contractural provisions are met) the ESCO writes a check to the facility. Studies suggest we could even save up 34% on our energy consumption through energy conservation measures and that translates to over $10 million evert year and reduction of over 65,000 tons of carbon dioxide every year. UIUC is piloting a project. UIC is planning one. We think now is the time to act – to save money and save the planet.

How is Lincoln Hall Going Green?

2009-11-18T16:05:00.002-06:00

The newly reopened Lincoln Hall has been renovated to show that stewardship of the environment and energy savings is a top priority at UIC. So what’s different in Lincoln Hall and how is it saving energy? The biggest energy-saving feature is the geothermal system. The Lincoln Hall geothermal system is a method that uses water to heat and cool the air in the building. This is accomplished by pumping water through pipes buried underground (below the open space near University Hall, to be exact). The pipes use the earth’s natural ground temperature, along with heating or cooling assistance from equipment in the building, to maintain a constant temperature of 73? F year round in Lincoln Hall. A geothermal system already in place and running in Grant Hall has seen a 50% decrease of energy consumption since its implementation in the fall of 2007. The aim is to have Lincoln, Grant and Douglas hall running all on the same geothermal system, which was expanded to accommodate all three buildings during the Lincoln Hall renovation. [READ MORE]

Lincoln Hall also features double-pane insulated windows covered by a solar film with a high reflective factor; the film allows the windows to reduce the amount of solar radiation that enters the room. This makes the windows 40% more effective than plain glass. The shades for the windows also increase energy savings by opening or closing with help from solar sensors and a building automation system. The classrooms also contain a variety of features, like whiteboards that contain 50% recycled materials and wood doors certified by the Forest Stewardship Council(FSC. The energy savings don’t stop in the classrooms - they are carried throughout Lincoln Hall. The bathrooms contain low flow and automatic water fixtures along with hand driers instead of paper towels.

The classrooms and the bathrooms, and even the oases, were overhauled. The oases in Lincoln Hall use energy-efficient lighting, ergonomically designed furniture, carpet squares made from recycled content and work stations made with FSC-certified wood veneer. These features, along with the addition of natural linoleum used throughout the building and the native landscaping used outside the building, also contribute to Lincoln Hall’s LEED silver certification.

There are plans to install a photo-voltaic solar system on the roof of Lincoln Hall in hopes of it producing 10% of the building’s electricity. With all these new and exciting changes to Lincoln Hall it has transformed the building into a green haven that students and faculty are[V1] already enjoying. If you haven’t already seen the changes to Lincoln Hall, we encourage you to walk in and around the building, or stop by the Lincoln Hall Grand Reopening on November 19.

What is LEED?

2009-11-18T16:01:00.001-06:00

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is an internationally recognized green building certification system developed by the US Green Building Council (USGBC). It provides third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts3.

In order to qualify for LEED certification buildings must comply with all prerequisites and obtain a certain number of credits. A designation of certifified, silver, gold, or platinum is assigned based on the number of points awarded by the certifying agency.

The credit system is divided up under a number of categories; Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality, Innovation in Design and Regional Priority. For more details of the individual credits and how to earn them go to http://www.usgbc.org/.

MythBusting LEED Construction Costs & Benefits

2009-11-18T15:55:00.001-06:00

In general, more efficient and innovative products are more expensive, but this extra expense is usually regained in the savings that will be recouped from reduced electricity, gas and water bills as well as maintenance costs. Also this extra cost depends on many factors, including a project’s type, scope, and location; how many credits are pursued; and the experience of the team.

On average, LEED-Certified, -Silver, or -Gold projects can add anywhere from 1-4% to the total construction cost, while a LEED-Platinum building can add anywhere from 4-8% to the construction cost. Despite this initial additional cost, green buildings yield a number of additional benefits and savings that are highly desirable to long-standing institutions like UIC.

Buildings are designed to meet many requirements, such as aesthetic, accessibility, and fire codes. More and more buildings are also designed to be green – that is, to reduce their impact on the environment. Since buildings use 48% of energy in the US, as well as the resources to build them such as wood, metal, brick, concrete, and glass, green building design aims to reduce our demand for resources before, during and after construction. The average green buildings saves 30% in energy, 35-50% less carbon dioxide emissions, 35-50% in water consumption, and 50-90% savings in waste costs.

Green buildings also increase productivity and human performance. Students were 15-26% faster in reading and math tests and 7-18% higher in test scores, when compared to conventional buildings. Office workers were 6-12% faster in processing calls and 10-25% better at memory and mental tests.1 Imagine the benefits to UIC if we boasted a campus that helped our students, faculty and staff learn, work, and perform better simply by the design of its buildings!

How do you know if a building is truly green? There are several rating systems available that provide third-party verification, such as LEED® and Green Globes. The University of Illinois has decided to adapt the LEED silver standard for all construction and remodeling projects over $5million and to strive to meet those standards for projects under that amount.

"Green" Bookstore!

2009-06-26T12:06:00.005-05:00

It's one thing to read about stores going "green," its another thing to actually experience it. I recently stopped by the Student Center East to pick up some waste veggie oil for my biodiesel program, when I stopped by to buy some UIC apparel. While checking out, I was asked if I wanted a bag for my sweatshirts. The cashier told me that in efforts of a more source reducing outlook, the bookstore now charges about $1.50/bag to customers! This is a perfect yet easy way of becoming a more sustainable campus and I believe local stores should follow suit.

Visions of the Future

2009-06-25T11:41:00.000-05:00

CMAP (Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning) has been working on a 2040 Regional Plan for Chicago.  Along with meetings and workshops throughout the region to engage the public, CMAP held a Community Design Workshop at UIC.

Recently, CMAP published renderings based on the workshop.  Take a look at the renderings:

http://www.goto2040.org/scenarios/designworkshops/uicgreektownwestloop/

As part of the public outreach for the comprehensive plan, there is an opportunity to provide comments on what you see on their website.  The Comments section is at the bottom of the main CDW page:

http://www.goto2040.org/scenarios/designworkshops/main/

Angela Larsen, a member of our Office, played a big role in bringing together everyone who participated in the workshop.  Thanks Angela!

One more thing...there will be many opportunities for you to have more of a say in how the 7-county region develops by 2040, through workshops held throughout the region this summer using scenario-building software and keypad polling for voting.  Please register for a workshop near you:

http://www.goto2040.org/getinvolved/inventworkshops/

As always, leave any questions or comments below!

UH Lighting Project Demonstrates Energy Savings

2009-01-07T16:27:00.002-06:00

Facilities Management recently completed the installation of 8,286 high efficiency fluorescent light fixtures in University Hall (UH). This involved replacing magnetic ballasts with electronic ballasts and T-12 40 watt lamps with T-8 25 watt lamps. Resulting in an estimated savings of 1,564,000 kWh/year. At a rate of 11 cents per kWh that is over $172,000 saved per year or enough electricity to power 159 homes per year.

This project was financed by UIC with assistance from the Illinois Clean Energy Foundation at a total cost of $615,000. The grants came to $207,000 over a two year period. Com-Ed is providing a rebate of $20,000. The payback for the total cost of the project is 3.57 years. Taking into account the grants, the payback period for UIC is 2.26 years.

This clearly demonstrates both the environmental benefit and the economic benefit of lighting projects. Have you switched to more efficient lighting at home yet?

EU to Ban Sale of Incandescent Light Bulbs by 2012

2008-12-08T11:34:00.006-06:00

The European Union decided today to ban the sale of traditional light bulbs by September 2012 to reduce electricity consumption and protect the environment, threatening retail cost increases for consumers. The phase-out, starting next September with the strongest incandescent bulbs, stems from a law that allows the European Commission to set ecological performance standards for consumer goods.

Read the whole article here.

Green Laboratories: Resource Conservation in Research Settings (Webcast)

2008-11-25T11:25:00.003-06:00

Did you know typical laboratories consume 5-7 times more energy than office and classroom buildings? And fume hoods alone can use as much as 3 times the energy of one house in a given year? UIC recently participated in a Green Labs webcast to explore this topic further. With 30 participants joining from both sides of campus, this timely program addressed what people working in labs can do to reduce their energy and material resources use. There are a number of things, including purchasing Energy Star rated refrigerators and freezers, turning off lights, closing fume hoods when not actively using them, participating in a chemical redistribution program and finding users for unwanted equipment, that can really make a difference. To take it a step further, they suggested a lab R.A.T.S. (Laboratory Research and Technical Staff) program could be started at UIC to specifically address lab efficiencies. Check out the powerpoint and let us know if you're interested in greening our labs!

IESP Wins $750K Grant to Study Brownfields

2008-09-29T10:05:00.001-05:00

UIC's Institute for Environmental Science & Policy has won a 5-year, $750,000 grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency to study how Brownfields can be developed in a sustainable way.

Institute researchers at UIC, teaming up with two outside technical advisers and colleagues at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, will define what it means to turn a brownfield into a new green development in a way that sustains the site as eco-friendly -- and the value of doing so.

The team will analyze successful developments around the country, highlighting the sustainable components and the underlying policies and practices that enable the developments to be built. Other parts of the study will focus primarily on Midwest sites. Life-cycles of sustainable components will be analyzed, along with ways to maximize energy efficiency and all of the environmental, economic, and community health benefits of redeveloping a brownfield in a sustainable manner.

According to the EPA, a Brownfield is defined as "real property, the expansion, redevelopment or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant."

[Read the full UIC press release]

Sustainability@UIC

Can We Inform Students and Affect Their Effort to be More Sustainable?

Taking the Initiative at the UIC School of Architecture

Science complex retrofit to cut energy use 30 percent

Science complex retrofit to cut energy use 30 percent

Science complex retrofit to cut energy use 30 percent

Science complex retrofit to cut energy use 30 percent

Douglas Hall gets Gold!

Read more about Douglas Hall's green renovation

Douglas Hall PV System

Recognizing Building Service Workers

UIC in 'green colleges' guide

UIC Geothermal Case Study

LED: Lecture Hall E1

Sustainable Food Award!

SRF Gets Retrocommissioned

Rare Air on City Hall's Green Roof

How UIC saves money, energy and makes the work place more comfortable

Is there a better way to save $10 million?

How is Lincoln Hall Going Green?

What is LEED?

MythBusting LEED Construction Costs & Benefits

"Green" Bookstore!

Visions of the Future

UH Lighting Project Demonstrates Energy Savings

EU to Ban Sale of Incandescent Light Bulbs by 2012

Green Laboratories: Resource Conservation in Research Settings (Webcast)

IESP Wins $750K Grant to Study Brownfields