Category: Energy

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ISTC Signs Call for Action to Limit Global Warming

ISTC NEWS

The paris pledge for actionThe Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) has become a signatory to The Paris Pledge for Action, a world-wide call to action to reduce environmental impacts and limit global warming to less than two degrees.

 

“Minimizing the impact of climate change will require global innovation and cooperation,” said Kevin O’Brien, director of ISTC at the University of Illinois’ Prairie Research Institute (PRI). “There is not one solution to this societal, governmental, and technological challenge,” he added, “there are as many as we can think of.”

 

COP21, also known as the 2015 Paris Climate Conference, was the United Nation’s 21st climate conference in December, at which 196 nations recognized that climate change represents an “urgent and potentially irreversible threat to all human societies” requiring “deep reductions” in global greenhouse gas emissions.

 

The Paris Pledge for Action offers cities, businesses, investors, organizations and others everywhere to pledge to impact the goal of halting the rise in the average annual temperature on Earth. It is an initiative of the COP21 French Presidency (diplomatic host of the Conference) and the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.

 

The pledge also reads: “We … realize that taking strong action to reduce emissions can not only reduce the risks of climate change but also deliver better growth and sustainable development.”

 

Researchers at PRI have partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy on its technology roadmap on two approaches to perfect systems that can remove a record proportion of carbon dioxide from fossil fuel energy (especially coal used to generate electricity). With a Phase I DOE grant the team is currently investigating the engineering requirements to install ground-breaking technology at the U of I’s Abbott Power Plant. A second grant is developing a unique bi-phasic solvent as an ultra-efficient carbon capture technique.

 

“Our mission includes research, technical assistance, and public information to help forge a more sustainable future,” O’Brien continued. “The new technology, and our partners, span three continents and some of the largest power generators in the world so that our findings can quickly have the greatest impact on our Pledge for Action.”

 

For more on the PRI research, visit http://www.istc.illinois.edu/news/news26_carbon_capture.cfm and https://illinois.edu/blog/view/6231/314236.

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New case study: 2014 Illinois Governor’s Sustainability Award Winner: City of Arcola

The City of Arcola worked with Tick Tock Energy to reduce the energy consumption associated with the operation of city facilities. They undertook several energy projects, which included:

  • Replacing incandescent and T12 lighting with CFLs and T8s in the fire department and community center buildings;
  • Upgrading the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) aeration blowers with more energy efficient replacements;
  • Powering the WWTP with wind energy;
  • Installing a solar array at City Hall.

These projects reduced greenhouse gas emissions and resulted in $25,554 annual savings for taxpayers.

 

Read the full case study here.

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Take a Good Look at the Bad Old Days, and How Science Saved the Future

bttf-30thThe 30th Anniversary Celebration of the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) gathered together many of the original leaders of the effort to get a handle on hazardous pollution in the environment.

 

It was a valuable window into the spirit of the times before 1985 that convinced Illinois lawmakers to create a center for research, industry assistance and public information. Thousands had been killed in Bhopal, Love Canal had blighted whole neighborhoods, the Cuyahoga River had burned, and in Illinois, contamination at Waukegan Harbor and Lake Calumet had brought home to citizens the need for scientific evidence about the threats.

 

ISTC took the opportunity to tell this story at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign on Nov. 9. It was a proud moment for the original players who participated in the event, and for ISTC’s parent Prairie Research Institute, and all of their current researchers who continue to drive sustainable economic development in Illinois. Videos on the presentations will be made available soon at http://www.istc.illinois.edu/news/30anniversaryhome.cfm.

 

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Fluorescent Food Coloring Suggests Cheap Tag for Fracking Water Tracking

fluorescentA multi-disciplinary team at the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has developed a quick and inexpensive technique to screen for water contamination from fracking oil recovery operations. The technique targets fluorescent compounds in the “produced” waters generated from oil extraction wells, meaning that a distinct marker for different companies could be introduced to fracking compounds that then could identify specific sources of any subsequent contamination.

 

Seed funding for this project was obtained through the Prairie Research Institute Matching Research Awards Program.

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U of Illinois Power Plant Proposed as Testbed for Major Carbon Capture Advance

GovATabbotThe U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has selected a multi-national team led by the University of Illinois to develop a proposal for retrofitting the University’s Abbott Power Plant in order to capture the CO2 emissions. The team includes the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center and the Illinois State Geological Survey at the U of I – both part of the Prairie Research Institute – as well as the Linde Group and BASF (developers of capture technology), Affiliated Engineering, and Burns & McDonnell. The Phase I award is for detailed engineering and planning and is slated to have a total value of approximately $1.3 million. This is the first time the DOE has sponsored a large-scale pilot R&D project for the capture of CO2 emissions.

 

If the team qualifies for Phase II (implementation) the resulting $75 million project could represent a new day for clean coal hopes on this planet. Not only does Illinois sit on one of the richest coal seams in the U.S., coal will continue to be the major fuel source around the world for decades to come. This multi-national initiative has the potential to significantly cut fossil fuel greenhouse gas emissions while science continues the development of low-cost, renewable alternatives.

 

 

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What ‘Back to the Future Part II’ got wrong (and right)

sharmaHappy Back to the Future Day! ISTC Senior Research Engineer B.K. Sharma is one of the University of Illinois researchers featured in a fun roundup of predictions made for this day by the feature film 26 years ago.

 

The movies predictions about alternative fuels from garbage were somewhat prescient. Sharma hasn’t come up with Mr. Fusion, but he makes gasoline from all types of wastes (grocery bags, prescription medicine bottles, milk cartons, straws, bottle caps, tires, old coffee grounds, algae, sewage sludge, manure and food waste).

 

The Cubs, predicted to win the World Series, on the other hand, are just hanging on.  See the whole article at https://illinois.edu/blog/view/6231/263585.

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Celebrate Sustainability Week 2015, October 19-23

It’s Sustainability Week on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus, and several events are planned, including the official release of the 2015 Illinois Climate Action Plan, or ‘iCAP’ on Sustainability Day, Wednesday, October 21. There will be a reception at 1 PM in Illini Union Room A on the 21st, which will include updates from each of iSEE’s Sustainability Working Advisory Teams (SWATeams), details of the iCAP and updates on progress, and a discussion of how you can get involved in reducing campus greenhouse gas emissions. To attend this reception, register at https://illinois.edu/fb/sec/3510756.

 

Another highlight will be the Sustainability Day keynote event, from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21 at the National Soybean Research Center (NSRC) Room 149. Award-winning filmmaker Shalini Kantayya will share her new feature documentary “Catching the Sun: The Race for the Clean Energy Future.” The film follows the lives of unemployed American workers training for jobs in the solar industry to expose some hard questions about creating a clean energy economy. A discussion will follow the screening.

 

The full list of Sustainability Week activities, including a campus tree walk, a tour of the Waste Transfer Station, and much more is available on the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE) calendar.

catchingthesun

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Interview with Kate Zerrenner – Environmental Defense Fund

kate zerrennerTo highlight our speakers at the Governor’s Sustainability Awards Ceremony, we asked them to answer a few short questions to give a sneak peak into their presentation before the event. Kate Zerrenner, Climate and Energy Project Manager for the Environmental Defense Fund, gave us a little more insight into the energy-water nexus. Join us on October 27th at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers to learn more.

 

We know that there is more buzz about the energy-water nexus and how it relates to our utility systems and economy, but tell me briefly why you started working on this topic.

 

When the drought hit Texas in 2010, I felt that we needed to have a voice in the environmental community about energy as a water conservation strategy. My background is in energy and I saw the connection, and I wanted to help make that connection for others: water saves energy and energy saves water.

 

There are many opportunities for infrastructure to improve their policy and development of these systems to save both energy and water, but why is this nexus so important for businesses to be aware of?

 

Many businesses have large energy bills – one way to improve that line item is through water efficiency, which also saves energy. Also, in water-stressed areas, investing in things like energy efficiency and other clean energy can help preserve scarce water resources.

 

Sometimes, as we are working in companies and manufacturers throughout Illinois, we see that energy efficiency can be tough sell, even with a significant payback. How can companies or organizations speak with upper management about the importance of both energy and water efficiency, and how they affect each other?

 

zerrenner diagram

Evidence shows that in some cases water conservation could save as much energy as the utility energy efficiency programs, but at half the cost. By looking at both energy and water together we can find the synergies and opportunities for efficiency—investing in one saves both, so businesses can maximize their resources by investing in a more coherent strategy.

 

So there are savings opportunities and efficiency opportunities here that organizations can capitalize on – Why is it important to share this information on the energy-water nexus  at events such as the Illinois Governor’s Sustainability Awards?

 

Many people think that water scarcity is just something that dry Western states have to worry about, but climate models predict hotter and drier conditions for much of the country, including parts of the Midwest. In addition to preparing for new normal of drier or hotter conditions, it’s important to help businesses and industry realize the connection between energy and water so they can make their usage more efficient and lower their utility bills and their carbon footprints.

 

Are there any new initiatives that you are working on at the Environmental Defense Fund that you would like to share?

 

We are starting work with cities to help understand how much embedded energy is in municipal water systems, which will hopefully lead to opportunities to invest in targeted efforts to reduce cities’ energy bills and protect water resources.

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Researcher Spotlight: Junhua Jiang

Photo of Junhua JiangDr. Junhua Jiang is a Senior Research Engineer in ISTC’s Applied Research on Industrial Environmental Systems Program. Jiang conducts cutting-edge research and develops interdisciplinary research programs in a range of areas, including electrochemical energy storage, nanostructured materials, electrochemical sensors, waste utilization, water treatment and purification, and green chemical processes. He joined ISTC in 2011.

 

Jiang graduated from China’s Wuhan University in 1997 with a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry. He conducted research as a postdoctoral fellow in London at Imperial College and in China at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics in the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

 

Prior to joining ISTC, Jiang worked as a staff scientist for fuel cell company NuVant Systems, and a research scientist and manager at the University of North Dakota’s Energy and Environmental Research Center. In these roles, he conducted innovative research on fuel cell and hydrogen technology, electrolytic processes of renewable ammonia, nanomaterials, and more.

 

Jiang’s research interests include energy-conversion technology, fuel cells and hydrogen technology, batteries and supercapacitors, green-chemistry processes for renewable fuels and chemicals, advanced materials, electrochemical treatment, water purification and desalination, and other areas of sustainable energy. He is currently developing biochar supercapacitors for energy storage and water purification; advanced carbon materials from renewable and waste feedstocks; and nanostructured materials and components from ionic liquids.

 

He is also working on electrochemical detection techniques for water contaminants. Jiang holds five issued and pending patents, has authored or presented more than 100 highly-cited peer-reviewed articles and conference papers, and has obtained more than $2.5 million in research grant funds.

 

Check the ISTC home page periodically for more Researcher Spotlights. Thanks to Lauren Quinn for writing the original profile of Junhua for the home page!

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ISTC @ iSEE Water Congress Sept. 14-16, 2015

iSEE Water Planet, Water Crisis? graphicISTC will participate next week in the U of I’s Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE) second annual international conference titled  “Water Planet, Water Crises? Meeting the World’s Water-Food-Energy Needs Sustainably”.  The iSEE Water Congress is set for Sept. 14-16, 2015, in the Alice Campbell Alumni Center on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus. Registration is free for the event.

 

ISTC will have three posters in the Water Congress poster sessions showcasing various projects they are involved with on water quality and conservation:

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