Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 51.92
Liaison Katie Beitz
Submission Date May 15, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Oklahoma State University
OP-1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 5.94 / 10.00 Ilda Hershey
Sustainability Coordinator
OSU Physical Plant
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1 

Has the institution conducted a GHG emissions inventory that includes all Scope 1 and 2 emissions? :
Yes

Does the institution’s GHG emissions inventory include all, some or none of its Scope 3 GHG emissions from the following categories?:
All, Some, or None
Business travel None
Commuting None
Purchased goods and services None
Capital goods None
Waste generated in operations None
Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 None
Other categories None

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, including how the institution accounted for each category of Scope 3 emissions reported above:
We use the General Reporting Protocol for the Voluntary Reporting Program that is put out by The Climate Registry.

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?:
Yes

A brief description of the internal and/or external verification process:
Once the GHG emissions inventory is completed by Energy Management, it is submitted to the Director of Utilities and Energy Management for verification.

Documentation to support the internal and/or external verification process:
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Does the institution wish to pursue Part 2 and Part 3 of this credit? (reductions in Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions):
Yes

Part 2 

Gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion 34,766.33 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 41,688.44 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources 5,898.14 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 6,813.61 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity 41,809.71 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 117,045.45 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from other sources 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Total 82,474.18 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 165,547.50 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Year Jan. 1, 2017 Dec. 31, 2017
Baseline Year Jan. 1, 2006 Dec. 31, 2006

A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted (e.g. in sustainability plans and policies or in the context of other reporting obligations):
CY 2006 was the first year that OSU completed a GHG emission inventory. It also coincides with the base-year for the OSU Energy Management Program.

Figures needed to determine total carbon offsets:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Third-party verified carbon offsets purchased (exclude purchased RECs/GOs) 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 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
Carbon offsets included above for which the emissions reductions have been sold or transferred by the institution 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Net carbon offsets 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

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

A brief description of the offsets in each category reported above, including vendor, project source, verification program and contract timeframes (as applicable):
---

The reporting fields in the table below are reserved for institutions that have NOT already accounted for renewable energy purchases (including RECs and GOs) in their Scope 2 GHG emissions calculations. Other institutions - including all SIMAP users - should report zero ('0') to avoid double-counting. 

Emissions reductions attributable to Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) or Guarantee of Origin (GO) purchases:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Emissions reductions attributable to REC/GO purchases 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

A brief description of the purchased RECs/GOs including vendor, project source and verification program:
Renewable Energy Credits are sold by Oklahoma Gas and Electric Company (OG&E) to Oklahoma State University, pursuant to the Amended and Restated Agreement for Electric Service between OG&E and OSU, dated November 9, 2011. OG&E certifies that RECs 1) were not sold, marketed or otherwise claimed by any third party, 2) the RECs, and the generated electricity was not used by OG&E to meet any federal, state, or local renewable energy requirements, renewable energy procurement, renewable portfolio standard, or other renewable energy mandate; and 3) the electrical energy generated with these RECs was not sold or separately marketed as renewable energy by OG&E. The Blackwell Wind, LLC. aka "Cowboy Wind Farm" generated all of the RECs sold to OSU.

Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions 82,474.18 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 165,547.50 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 6,453 5,249
Number of employees resident on-site 26 293
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds 331 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 21,239.50 21,235
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) 4,187 4,677
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 5,727.02 247
Weighted campus users 16,725.36 20,634.25

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 4.93 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 8.02 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Percentage reduction in adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user from baseline:
38.54

Part 3

Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
12,646,815 Gross square feet

Floor area of energy intensive building space, performance year:
Floor Area
Laboratory space 961,115 Square feet
Healthcare space 92,690 Square feet
Other energy intensive space 216,997 Square feet

EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
14,971,422 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

Optional Fields 

Scope 3 GHG emissions, performance year:
Emissions
Business travel 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Commuting 0 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 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Waste generated in operations 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Other categories 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

A brief description of the institution’s GHG emissions reduction initiatives, including efforts made during the previous three years:
OSU's carbon footprint, which we have been tracking since 2006, has been greatly reduced by our purchase of wind power RECs that provide approximately 72% of the campus' electricity. Facilities Management recently instituted a No-Idle Policy and the Department of Parking & Transit has many measures in place to reduce pollution included CNG powered buses, carpool and bike programs. These initiatives, along with an aggressive energy conservation policy and the OSU Energy Management Program have reduced overall energy usage and emissions across campus. The Cowboy Wind Farm supplies approximately 72% of OSU Stillwater's electricity annually and that has been the largest contribution to OSU's Greenhouse Gas emissions reduction since OSU's baseline year.

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
OSU Energy Management Program https://energy.okstate.edu/

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.