Production
UES is responsible for supplying the energy used on campus through production and purchasing. The university purchases about half of the electricity used on campus through Prairieland Energy, Inc. (PEI), a subsidiary wholly-owned by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. On-campus generation comes primarily from two sources – Abbott Power Plant, the Campus Chilled Water System (CCWS). Additionally, we have several renewable energy instllations throughout campus. As a cogeneration facility, Abbott Power Plant supplies 75% of the campus’ energy through generated steam and electricity, maintaining a careful balance between safety, reliability, sustainability, and cost-efficiency. During low campus demand for both heat and air conditioning, Abbott typically burns natural gas. During the winter months, when the campus heat load is highest, a combination of both coal and natural gas is necessary.
Extensive underground piping connects the majority of campus buildings to the five CCWS production plants. Twenty-three chillers (steam and electric) deliver the necessary chilled water to operate building air conditioning systems. A 6.5 million-gallon Thermal Energy Storage (TES) tank, built in 2010, can provide 50,000 ton-hours to help meet the cooling demand on campus.
F&S is committed to renewable energy solutions for campus. There are numerous operating solar installations, with a variety ranging from rooftop installations to multi-acre solar beds.
Solar Farm 2.0 is a 54-acre, 12.1 megawatt (MWdc) solar farm located on south campus near the Village of Savoy. Solar Farm 2.0, which features innovative technology such as bifacial panels and single axis trackers, is designed to generate around 20,000 megawatt-hours per year (MWh/year), the equivalent electricity of over 2,000 typical American homes.
The first solar farm on campus, called Solar Farm 1.0, is a 21-acre site located along the south side of Windsor Road, between First Street and the railroad tracks. Designed, built, and now operated by Phoenix Solar South Farms, LLC, an estimated 7,200 megawatt-hours (MWh) are generated from this site annually. All the solar power and renewable energy credits (RECs) from Solar Farm 1.0 are purchased and used by the Urbana campus.
UES published a Utilities Production and Distribution Master Plan that provides a comprehensive evaluation of campus energy purchasing, production, and distribution through FY49.