| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 58.49 |
| Liaison | Richard Johnson |
| Submission Date | Nov. 11, 2014 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Rice University
OP-2: Outdoor Air Quality
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 1.00 |
Does the institution have policies and/or guidelines in place to improve outdoor air quality and minimize air pollutant emissions from mobile sources?:
A brief description of the policies and/or guidelines to improve outdoor air quality and minimize air pollutant emissions from mobile sources:
Has the institution completed an inventory of significant air emissions from stationary sources on campus?:
A brief description of the methodology(ies) the institution used to complete its air emissions inventory:
The EAS annually collects statewide data on emissions from industries that meet the Emission Inventory (EI) reporting requirements and stores those data in its database, the State of Texas Air Reporting System (STARS). An EI is the result of a process the EAS uses to collect data on standardized forms to ensure consistency among types of data collected, and to facilitate data entry into and retrieval from STARS. The data collected identify the company, site, point of contact, emission source, abatement device, emission point, and path emissions.
Every EI is currently identified with and indexed by a site-specific air regulated entity reference number, a unique identification number assigned by the TCEQ. A site's air regulated entity reference number will thus also uniquely identify its EI.
Weight of the following categories of air emissions from stationary sources::
| Weight of Emissions | |
| Nitrogen oxides (NOx) | 29.48 Tons |
| Sulfur oxides (SOx) | 0.84 Tons |
| Carbon monoxide (CO) | 2.48 Tons |
| Particulate matter (PM) | 1.89 Tons |
| Ozone (O3) | --- |
| Lead (Pb) | 0 Tons |
| Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) | --- |
| Ozone-depleting compounds (ODCs) | --- |
| Other standard categories of air emissions identified in permits and/or regulations | --- |
A brief description of the institution’s initiatives to minimize air pollutant emissions from stationary sources, including efforts made during the previous three years:
The following are a number of Rice’s initiatives to minimize air pollutant emissions from stationary sources:
(1) The University uses natural gas cogeneration to supply about one third of its campus energy needs. Cogeneration is a much more efficient way to generate electricity than typical coal fired power plants. The reduction of emissions results not for the site but for the region.
(2) Rice consistently falls underneath its emissions cap. As such, with the cap and trade program, Rice has the option of going out and selling its remaining allowances; however, the University chooses not to, thereby preventing additional pollution in the region.
(3) Rice tends to perform tests on generating equipment during non-peak hours.
(4) Rice participates in various programs to reduce electricity consumption during peak hours by fuel switching to natural gas cogeneration on-campus. This is cleaner than what would be generated off-site. Thus, while it adds to Rice’s on-site emissions, it reduces the total region-wide emissions.
The website URL where information about the institution’s outdoor air quality policies, guidelines or inventory is available:
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.