Tag: Smart Energy Design Assistance Center (SEDAC)

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Free sustainability assistance for the IL craft beverage industry

Close up of a man's arms and hands, as he stands by a brewing tank. In one hand he holds a glass with beer in it under a spigot. His other hand controls the spigot.

Stand out from the crowd. Be sustainable, be recognized.

The Beverage Resilience Program offers free help to make Illinois craft beverage businesses more sustainable and save money. Brought to you by the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) and our partner the Smart Energy Design Assistance Center (SEDAC), this grant-funded program supports breweries, wineries, distilleries, and other craft beverage businesses across the state of Illinois.

Our team will come to your business and perform a comprehensive site assessment to identify opportunities to reduce energy and water use, waste generation, and costs as well as highlight areas where your business is already excelling in sustainability. The opportunities identified will help you to reduce costs as well, promote sustainability in your community, and differentiate yourself from your peers.

Following your assessment, you will also have the chance to assist in shaping the certification process for green beverage manufacturing in Illinois and to be recognized for your sustainability efforts through the Illinois Green Business Program.

How does it work?

  • Initial Meeting – either via email, conference call, or in person, to discuss needs and concerns
  • Opportunity Assessment – conducted on-site to uncover areas for potential change or improvement
  • Report on Findings – a document providing methods for reducing pollution and potential cost savings
  • Implementation Support – assistance for next steps, if needed

  • Project Review – document savings and benefits

What are the benefits?

  • Promotes sustainable manufacturing and growth
  • Improves profitability, productivity and competitiveness
  • Improves workplace safety through less exposure to hazardous materials
  • Reduces environmental impacts such as:
    • water use, energy and materials
    • waste volume and/or toxicity
  • Increases capacity to attract new business
  • Increases recyclability and/or diversion of by-products

How do I sign up?

Interested businesses should fill out the short form at go.illinois.edu/bev_industry.

Questions can be directed to Owen McMahan at omcmahan@illinois.edu.

Download the Beverage Resilience Program flyer.

This opportunity is made possible by a grant from US EPA Region 5.

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Free sustainability assessments for small food businesses in DuPage & Kane Counties

Photo by onephoto for Adobe Stock Images, Education License – University of Illinois

Uncover cost-saving and efficiency opportunities for your food-focused business! The Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) and the Smart Energy Design Assistance Center (SEDAC), units of the University of Illinois, are providing free technical assistance to 10 small for and/or non-profit entities, such as restaurants, grocers, and other food-focused businesses and organizations in DuPage and Kane Counties in Illinois. By getting assessed, businesses can lower operational costs, reduce wasted food & resources, and attract environmentally-conscious customers. 

Assessments will focus on helping entities reduce costs and/or reduce environmental impacts through pollution prevention, energy efficiency, water reduction, alternatives to hazardous chemicals, and waste reduction including purchasing and disposal. 

What will the process look like?

Step 1: Initial conversation. This will take the form of a brief introductory phone call to discuss the assessment process and expectations. There will also be discussion of utility data collection. (Participant time commitment: 30 minutes)

Step 2: Pre-Assessment Data Collection & Analysis. The participating business will share utility billing data as available. Providing this information helps our team quantify savings opportunities found on-site. (Participant time commitment: 30 minutes)

Step 3: Facility Walkthrough. On-site visit to discuss and tour the facility to review current conditions of the facility including infrastructure and operational processes. Identify sustainability opportunities for cost and resource savings. (Participant time commitment: 1 hour)

Step 4: Providing Recommendations & Resources. ISTC and SEDAC will use data and information from previous steps to develop strategies to reduce costs and/or reduce environmental impact. Recommendations and resources will be shared with the participating business via a written report and presentation with Q&A.  (Participant time commitment: 1 hour)

Step 5: Implementation. ISTC and SEDAC will assist businesses that are interested in implementing recommended strategies. Implementation assistance includes further guidance on equipment and/or process upgrades, as well as connecting to incentive or funding opportunities. (Participant time commitment will vary.)

Step 6: Case Study (Optional).  A case study will be developed to showcase opportunities uncovered and strategies implemented. (This step is optional. If you decide to share your experiences with peers and customers, your time commitment will be approximately 1 hour to review drafts and provide feedback/approval.)

How do I sign up?

Interested businesses should fill out the short form at https://go.illinois.edu/FoodBusiness.

Participants will be selected on a rolling basis and ISTC and SEDAC will work with participants upon selection until December 2026. Questions can be directed to Zach Samaras at zsamaras@illinois.edu.

This opportunity is made possible by a grant from US EPA Region 5.