CLIMATE ACTION PLAN - City of Urbana

1.10 CURRENT ACTIONS
has verified all its green practices, the IGBA assists with marketing the businesses green efforts to their customers and
the community, with a focus on education and transparency. A business receives certification in nine areas of sustainable
business practice, which include:
1. Energy Conservation 6. Landscape
2. Water Conservation 7. General Employee Practices (Program Awareness)
3. Waste Reduction and Recycling 8. Purchasing
4. Pollution Prevention 9. Community Development
5. Transportation
More information can be found at http://illinoisgba.com or by calling IGBA at 217 531 2179.
Busey Bank (Corporation Wide)
Certified Green Business
Common Ground Food Co-op
Certified Green Business
Equinox Net Zero Energy House • Newell Instruments
The Equinox House in Urbana is a ‘zero energy building’ (ZEB), meaning it generates enough energy on-site to power
house operations and an electric vehicle for approximately 8,000 - 10,000 miles. Designed and constructed by Newell
Instruments for Ty and Debra Newell, the house has a barrier-free, single story floor plan.
A primary aspect of the house design is a 8.2kW solar photovoltaic (PV) energy collection system producing 10,000
kWh per year in Illinois weather conditions. Of this energy, 8,000 kWh is sufficient for the two-person family’s energy
requirements. The remainder - 2,000 kWh - will be used to power an electric vehicle. The house is ‘grid-tied’ meaning
it feeds energy back and forth to the electric grid. At night, the house borrows energy from the grid and during the day,
it feeds excess electricity into the utility grid helping it with peak demands. A typical house with modern construction
in central Illinois requires 24,000 kWh of energy consumption per year. The Equinox house is predicted to require 7,200
kWh per year, or less than 1/3rd the requirement of a typical modern house. This was possible through a combination
of energy efficient measures, for example, a smart house design including a roof overhang which acts as a solar reflector
in the winter and as a solar shade in the summer, using high-performance roof, walls and windows, and an intelligent
multi-functioned comfort conditioning system developed by Newell Instruments. Energy efficient appliances, such as a
heat pump water heater (HPWH) and high performance laundry and kitchen appliances contribute to the reduction in
household energy demand. The marginal additional cost of using energy efficient appliances is to be recovered through
the substantial operational cost savings due to the reduced energy demand through the appliances’ lifespan.
City of Urbana
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