Author: jdexter@illinois.edu

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Small companies save big with tech advice

Technical assistance available for small, rural businesses.
Manufacturers in smaller towns and cities of Illinois can get help being more profitable and sustainable through ISTC’s Illinois Conservation of Resources and Energy (ICORE) program.

 

A model program to provide technical assistance services to underserved rural areas of Illinois has generated $24 million in savings of energy, water, and waste over its first eight years.

 

In smaller, rural communities technical assistance professionals usually have a more difficult time identifying companies that would benefit from their services. ICORE takes a grassroots approach to identify partners and stakeholders with contacts at municipalities, organizations, associations and agencies. Networking at the local level spreads the word of the potential benefits of third-party business assessments.

 

“In big urban areas it is easy enough to find companies that will benefit from sustainability improvements that will save them money,” said Mike Springman, who with fellow ISTC environmental engineer Dan Marsch, have delivered ICORE, which stands for Illinois Conservation of Resources and Energy, services from the beginning. “We wanted to find a way to share what we offer to the whole state, in particular businesses located in rural communities.”

 

ICORE offers customized assessments resulting in recommendations to conserve energy, reduce water consumption, reduce hazardous materials/wastes, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and save money.  At two recent assessments at Illinois food companies, a range of recommendations were identified , such as improved efficiencies in compressed air, process heat, motors, lighting, water/wastewater and minimization of food waste.

 

Caseyville’s AdvancePierre Foods implemented more than half of the recommendations, some right after the site visit. “Very good information and details emerged from the audit, which we are still working on,” said Michael Doeden, plant manager of the company’s St. Clair County facility. “It is a great way to start a foundation for continuous improvement and cost savings.”

 

Upgrading old electrical equipment is saving the company $6,000 a month, Doeden said. Other ideas like metering for waste water sewage credits will be adopted down the line, he added.

 

King’s Food Products in Belleville, Ill., welcomed the assessment for third-party expertise on how to be more efficient. “The assessment … generated a list of task items we hadn’t considered,” said Stephanie Fahrner, vice president for operations. “Overall the project/participation will improve us as a company — through savings, efficiency, and employee and environmental safety.”

 

“This is a great way for your team to see ideas generated, resources available, and training provided to help continuous improvement in a manufacturing plant,” Doeden agreed. “Additionally, E3 assessments focus on economy, energy and environment … which will benefit sustainability programs, people and is a good foundation for business practices, he added.”

 

In 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in partnership with five other federal agencies formed the E3 technical assistance framework (Economy, Energy, and Environment). One year later EPA started funding the ICORE approach which has taken hold and today has expanded to deliver EPA’s E3 assessments as well.

 

One way of viewing the impact of the program is as accumulated savings which continue to accrue each year. By this measure, between 2008 and 2016, ICORE assistance has made a difference in Illinois totaling approximately $24 million, 160 million gallons of water, 1.9 million therms of natural gas, 209 million kilowatt hours of electricity, 20 million pounds of waste, 433,000 pounds of hazardous waste, and 200,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions avoided.

 

For more information about ICORE/E3 assessments for your business, visit the technical assistance pages at http://istc.illinois.edu/

 

 

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Army to pilot ISTC innovation to improve installation resilience, energy security

waste water treatment plant energy recovery
The U.S. Army will pilot a U of I waste to energy system that converts wastewater biosolids to biocrude oil. The design benefits include removal of many bioactive pollutants and a high efficiency of energy extraction.

 

The U.S. Army has funded a project to demonstrate technology developed on the University of Illinois’ South Farm that disposes of wastewater biosolids by turning them into energy.

 

The Army has embraced a range of innovations in its Net Zero program, which strives for zero waste and clean, on-site, renewable energy sources. Two areas where the Army still pays for landfill disposal are food waste and wastewater biosolids.

 

The U of I system will be demonstrated over a two-month period at Fort Detrick, in Frederick, Maryland, where Net Zero team members will document the effectiveness of this approach to improve the environmental footprint and enhance resiliency at Army installations. Fort Detrick has been designated to be an Army pilot installation for Net Zero energy and waste initiatives.

 

The pilot-scale reactor developed by university personnel from Agricultural and Biological Engineering and the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC), a division of the Prairie Research Institute, converts these organic materials into biofuels through a hydrothermal process.

 

Instead of expending energy to sterilize and break down organic wastes for landfilling, the one ton per day reactor can produce 3 million BTUs of heat energy, which corresponds to 300 kilowatt-hours of electricity each day. In addition, instead of expending energy to dry the feedstocks, as in most biofuel processes, wet feedstocks are essential to the reaction.

 

“In a hostile theatre, it is dangerous to supply fuel by truck to run electric generators,” said Lance Schideman, the researcher who has led the development efforts at ISTC. “The ability to supply renewable energy on-post promotes readiness and minimizes its environmental impact,” he added.

 

“The system’s small size and portability also make the approach appealing for deployment at military installations here and abroad,” said Stephen Cosper, an engineer with the Army’s Construction Engineering Research Laboratory who has spent a sabbatical year collaborating with researchers at ISTC.

 

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National Guard thanks ISTC for 20 years of environmental assistance

The Illinois Department of Military Affairs (IDMA) recognized the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) for its “long, outstanding and professional support” during a ceremony at Camp Lincoln, Springfield, on April 28.

 

ISTC receives recognition from Illinois National Guard
An award for supporting the Illinois National Guard Environmental Office over the last 20 years was presented by Illinois Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Richard Hayes Jr., to Mike Springman, Joe Pickowitz, and Shantanu Pai of the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center’s Technical Assistance Program April 28 at Camp Lincoln.

ISTC is a division of the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois that assists citizens, businesses, and government agencies with preventing pollution, conserving natural resources, and reducing waste.

 

A plaque was presented to Technical Assistance Program personnel Mike Springman, Joe Pickowitz, and Shantanu Pai in appreciation a 20-year collaboration to help the Illinois Army National Guard meet its commitment to sustainable operations using sound environmental management practices.

 

As the lead contact with IDMA, Environmental Engineer Springman has helped develop requirements for their Environmental Management System, solid waste management planning, pollution prevention planning, hazardous materials planning, and a range of environmental compliance assessments and audits. He also managed remediation projects and implemented green chemistry upgrades at military installations.

 

TAP expertise has helped IDMA embrace the goals of the Army Strategy for the Environment by planning early for environmental impacts in their operations.

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Illinois Sustainability Award keynote shows power of green business

With one week left to submit entries for the 2017 Illinois Sustainability Award, ISTC has released the video of one of the 2016 Awards Ceremony’s Keynote Speakers — John Bradburn, Global Waste Reduction Manager at General Motors Corporation.

 

Speakers John Bradburn and Kim Frankovich.
2016 ISA keynote speakers were Kim Frankovich, global sustainability director at Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company (left) and John Bradburn, global waste reduction manager at General Motors Corporation.

Bradburn’s address, “Stuff, Things and People Working to Grow Economies and Communities,” formed a powerful complement to the second keynote by Kim Frankovich, global sustainability director at Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, a subsidiary of Mars, Inc.

 

In her address, “Sustainability within Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company,” Frankovich described the effectiveness of a privately held company to partner with non-governmental and international expert agencies to promote environmental responsibility and social justice for suppliers, workers, and customers.

 

In a more than 30-year career, Bradburn has spearheaded efforts to recycle, upcycle, reduce pollution hazards, and create fundamentally impactful opportunities to advance the prospects for the environment, communities, and his company.

 

Both addresses were inspiring as models for how very different companies can excel in business and in society with creativity and bold action embodied by the Illinois Sustainability Awards. Frankovich’s address will also be made available online as a later date.

 

REMEMBER: Online applications for this year’s Illinois Sustainability Awards are due at ISTC by 5 p.m. Thursday, May 4.

 

2017 ISA awards ceremony, 10.24.17, Union League Club of Chicago

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Volunteers flip this corner of campus for a ‘natural’ makeover

Google Earth view of the South Arboretum Woods
The latest magnet for student and community sustainability volunteers has been the 22-acre campus feature now known as the South Arboretum Woods.

 

 

After two years a project to invigorate 22 acres near Windsor and Lincoln at the U of I is bringing the plot closer to its “natural” state.

 

TI Love Illinois Week linkhis high profile territory had become a thicket of brambles, invasive species, and dead plants. “I became disgusted,” said John Marlin, a research associate at Illinois Sustainable Technology Center who leads the project. “I drive by it every day on the way home. The honeysuckle was so thick that it was difficult to see more than five feet into the woods.  The understory was shaded to the point that virtually nothing grew at ground level.”

 

Marlin will serve as keynote speaker during Campus Appreciation Day at 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 11 in Room 1092 Lincoln Hall.  Tuesday is Day Two of the University’s I Love Illinois Week. #ILoveIllinois. Marlin has attracted the interest of student volunteers for decades for sustainability projects across campus, including efforts to establish native plantings on campus to benefit indigenous animal species.

 

Funded by the Student Sustainability Committee, the 22-acre clean-up has attracted student volunteers from Red Bison, Students for Environmental Concerns, various other service organizations, East Central Illinois Master Naturalists, and members of the community. The property, now known as the South Arboretum Woods has been placed under the control of the Arboretum which will have long-term management responsibility.

 

Colleagues at the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, the Illinois Natural History Survey, and Facilities and Services have also been key partners by consulting on maintenance issues at the site, Marlin said. Since 2015 groups have assembled to remove invasive species and clear debris to allow a comeback for native plants, insects and other organisms.  Some areas have already been seeded with woodland and prairie plants.

 

All of that effort has put the project right on schedule with the wholesale removal of noxious plants to prepare the way for new plantings this spring, Marlin said. The tenacious villain honeysuckle blocks sunlight and kills native flowering plants (forbs) and bushes that normally occur in healthy woodlands. With the woody pest in retreat, the emphasis is now on preventing honeysuckle re-sprouts and dealing with smaller invasives like garlic mustard.  Seeds of this plant have been dormant in the soil for years and are germinating in response to sunlight which can now reach the floor of the woods.  Over the next few years a variety of trees, shrubs and forbs will be gradually introduced to sections of the woods.

 

The plan is to gradually introduce plants to the area as resources become available and problem plants are removed.  This includes thinning the stands of trees found in the former research plot.  They were planted close together in species plots to facilitate the study on plant diseases and insect pests. Decades later trees 18 inches in diameter are a mere five feet apart.  Removing some of them will allow sunlight penetration and more normal growth.   The initial planting will mainly occur on the east side of the woods where work began in 2015.

 

The planned plantings will run the gamut from sun loving to shade tolerant and will be selected to collectively bloom over the entire growing season with a variety of flower types.  This will serve a large number of insects, many of which, like the monarch butterfly, require or prefer a limited number of plants.  For example a leaf cutter bee (genus Megachile) was found in large numbers last fall on bellflower (Campanula americana) on the shady edge of the woods.

 

On the list for planting at the woods are Spring Beauty (Claytornia virginica), a wildflower Marlin said is used by 58 different kinds of bees. Others being planned include Purple Prairie Clover, Rattle Snake Master, Wild Geranium, Golden Rod and Aster, he added.

 

Mariln said he and Kevin McSweeney, director of the Arboretum, and Jay Hayak, extension specialist in forestry, have discussed the usefulness of the woods for teaching issues such as restoring biological diversity.

 

The area is not yet ready for public use and help in removing material from the area should only be done under supervision, Marlin said. Logs and other woody material will be left on the site to meet specific habitats requirements.

South Arboretum Woods volunteers
Student, staff, and community volunteers have prepared the South Arboretum Woods for plantings of native species this spring.

 

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Sustainable Laboratories Keep their Cool with Scientific Rigor

North American Laboratory Freezer Challenge at ISTC
ISTC labs participated in the North American Laboratory Freezer Challenge to improve their sample storage. Right, Susan Barta, analytical chemist, prepares old samples for proper disposal.

 

Laboratories at ISTC ‘got chill’ on March 7 as they got busy with the 2017 North American Laboratory Freezer Challenge.

 

The Challenge promotes sample accessibility, sample integrity, reduced costs, and energy efficiency by recognizing best practices that support science quality and resilience — in addition to minimizing total costs and environmental impacts of sample storage.

 

The competition was a good opportunity to clean out samples that were no longer needed and update organization and logs to improve laboratory access, according to John Scott, senior analytical chemist at the Center.

 

Lance Schideman, research scientist, and John Scott, senior analytical chemist, review chemical stocks
Lance Schideman (left), research scientist, and John Scott, senior analytical chemist, review chemical stocks as part of the Freezer Challenge.

According to Challenge organizers, the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) and My Green Lab, the Centers for Disease Control and the University of California Davis reported that 10-30 percent of items stored in refrigeration units were no longer needed or no longer viable.

 

Scott said the Challenge offers an excellent incentive to review and update stocks of research materials. Especially when a researcher changes jobs, an effort should be made to examine which samples are no longer needed, he said.

 

Major industry sponsors of the Challenge are Stirling Ultracold, ThermoFisher Scientific, and Panasonic. Participants earn points for their activities and winners will be announced in October.

 

Laurel Dodgen and Viktoriya Yurkiv review lab stores
Postdoctoral research assistant Laurel Dodgen and assistant research chemist Viktoriya Yurkiv help with the Challenge.
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New Research Helps Narrow the Choice Between Affordable and Long-Lasting Roads

recycled materials used in road construction
Recycled asphalt is widely used in road construction to minimize waste and reduce costs. A new study of the chemical and physical characteristics of the material will allow stronger roads.     Courtesy IDOT Bureau of Materials and Physical Research

 

A two-year study of asphalt binders will improve the use of recycled material in making long-lasting roads.

 

Asphalt binders, a key to affordable, long-lasting roads, have surrendered some of their secrets thanks to a two-year examination of their chemistry and composition.

 

Research led by the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) at the University of Illinois’ Prairie Research Institute, in a partnership with the Illinois Center for Transportation (ICT) and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), advances knowledge of the role of chemistry and composition on asphalt binders’ performance and proposes new testing thresholds that can supplement existing highway quality assurance programs.

 

It has long been known that recycling asphalt pavement materials and roofing shingles into new pavement lowers costs, but this can also result in pavement brittleness and faster aging. Still the practice is very common in Illinois and elsewhere in the United States. According to the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA), asphalt pavement is being recycled and reused at a rate over 99 percent, and recycling efforts in 2010 alone conserved 20.5 million barrels of asphalt binder.

 

“Even with non-recycled road pavement materials, the optimal mix of binders and aggregates is a delicate balance. Add to that calculation more variables from utilizing various recycled binders and the confidence of producing durable and long-lasting roads becomes more difficult,” according to Brajendra K. Sharma, senior research engineer at ISTC.

 

The final report, “Modeling the Performance of RAS (Recycled Asphalt Shingles) and RAP (Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement) Blended Asphalt Mixes Using Chemical Compositional Information,” was published by ICT, also at the U of I.

 

This study takes a close look at the elemental and chemical composition of binders and how they age. Field performance of various asphalt binder materials to resist cracking and permanent deformation under the traffic loading (rheology) and environmental fluctuations was correlated to the composition and chemical characteristics of binder materials.

 

Recycled asphalt is widely used in road construction
Courtesy IDOT Bureau of Materials and Physical Research

A variety of different tests, parameters, and component markers have been developed worldwide over the years to ensure long-lasting roadways. This work also evaluates which diagnostic approaches work best, as well as how the use of recycled or reclaimed materials affects performance, by combining chemical and compositional characterization tests with the rheological tests.

 

“This research is aimed at reconciling the sometimes conflicting goals of affordably maintaining our quality transportation system and maximizing sustainable construction practices,” said Sharma, lead author of the study.

 

“A better understanding of asphalt binders’ chemistry and composition in combination with its fundamental rheological properties is critical to achieve good performing and long-lasting pavements. Such a holistic characterization of binder became even more important with the number of recycled constituents, additives, and modifiers that have increased dramatically over the years.” according to Hasan Ozer, research assistant professor at ICT.

 

Based on the combined results of rheological characteristics, chemistry, and composition, it was concluded that asphalt concrete prepared with high levels of recycled roofing shingles along with reclaimed asphalt concrete could have increased short- and long-term cracking potential. The aging progresses much faster and their lifetime starts at an already critically aged condition because of the high recycled content in the pavement.

 

The study also provides preliminary recommendations and an implementation plan with critical thresholds that can be obtained from series of chemical, compositional, and rheological tests. The proposed tiered approach can be used by IDOT and other highway authorities to supplement existing asphalt binder quality assurance programs and material selection.

 

The issue of optimal use of recycled road materials is an important one for transportation officials nationwide. This study is an outgrowth of a 2015 ICT study that last year received the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ “Sweet Sixteen High Value Research” projects award. That study, “Testing Protocols to Ensure Performance of High Asphalt Binder Replacement Mixes Using RAP and RAS,” introduced a semi-circular bending test (IL-SCB) coupled with a flexibility index (FI) for testing of fracture potential.

 

Co-authors of the latest study are Jing Ma, Punit Singhvi and Hasan Ozer, of the U of I department of civil and environmental engineering, and Bidhya Kunwar and Nandakishore Rajagopalan of ISTC.

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Challenges of Carbon Utilization Have Regional Solutions

istc director kevin o'brien speaks at technology summit in San Antonio Texas
Advances in carbon utilization technology holds diverse options for job and economic development, according to ISTC Director Kevin O’Brien.

Emerging technologies for carbon dioxide (CO2) utilization present significant opportunities for job creation and economic growth, said Kevin O’Brien, director of the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC), a division of the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, in a presentation to the Eighth Carbon Dioxide Utilization Summit Feb. 22 in San Antonio, Texas.

 

But success in deriving those benefits from carbon utilization depends on the assets (economic and human) of each particular region, O’Brien emphasized to energy, chemical, plastics, and construction industry leaders at the conference.

 

Mature regional partnerships for workforce development, higher education, economic development, government support, and responsive research and development capabilities are some of the factors that contribute to development of a sustainable CO2 value chain.

 

O’Brien pointed to reasons why Illinois, where coal underlies nearly the entire state and remains a $2.5 billion annual industry, is seizing on every advantage it has to align with the potential of carbon utilization innovations.

 

  • Illinois research universities have leading programs in engineering, engineering geology, carbon capture, and other scientific innovation. One example is the use of CO2 as a fertilizer substitute at the University of Illinois. In a major agricultural state with nutrient loss problems and where the climate is expected to reduce carbon retention in soil, synergies abound.
  • College curricula, community colleges, economic development professionals, political leaders, and employers are already connected to existing supply chains.
  • The University of Illinois’ Prairie Research Institute, ISTC’s parent organization, has assembled decades-long reservoirs of valuable data on Illinois weather, regional climate, soil, groundwater, stream flow, and other factors that is relevant to an economic pivot toward carbon utilization.

 

On the research front, a Midwest Regional Approach to Carbon Utilization workshop is being planned for June 28 by co-organizers ISTC, the Gas Technology Institute, and the Advanced Coal and Energy Research Center of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.

 

Other regions will have different assets and opportunities. For instance, carbon utilization will necessitate pipelines or another cost-effective transportation method for captured CO2. Markets with a track record for facilitating transportation will be ahead of the game, O’Brien said.

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Electric Coops Seek Veterans for Skill Positions

Serve our co-op serve our country logoThe National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) has job openings and wants America’s veterans to apply.

The organization’s “Serve Our Coops/Serve Our Country” initiative has established a website to tap into the skills of armed forces veterans to join the energy sector.

Across the nation, 750 electric distribution cooperatives anticipate the need for 15,000 workers. They seek various skills for electrical and mechanical engineers; network administrators and specialists, cyber security IT specialists; marketing; accounting and finance; human resources; GIS supervisors and technicians; generation/transmission dispatchers; electric linemen and many others.

The program is focused on supporting member coops with work force education and training and to care for the veteran communities that live in suburban and rural areas.

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Tiny Scavenger Proves Apex Predator in Oil Spill Clean Up

nano-carboscavenger particles are small
Two-layered Nano-CarboScavengers have properties to both clump oil spill sheen and disperse them for bacterial digestrion.

When there is an oil spill in a body of water, booms are used to contain it so the contamination can be collected. The aftermath still leaves a sheen of oil that response teams then attempt to keep from devastating the natural environment.

What do they do? They dump chemicals into the water which may be as bad environmentally as the oil.

Enter engineers and chemists from the University of Illinois College of Engineering and ISTC with a new tool to more truly eliminate the damage from oil spills. They have developed microscopic carbon particles they call Nano-CarboScavengers which work in two ways. They have the ability to attract oil and swell in size, creating visible clumps which can be scooped up. The tiny spheres also reduce the surface tension of polluted water, giving natural microorganisms a chance to digest petroleum compounds into harmless components.

Let’s hear it for the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE) which showed confidence in Bioengineer Dipanjan Pan and the team to provide them with seed money to develop the idea in 2015. Now the work is published in Nature Publishing. iSEE’s website has the full story.