Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 72.89
Liaison Miriam Keep
Submission Date Feb. 27, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
IN-24: Innovation A

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 1.00 Micah Kenfield
Sustainability Coordinator
Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment
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Name or title of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome:
Field to Flame

A brief description of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome that outlines how credit criteria are met and any positive measurable outcomes associated with the innovation:
While many campuses are pursuing alternative to fossil fuels for on-campus energy production, the Field to Flame initiative at the University of Illinois is an innovative approach to biomass heating. A large biomass boiler heats greenhouses at our Energy Farm, ending our reliance on natural gas for heating. The biomass for the boiler, uniquely, is grown from experimental feedstocks at the farm. The effectiveness of each different variety of feedstock can be assessed in real time with monitors and sensors, and lays the groundwork for campus to move off its reliance on cold for large campus heating systems. Though still in its first year of operation, measurable impact is being tracked via the reduced use of propane to heat these greenhouses, which in turn is reflected in our annual carbon reporting.

Which of the following impact areas does the innovation most closely relate to? (select up to three):
Research
Air & Climate
Energy

Optional Fields

A letter of affirmation from an individual with relevant expertise or a press release or publication featuring the innovation :
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None
The website URL where information about the innovation is available :
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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