ERC - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Senior Research Engineer
- Energy Engineer
Ben Campbell is an energy engineer that works in distributed power generation and energy efficiency. Ben has experience in distributed generation performing qualification screenings and feasibility studies for CHP systems through the Department of Energy Midwest Combined Heat and Power Technical Assistance Program. He has also performed solar photovoltaic feasibility screenings for the University of Illinois at Chicago working with the Chancellors Climate and Sustainable Energy subcommittee.
With the Chancellors Climate and Sustainable Energy subcommittee, Ben has assisted in identifying energy savings and emissions reductions for the University of Illinois at Chicago's Climate Action Plan to achieve a net zero emissions campus by 2050. Ben has extensive experience in building energy assessments through the Smart Energy Design Assistance Program, Public Housing Energy Savings Program, Efficient Living Program, Savings Through Efficient Products, and the 2016 Illinois Energy Efficiency Potential Study.
Prior to working with the Energy Resources Center, Ben has experience working in manufacturing, information technology, management, and customer service.
Job Titles:
- Program Manager - Sustainable Landscapes
Eric Friedl joined ERC in 2015. An experienced software engineer, Eric specializes in database and user-interface design. A 1992 graduate of UIC with a major in psychology and a minor in philosophy, Eric holds masters degrees in Computer and Information Sciences (Knowledge Systems Institute, Skokie, IL) and Elementary Education (National Louis University, Chicago, IL).
Job Titles:
- IT Technical Associate / Utility Data Management
Job Titles:
- Senior Research Specialist
- Senior Research Specialist With the Energy Resources Center at the University of Illinois
Graeme Miller is a Senior Research Specialist with the Energy Resources Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). At the ERC, Mr. Miller serves as the assistant director of the US Department of Energy's Midwest Combined Heat and Power Technical Assistance Partnership where he leads technical assistance and stakeholder engagement activities. Mr. Miller focuses on identifying, quantifying, and addressing barriers to clean distributed generation technologies such as combined heat and power (CHP), waste heat to power (WHP), district energy (DE), and energy efficiency (EE) installations. In his decade plus tenure at the ERC, Mr Miller has collaborated with stakeholders such as the Michigan Public Service Commission, the Iowa Utilities Board, the Minnesota Department of Commerce, CommonWealth Edison, Mid-American Energy, American Electric Power, the Illinois EPA, the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, and many more utilities and regulatory bodies. His current research is focused on creating a methodological framework for assessing and categorizing carbon emissions savings from gas fired CHP.
Mr. Miller is a member of the International District Energy Association (IDEA), the CHP Alliance, and he currently serves on the policy committee of the Midwest Cogeneration Association. Mr. Miller holds a Master's Degree in Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Bachelor of Arts from Grinnell College.
Job Titles:
- Energy Engineer at the Energy Resources Center
Indraneel Bhandari is an Energy Engineer at the Energy Resources Center (ERC)--an interdisciplinary public service, research, and special projects organization that works to advance energy sustainability and improve the environment, based out of the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Chicago. He is a member of the distributed generation and energy efficiency team, where he performs qualification screenings and feasibility studies for CHP systems through the Department of Energy Midwest Combined Heat and Power Technical Assistance Program and evaluates financial and emissions analysis of electric school buses. Indraneel is also a researcher for the Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office program evaluating the performance impacts of Agro-Voltaic projects. Indraneel has several years' experience in facility energy assessments through several utility and state sponsored energy conservation incentive programs.
Prior to working with the ERC, Indraneel worked as an electrical engineer in India focused on utility-scale turnkey PV solar plants. Here he was part of the site engineering team responsible for the construction, testing, commissioning and operation of the PV solar plant. He has experience with power evacuation bays and transmission systems.
Indraneel holds a Master of Energy Engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Bachelor of Technology in Electrical Engineering from India. His interest includes distributed PV solar, Electric and hybrid vehicles and renewable energy resources.
Job Titles:
- Program Manager - Sustainable Landscapes
Iris Caldwell joined the ERC in November 2014. She works primarily in the Bioenergy and Sustainable Landscapes research cluster at the ERC where she facilitates the Rights-of-Way as Habitat Working Group and other efforts to engage industries in pollinator habitat conservation. She also provides technical assistance in the development of greenhouse gas offset projects and protocols, evaluation of renewable fuel production technologies, and mobile combustion emissions modeling. Prior to joining the ERC, Iris worked for more than eight years in industry, both as a manufacturing facility environmental engineer and as an environmental consultant. She has a strong background in environmental regulatory compliance as well as greenhouse gas accounting, carbon offset verification, renewable fuel production under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Renewable Fuel Standard, and other environmental and sustainability reporting.
Iris holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil - Environmental Engineering from Iowa State University. She is a licensed professional engineer in the State of Illinois.
Klaudia Kuklinska joined the Energy Resources Center as an intern in October 2016, and moved to role of Program Assistant in August 2018 after graduating with a degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Klaudia works within the Rights-of-Way as Habitat Working Group by conducting research of mitigation strategies for pollinators affected by pesticides, mowing practices and habitat loss. She also investigates the best practices to aid in increasing pollinator lifespan. In addition, Klaudia has collaborated with industry experts to develop a scorecard that will be used to assess the suitability of potential pollinator habitat. The development of the scorecard included site visits with land managers and gathering feedback on priorities for best management practices.
Klaudia is also a Program Assistant to the ComEd LIKE program. The LIKE program provides free energy efficiency products to more than 35-thousand income-eligible households. Her primary responsibility is coordinating and collecting data from the Community Action Agencies. Furthermore, Klaudia works with interns to get acclimated with the energy efficiency programs.
Marcello Pibiri joined the Energy Resources Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago in June 2016 and serves today as Energy Engineer for the ERC's Energy Efficiency team and as Outreach Coordinator for the Water/Wastewater Treatment Plant and K-12 Schools ComEd Incentive Programs. Marcello supports several technical energy and environmental initiatives at the ERC, conducting research and evaluating energy savings opportunities for clients. Prior to joining the Energy Resources Center, Marcello worked for several years in the project management of electrical and technological installations. Marcello holds a Master's Degree in Energy Engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering from the Università degli Studi dell'Aquila in Italy.
Megan's biggest passion has been sustainability and the focus throughout her career. She has been involved in a variety of aspects of sustainability including conducting research on anaerobic digesters and working on waste diversion solutions. She has over 5 years of experience in energy efficiency including implementing ComEd's Small Business Energy Efficacy program, the largest in the country.
For the ERC she manages and conducts outreach for the Combined Heat & Power offering. Megan strives to be innovated and look for areas of continuous improvement. She received a BS in Environmental health with a minor in biology in August of 2014. Currently she is pursuing her MBA from University of Illinois at Chicago.
Job Titles:
- Senior Research Specialist