| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 73.23 |
| Liaison | Heather Albert-Knopp |
| Submission Date | Feb. 28, 2022 |
College of the Atlantic
OP-2: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
5.38 / 8.00 |
Andrea
Russell Sustainability Coordinator and Community Energy Center Program Manager -- |
Gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion | 477.40 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 584 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources | 83.56 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 21 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported electricity | 141.51 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 434 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported thermal energy | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 43 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Total | 702.47 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 1,082 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Figures needed to determine net carbon sinks:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Third-party verified carbon offsets purchased | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Institution-catalyzed carbon offsets generated | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Carbon storage from on-site composting | 0.21 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Carbon storage from non-additional sequestration | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | --- |
| Carbon sold or transferred | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Net carbon sinks | 0.21 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
A brief description of the carbon sinks, including vendor, project source, verification program and contract timeframes (as applicable):
On-site composting has been a COA tradition since the 1970s. Currently, COA is composting on campus all waste from our composting toilets. Buildings & Grounds and “Discarded Resources” work-study students track all on-campus composting. They keep a record of every toilet harvest, and calculate the total tonnage for the reporting period.
Adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Adjusted net GHG emissions | 702.26 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 1,082 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Start date | July 1, 2020 | July 1, 2004 |
| End date | June 30, 2021 | June 30, 2005 |
A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted:
In spring 2006, COA began using the Clean Air-Cool Planet Carbon Calculator, so 2005 was the most recent year for which we could collect accurate data to enter into the calculator.
Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 170 | 104 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 6 | 0 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 4 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 345 | 276 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 93 | 98 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 0 | 0 |
| Weighted Campus Users | 376.50 | 306.50 |
Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user | 1.87 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 3.53 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Percentage reduction in adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user from baseline:
Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
Floor area of energy intensive building space, performance year:
| Floor area | |
| Laboratory space | 26,931 Square feet |
| Healthcare space | 0 Square feet |
| Other energy intensive space | 30,973 Square feet |
EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions per unit of EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
A brief description of the institution’s GHG emissions reduction initiatives:
College of the Atlantic is currently undertaking a project to insulate and air seal all existing buildings, and to retrofit them with high-efficiency air source heat pumps to reduce reliance on stationary fossil fuel sources. Prior, the College conducted an energy audit of every building on campus. A working group of students, staff and faculty reviewed the audits, and presented a recommendation to COA's Board of Trustees proposing a three-phase implementation plan.
Students have installed over 60 solar panels as part of academic courses and are involved in every aspect of our energy framework through these courses, work-study positions, independent studies and senior projects.
The College continues to contract all of its electricity from midwest wind power sources while paying for the associated RECs in real time. We are switching out CFL bulbs and fluorescent tube lighting for newer, more energy efficient LED lights using both bulb and modular tube LED types. A switch to modular LEDs in the college's dining hall kitchen was completed in May 2014.
Through practical, hands-on energy courses students are working on energy reduction issues on campus. In the Physics and Math of Sustainable Energy course, offered each year, student-group projects have included a wide number of emissions reduction initiatives, including: reducing water pumping for irrigation at one of the college's farms; assessing heating needs and alternative heating solutions for campus; and investigating heat pump technology to take heat out of the campus kitchen and use it to heat domestic hot-water.
Website URL where information about the institution's GHG emissions is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.