| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 48.69 |
| Liaison | Tina Evans |
| Submission Date | Aug. 20, 2024 |
Colorado Mountain College
OP-1: Emissions Inventory and Disclosure
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.98 / 3.00 |
Adrian
Fielder Assistant Dean of Instruction Spring Valley |
Has the institution conducted a GHG emissions inventory within the previous three years that includes all Scope 1 and 2 emissions? :
A copy of the most recent GHG emissions inventory:
A brief description of the methodology and/or tool used to complete the GHG emissions inventory:
With a real-time energy consumption tracking platform (called Energy Cap Utility Management), which we could access thanks to our membership in Garfield Clean Energy (GCE), we were able to pull electricity and natural gas consumption data for all the buildings we own and operate (GCE has since migrated this information to another platform called Advanced Energy Management, which will be where we get the data for our next GHG inventory for 2023). Energy consumption from our new Salida campus, which is rented from the Salida School District (which is not a GCE member and does not have a tracker system similar to Energy Cap), was derived from monthly utility bills for that building. Refrigerants data was based on the specifications of all our building HVAC systems and all fleet vehicles with AC units, as well as the coolers, refrigerators and freezers on all campuses (including volume and type of refrigerants used by each system). Fleet vehicle fuel consumption data was based on fuel purchases (type and volume) and quantified into emissions volumes using the EPA Emissions Factors for 2022. All this gathered data was entered into our 2022 GHG Inventory Calculator tool (attached here as "2022_GHG_Inventory_Calculations_v.1.1.xlsx"), which we created over the years by adapting templates used by Natural Capitalism Solutions (to conduct our 2014 GHG Inventory, which is our baseline year in the OP-2 category) and the World Resources Institute. In the case of this submission, we integrated the 2022 version of the EPA Emissions Factors document as a separate tab into the calculator tool. All emissions were calculated by referencing those 2022 EPA Emissions Factors and multiplying them by the relevant energy consumption data we gathered for CMC's 2022 operations, via formulas that are preserved in our calculator tool.
Has the GHG emissions inventory been validated internally by personnel who are independent of the GHG accounting and reporting process and/or verified by an independent, external third party?:
A brief description of the GHG inventory verification process:
Our Institutional Research department audited our entire STARS report, including our OP-1 submission. Our 2022 GHG Inventory Calculator tool (attached here as "2022_GHG_Inventory_Calculations_v.1.1.xlsx") intentionally leaves a fully-transparent data-bread-crumb trail, by specifying exactly where we got all our data and how we made the calculations. Consequently, our IR department was able to go back to the source to ensure accuracy of reporting, and because the tool automates the data analysis process, verification of the calculations was also quite straightforward.
Documentation to support the GHG inventory verification process:
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions, performance year:
| Weight in MTCO2e | |
| Stationary combustion | 1,976.62 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Other sources (mobile combustion, process emissions, fugitive emissions) | 595.60 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Total gross Scope 1 GHG emissions, performance year:
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions, performance year (market-based):
| Weight in MTCO2e | |
| Imported electricity | 3,154.42 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Imported thermal energy | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Total gross Scope 2 GHG emissions, performance year:
Gross GHG emissions from biogenic sources, performance year:
Does the GHG emissions inventory include Scope 3 emissions from the following sources?:
| Yes or No | Weight in MTCO2e | |
| Business travel | --- | --- |
| Commuting | --- | --- |
| Purchased goods and services | --- | --- |
| Capital goods | --- | --- |
| Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 | Yes | 138.79 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Waste generated in operations | --- | --- |
| Other sources | --- | --- |
Total Scope 3 GHG emissions, performance year:
A brief description of how the institution accounted for its Scope 3 emissions:
Transmission & Distribution Losses are based on all electricity used by the college multiplied by the emissions factor established for our regional electricity sub-grid (WECC Rockies) in the EPA's 2022 eGrid summary tables. All emissions were calculated based on the EPA 2022 Emission Factors document and referenced by formula in our 2022 GHG Inventory Calculator tool, attached above.
Has the institution completed an inventory within the previous three years to quantify its air pollutant emissions?:
Annual weight of emissions for::
| Weight of Emissions | |
| Nitrogen oxides (NOx) | --- |
| Sulfur oxides (SOx) | --- |
| Carbon monoxide (CO) | --- |
| Particulate matter (PM) | --- |
| Ozone (O3) | --- |
| Lead (Pb) | --- |
| Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) | --- |
| Ozone-depleting compounds (ODCs) | --- |
| Other standard categories of air emissions identified in permits and/or regulations | --- |
Do the air pollutant emissions figures provided include the following sources?:
| Yes or No | |
| Major stationary sources | --- |
| Area sources | --- |
| Mobile sources | --- |
| Commuting | --- |
| Off-site electricity production | --- |
A brief description of the methodology(ies) the institution used to complete its air emissions inventory:
N/A
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity (location-based):
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported thermal energy (location-based) :
Website URL where information about the institution’s emissions inventories 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.