| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 75.28 |
| Liaison | Chris Frantsvog |
| Submission Date | Feb. 25, 2022 |
Luther College
OP-2: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.62 / 8.00 |
Jay
Uthoff Director of Facilities Facilities Management |
Gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion | 5,329.50 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 6,842 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources | 160.73 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 694 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported electricity | 3,413.80 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 15,121 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 | 8,904.03 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 22,657 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 | 25 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 | 25 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):
Luther College consistently composts about 130,000 pounds of food waste per year. In 2018, a pulper was installed in our cafeteria which should further increase the amount of organic matter we can process on-site as compost. https://www.luther.edu/headlines/?story_id=741309
Adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Adjusted net GHG emissions | 8,879.03 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 22,657 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 | June 1, 2020 | June 1, 2003 |
| End date | May 31, 2021 | May 31, 2004 |
A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted:
Luther is a charter signatory of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment. Thus, Luther is obligated to measure its campus carbon footprint. The college has calculated its footprint based on available and reliable data beginning with the 2002-03 academic year, which is as far back as reliable data could be found. Emissions peaked in the 2003-04 academic year and declined thereafter thanks to major investments in energy efficiency and renewables.
Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 1,587 | 2,064 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 5 | 0 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 1 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 1,726 | 2,531 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 383 | 559 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 0 | 0 |
| Weighted Campus Users | 1,980.75 | 2,833.50 |
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 | 4.48 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 8.00 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 | 25,000 Square feet |
| Healthcare space | 4,777 Square feet |
| Other energy intensive space | 9,153 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:
Nearly 85 percent of Luther’s carbon footprint is associated with the energy we use on campus. Electricity purchases from our coal-intensive part of the U.S. electrical grid account for 51 percent of our greenhouse gas emissions. The direct combustion of fossil fuels in our heating plant and fleet vehicles represents another 33 percent.
Luther College has invested in several renewable energy systems to heat and power our campus and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. These investments include geothermal energy systems at Baker Village (1999) and the Center for the Arts (2003), a 1.6 megawatt (MW) wind turbine on the bluff west of campus (2011), and several solar photovoltaic (PV) systems (2011-2020).
In 2018, Luther College began the process of creating an Energy Master Plan. This plan was completed in 2020. This plan would utilize a loop of low temperature hot water (120 degrees F) along with a chilled water loop to supply heating and cooling for campus. The source for the heat will either be coincidental loads, geo-thermal, or a hot water boiler. The low temperature loop allows us to utilize many sources in the future to heat the loop. The chilled water loop will be fed from the geothermal system as well as some on campus chillers.
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.