Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 57.65
Liaison Michelle Seppala Gibbs
Submission Date March 6, 2020

STARS v2.2

Hope College
OP-2: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.75 / 8.00 Michelle Gibbs
Director
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions:
Performance year Baseline year
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion 9,894.15 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 9,230.31 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported electricity 8,469.50 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 17,429.45 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 18,363.65 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 26,659.76 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 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Carbon storage from non-additional sequestration 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 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

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

As part of a requirement for LEED, Hope College entered into a two year agreement for 2018 and 2019 to purchase Green-E Certified Renewable Energy. We agreed to participate in Holland Board of Public Works’ “Elective Renewable Energy Program” and committed to purchasing 180,000 kWh of Green-E Certified Renewable Energy per year, for a total of 360,000 kWh.

When using the EPA's calculator, this helped us determine this is 127 metrics of CO2 each year.
https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator


Adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions:
Performance year Baseline year
Adjusted net GHG emissions 18,363.65 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 26,659.76 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 Jan. 1, 2018 Jan. 1, 2005
End date Dec. 31, 2018 Dec. 31, 2005

A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted:

Following national college and university standards.


Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance year Baseline year
Number of students resident on-site 2,284 2,292
Number of employees resident on-site 12 12
Number of other individuals resident on-site 20 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 2,967 3,112.80
Full-time equivalent of employees 731 620
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 0 0
Weighted Campus Users 3,367.50 3,375.60

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 5.45 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 7.90 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Percentage reduction in adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user from baseline:
30.95

Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
1,931,725 Gross square feet

Floor area of energy intensive building space, performance year:
Floor area
Laboratory space 132,772 Square feet
Healthcare space 0 Square feet
Other energy intensive space 276,400 Square feet

EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
2,473,669 Gross square feet

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:

In 2015 our local utility, Holland Board of Public Works (HBPW), began adding renewable energy for a portion of its electric supply. During calendar year 2018 the HBPW obtained its energy from the following sources: Coal 25.1%; Natural Gas 55.5%; Renewables 12.1% (8.1% Wind and 4.0% Landfill Gas); and Market (various) 7.3%.
2018 marked the first full year of operation for the award-winning Holland Energy Park (HEP). HEP features the latest combined-cycle natural gas generating technology, producing up to 145 megawatts of power (http://p21decision.com/). In April 2015, ground was broken on the site and construction began. The remaining coal was used at the current coal fired plant (James de Young) in spring of 2016 and the plant came online spring 2017.
Hope College has calculated some travel emissions data for the calendar year of 2017 within scope three of the ASSHE report. The student in faculty commute is under “commuting” in scope three and physical plant and vehicles owned by Hope College are included in the “other” category of scope three. The carbon sequestration for the calendar year of 2017 has been calculated by using data from a census conducted by the biology department on the Hope College Nature Preserve.


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:
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