| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 63.40 |
| Liaison | Olivia Herron |
| Submission Date | March 2, 2016 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Miami University
OP-1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.31 / 10.00 |
Yvette
Kline Dir. Sustainability & Energy Conservation Physical Facilities |
Does the institution's GHG emissions inventory include all Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions?:
Does the institution's GHG emissions inventory include all Scope 3 GHG emissions from any of the following categories?:
| Yes or No | |
| Business travel | Yes |
| Commuting | Yes |
| Purchased goods and services | No |
| Capital goods | No |
| Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 | Yes |
| Waste generated in operations | Yes |
Does the institution's GHG emissions inventory include Scope 3 emissions from other categories?:
A brief description of the methodology and/or tool used to complete the GHG emissions inventory:
The work was performed as a collaborative effort between the Director of Sustainability in Physical Facilities and the Carbon Footprint Team (CF Team), described in the verification process. The Clean Air-Cool Planet Campus Carbon Calculator Version 8.0 was used, except for commuter bus. The CF Team compared actual bus route mileage (which was available from Miami's bus contractor) to a survey based, mode share determination of passenger miles. Actual bus miles were determined to be more accurate. FHWA data indicated that the average fuel efficiency of buses is 7.2 miles per gallon, and CO2e was determined using the CA-CP's emission factor for diesel fuel.
Also, Miami worked with NREL to define a set of emission factors inclusive of upstream contributions for coal, natural gas and purchased electricity for our area. The Sustainability Committee has prescribed these to assess internal progress on an annual basis for on-campus energy consumption. The CA-CP calculator uses emission factors that facilitate benchmarking to other universities, so it is used for purposes of STARS reporting for scopes 1 and 2. The difference between the two sets of factors is shown in Scope 3, fuel and energy related activities not included in scope 1 or 2.
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 internal and/or external verification process:
Internal verification was performed by the interim Director of Environmental Health and Safety, who is completing requirements to earn a Master's degree from Miami's Institute for the Environment and Sustainability (IES), and by a graduate student currently in the program. They were asked to review all inputs and sample calculations, and they met with the Carbon Footprint Team to ask questions. The CF Team consisted of Miami's Director of Sustainability and Energy Conservation and an IES grad student team who handled most of the Scope 3 emissions as part of a professional service project under the supervision of the its associate director.
Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion | 40,846 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 55,939 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources | 3,356 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 10,072 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity | 62,525 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 66,077 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Scope 2 GHG emissions from other sources | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Figures needed to determine total carbon offsets::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Institution-catalyzed carbon offsets generated | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Carbon sequestration due to land that the institution manages specifically for sequestration | 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 |
| Third-party verified carbon offsets purchased | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
A brief description of the institution-catalyzed carbon offsets program:
A brief description of the carbon sequestration program and reporting protocol used:
A brief description of the composting and carbon storage program:
A brief description of the purchased carbon offsets, including third party verifier(s) and contract timeframes:
Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of residential students | 5,275 | 4,863 |
| Number of residential employees | 35 | 35 |
| Number of in-patient hospital beds | 0 | 0 |
| Full-time equivalent enrollment | 11,923 | 10,703 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 2,885 | 3,179 |
| Full-time equivalent of distance education students | 346 | 346 |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Year | July 1, 2014 | June 30, 2015 |
| Baseline Year | July 1, 2007 | June 30, 2008 |
A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted:
The baseline, FY2008, is the year for which Miami's first carbon footprint was calculated.
Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
Floor area of energy intensive building space, performance year:
| Floor Area | |
| Laboratory space | 335,811 Square feet |
| Healthcare space | 28,270 Square feet |
| Other energy intensive space | 363,552 Square feet |
Scope 3 GHG emissions, performance year::
| Emissions | |
| Business travel | 5,040 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Commuting | 14,077 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Purchased goods and services | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Capital goods | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 | 17,332 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Waste generated in operations | 929 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Other categories (please specify below) | 9,835 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
A brief description of the sources included in Scope 3 GHG emissions from "other categories":
Business travel includes:
Air travel mileage derived from expense reports, determining origin and destination airports and air mileage between them. This work was performed as a graduate student professional service project.
Rental car mileage provided by Miami's car rental contractor.
Mileage reimbursement derived from expense reports.
Commuting includes:
Student, faculty and staff mode share, travel distances, frequency of travel, by semester based on a detailed survey administered and evaluated as part of a graduate student professional service project.
Actual bus route mileage provided by Miami's bus contractor. (To ensure buses were not double-counted, they were subtracted out of the commuting footprint as derived via the mode share method.)
Other (Study abroad) participation counts and destinations were provided by the study abroad office, and air mileage between airports was established as part of a graduate student professional service project.
A copy of the most recent GHG emissions inventory:
The website URL where the GHG emissions inventory is posted:
A brief description of the institution’s GHG emissions reduction initiatives, including efforts made during the previous three years:
A wide variety of projects have been completed including steam loop reductions, enhanced chiller-load matching, installation of LED lighting, occupancy/vacancy sensors tied to lighting and ventilation, maintenance planning and replacement equipment (such as new water softeners) that minimizes the amount of vehicular trips needed for service operations, filter replacement scheduling, building retro-commissioning, more efficient building use scheduling, expansion of geothermal ground source heating and cooling, fume hood and cooking hood controls, building construction and major renovations that meet LEED. The relative price of coal versus natural gas was the primary driver of the fuel burned, but coal use is now further limited to meet EPA rules.
In addition, efforts are underway to optimize Miami's 25 year utility master plan (which includes a commitment to be off coal completely by 2025) to minimize both cost and greenhouse gas emissions. Reduction targets will become part of Miami's updated Sustainability Commitments and Goals, which focuses on greenhouse gas reductions.
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Miami University exceeded (outperformed) the state of Ohio's mandate for higher education to reduce per square foot energy consumption by 20% over the 10 year period between 2004 and 2014. Energy reduction is primarily driven by cost reduction, but a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions has been, and will continue to be, an additional benefit.
Miami University exceeded (outperformed) the state of Ohio's mandate for higher education to reduce per square foot energy consumption by 20% over the 10 year period between 2004 and 2014. Energy reduction is primarily driven by cost reduction, but a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions has been, and will continue to be, an additional benefit.
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.