Campus Sustainability Menu
Clean Energy Efforts on Campus
Alternate, clean energy sources are a major push in the Illinois Climate Action Plan, and Illinois researchers are playing a role in studying current — and future — sources to power campus and the world without burning fossil fuels! In 2020, iSEE was thrilled to engage with three new initiatives exploring clean power sources:
- LOW-TEMPERATURE GEOTHERMAL: U of I scientists and engineers intend to work with national and international geothermal practitioners, decision makers, and stakeholders to develop a research program in low-temperature geothermal exchange, direct use heating and cooling, and underground thermal energy storage. The Illinois Geothermal Coalition is working to make Illinois the leading Midwest institution for geothermal energy research. Learn more at geothermal.illinois.edu >>>
- NUCLEAR MICRO-REACTOR: Researchers from the Department of Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering and partners are pursuing a major grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to bring a research micro-reactor to the Illinois campus. Advanced micro-reactors are small (can fit in a truck), go 20 years without refueling, use tiny fuel particles, have new shutdown technology, and could produce nearly 13% of campus energy needs. Learn more at Illinois Microreactor Project >>>
- HYDROGEN ENERGY: The Grainger College of Engineering and Argonne National Laboratory have established the Midwestern Hydrogen Partnership to advance and promote the development and adoption of hydrogen technologies for the Midwest, to enable collaborations with industry, academic partners, and stakeholders across the Midwest, and to help create economic development opportunities throughout the region. Learn more at hydrogen energy.illinois.edu >>>
Past and current efforts on campus, including solar, wind, and biomass
During the past decade, Facilities & Services (F&S) has led efforts to:
- build Solar Farm 1 and
- Solar Farm 2 on campus, and
- iSEE has urged F&S to pursue a significant purchase of more solar off campus
- to go along with an earlier purchase of wind energy from an Illinois wind farm.
- Other pilot programs have explored geothermal and
- biomass to heat facilities.
In addition to various faculty experts on alternative energy, faculty in iSEE’s Campus as a Living Laboratory program are exploring new options with solar, wind, geothermal, and other sources.
Read more on our CALL page >>>
Energy Conservation Programs
iSEE Levenick Fellows research
Illini Lights Out
An original effort started by the 2015-16 ECBS SWATeam and taken on by iSEE in the years since, Illini Lights Out is a program to raise awareness of wasted energy from lights left on in unoccupied spaces campus buildings. Since November 2016, brigades of student volunteers have conducted monthly sweeps of buildings surrounding the Main Quad to turn off lights, close windows, and inventory the results. Read more about the program >>>
To volunteer: Grab a friend, and put your names on the volunteer list for an upcoming Illini Lights Out, a program supported by funding from the Student Sustainability Committee (SSC).
Greener Campus Portal
iSEE is certifying Green Offices, Green Labs, and more in an effort to promote behavior change in everyday life on campus. Small steps, taken by many, can make a big impact. Visit the Portal for more info >>>
Campus and community programs, events and tips related to energy conservation
- Urbana-Champaign Campus Net Zero Growth Space Policy
- Eco-Olympics
- International Laboratory Freezer Challenge
- Energy Performance Contracting projects in five College of Engineering facilities — expected to save $41 million over next 20 years
- UC Energy Star Challenge
- Energy Liaisons Program through the Energy Management Division of Facilities & Services
- Illini Energy Dashboard (explanation of project here)
- 2011 Campus Energy Use Policy
- Retrocommissioning
- Administrative Information Technology Services (AITS)
- Green Building Commitment
- Campus acquisition policy for energy-efficient equipment
- iSEE’s take on the new ECE Building on campus
- Levenick Fellows study on energy consumption habits in the dorms
- iSEE’s take on the revamped Natural History Building
- iSEE’s take on Wassaja Hall, a new on-campus residence for students
- F&S announcement of U of I’s first-place award in 2018 International Lab Freezer Challenge
- iSEE feature: Transportation Building reinvests ECIP Award on energy savings
- iSEE feature: ‘Corncrete’ Wall Material Reimagines Sustainable Architecture
Energy Conservation Programs
iSEE Levenick Fellows research
Illini Lights Out
An original effort started by the 2015-16 ECBS SWATeam and taken on by iSEE in the years since, Illini Lights Out is a program to raise awareness of wasted energy from lights left on in unoccupied spaces campus buildings. Since November 2016, brigades of student volunteers have conducted monthly sweeps of buildings surrounding the Main Quad to turn off lights, close windows, and inventory the results. Read more about the program >>>
To volunteer: Grab a friend, and put your names on the volunteer list for an upcoming Illini Lights Out, a program supported by funding from the Student Sustainability Committee (SSC).
Greener Campus Portal
iSEE is certifying Green Offices, Green Labs, and more in an effort to promote behavior change in everyday life on campus. Small steps, taken by many, can make a big impact. Visit the Portal for more info >>>
Campus and community programs, events and tips related to energy conservation
- Urbana-Champaign Campus Net Zero Growth Space Policy
- Eco-Olympics
- International Laboratory Freezer Challenge
- Energy Performance Contracting projects in five College of Engineering facilities — expected to save $41 million over next 20 years
- UC Energy Star Challenge
- Energy Liaisons Program through the Energy Management Division of Facilities & Services
- Illini Energy Dashboard (explanation of project here)
- 2011 Campus Energy Use Policy
- Retrocommissioning
- Administrative Information Technology Services (AITS)
- Green Building Commitment
- Campus acquisition policy for energy-efficient equipment
- iSEE’s take on the new ECE Building on campus
- Levenick Fellows study on energy consumption habits in the dorms
- iSEE’s take on the revamped Natural History Building
- iSEE’s take on Wassaja Hall, a new on-campus residence for students
- F&S announcement of U of I’s first-place award in 2018 International Lab Freezer Challenge
- iSEE feature: Transportation Building reinvests ECIP Award on energy savings
- iSEE feature: ‘Corncrete’ Wall Material Reimagines Sustainable Architecture
Energy iCAP Team
“At-a-glance” key points from the iCAP 2020 Energy theme. Click for an enlarged version.
Read iCAP Chapter 2: Energy >>>
The Energy Team examines both energy generation and purchasing as well as conservation and building standards — all with the goal of achieving carbon neutrality per the Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP).
A major iCAP goal in this area is to reduce emissions from campus energy generation and purchasing by 30% by FY20 on the way to zero emissions by 2050 or sooner. To help meet this goal, campus built a 5.87-megawatt solar farm on the South Farms, which provides approximately 2% of campus’ electricity demand. Additional rooftop solar installations across campus — along with the purchase of wind power — will allow campus to move toward its goal.
By FY20, campus also aims to reduce total energy use of existing buildings by 30% from the FY08 baseline. Campus took a large step in July 2015 to curb energy demand by buildings with the implementation of a “Net Zero Growth Space Policy,” which disallows any lease, construction, or renovation project to push total campus square footage past a baseline cap. Energy conservation efforts remain an enormous opportunity to both reduce greenhouse emissions and to save money on campus.
iCAP Topical Teams report annually on progress made toward Illinois Climate Action Plan objectives in their area of focus.
Read a 2023 update on iCAP progress in energy >>>
Current Team Members
- Faculty: Roman Makhnenko, Senior Research Architect, Applied Research Institute (2022-)
- Faculty: Andrew Stumpf, Geologist at Illinois State Geological Survey, Prairie Research Institute (2018-) Read more about Andrew >>>
- Staff: Paul Foote, Facilities & Services Energy Efficiency & Conservation Specialist (2020-)
- Staff: Tim Mies, Energy Farm Operations Director (2014-) Read more about Tim >>>
- Staff: Amber Perfetti, Facilities & Services Energy Services Engineering Specialist (2023-)
- Student: Samuel Gerstein, Undergraduate (2023-)
- Student: Martha Kubakh, Undergraduate in Specialized Chemistry (2022-) Read more about Martha >>>
- Student: Aman Mehta, Undergraduate in Mechanical Engineering (2022-) Read more about Aman >>>
- Clerk: Trey McCallister, Undergraduate in Computer Science and Statistics (2023-) (Email)