Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 67.49
Liaison Elizabeth Swiman
Submission Date March 15, 2023

STARS v2.2

Florida State University
OP-2: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.65 / 8.00 Elizabeth Swiman
Director of Campus Sustainability
Facilities
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions

Gross GHG emissions

Gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions:
Performance year Baseline year
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion 16,324.52 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 17,827.20 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources 1,303.45 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 3,272.03 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported electricity 90,605.72 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 104,462.49 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported thermal energy 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Total 108,233.69 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 125,561.72 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Carbon sinks

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 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 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

If total performance year carbon sinks are greater than zero, provide:

A brief description of the carbon sinks, including vendor, project source, verification program and contract timeframes (as applicable):
N/A

Adjusted net GHG emissions

Adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions:
Performance year Baseline year
Adjusted net GHG emissions 108,233.69 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 125,561.72 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Performance and baseline periods

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Performance year Baseline year
Start date July 1, 2021 July 1, 2017
End date June 30, 2022 June 30, 2018

A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted:
updated baseline year from FY07-08 to FY17-18 to reflect better data collection and GHG calculations related to contracted vs. self-reporting.

Part 1. Reduction in GHG emissions per person

Weighted campus users

Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance year Baseline year
Number of students resident on-site 6,642 6,733
Number of employees resident on-site 12 12
Number of other individuals resident on-site 0 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 39,829 35,340
Full-time equivalent of employees 7,079 6,670
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 1,741 2,461
Weighted Campus Users 35,538.75 31,348

Metrics used in scoring for Part 1

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 3.05 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 4.01 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Percentage reduction in adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user from baseline:
23.97

Part 2. GHG emissions per unit of floor area

Performance year floor area

Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
13,610,426 Gross square feet

Floor area of energy intensive building space, performance year:
Floor area
Laboratory space 791,648 Square feet
Healthcare space 50,383 Square feet
Other energy intensive space 1,239,975 Square feet

EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
16,534,463 Gross square feet

Metric used in scoring for Part 2

Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions per unit of EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
0.01 MtCO2e per square foot

A brief description of the institution’s GHG emissions reduction initiatives:
FSU’s GHG reduction program and energy conservation program go hand in hand. While the campus has grown, FSU has reduced energy use and GHG per square foot significantly when compared to the baseline year.

Since 2017, FSU has implemented a Laboratory Air Change Reduction program in research laboratories targeted at reducing energy waste due to HVAC service. FSU research buildings consume about 38% of energy on campus, with an estimated 70% being attributable to special exhaust and HVAC systems. Additionally, laboratory spaces are, on average, unoccupied for 75% of each day.

FSU’s Utilities provider, City of Tallahassee, completed construction of a 60MW solar farm in 2020. FSU committed to purchasing a significant portion of the commercial allocation of the solar farm, which makes FSU the largest single consumer of solar energy from City of Tallahassee, equal to 20-25% of main campus energy needs.

Our Refrigerant Management Program aimed at reducing the emission of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which have a capacity to warm the atmosphere that is 1,000-13,000 times greater than CO2. Not only has the program significantly reinforced EPA compliance for FSU technicians, but it has additionally required and enforced compliance for third party contractors.

Website URL where information about the institution's GHG emissions is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.