| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 78.48 |
| Liaison | Patrick McKee |
| Submission Date | June 20, 2016 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Connecticut
OP-1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.74 / 10.00 |
Sarah
Munro Sustainability Coordinator Office of Environmental Policy |
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 | No |
| Commuting | Yes |
| Purchased goods and services | Yes |
| Capital goods | No |
| Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 | No |
| 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 2015 GHG Inventory was conducted with the Clean Air-Cool Planet Campus Carbon Calculator.
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:
This data is annually compiled by OEP upon requests of the appropriate departments and staff. Once compiled and prepared through the CA-CP calculator, the inventory is reviewed and verified by the director of the OEP, the Environmental Compliance Analyst in the OEP who is responsible for air quality compliance and reporting, and the Energy Management unit within Facilities Operations & Building Services, which operates and maintains the stationary sources that account for the vast majority of our GHG emissions, and which manages UConn's purchased power activities. The inventory will also be presented at the April meeting of UConn's Environmental Policy Advisory Council, which is responsible for overseeing implementation of UConn's Climate Action Plan and carbon-neutrality commitment pursuant to the ACUPCC.
Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion | 99,361.93 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 108,925.90 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources | 7,042.04 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 7,953.53 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity | 6,427.74 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 14,738.30 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 | 29.40 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Carbon sequestration due to land that the institution manages specifically for sequestration | 3,840 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 3,840 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Carbon storage from on-site composting | 235.79 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 13 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Third-party verified carbon offsets purchased | 8 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 5 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
A brief description of the institution-catalyzed carbon offsets program:
The University of Connecticut was one of the first universities to participate in Solarize U, a program sponsored by the CT Green Bank, that allows state homeowners, specifically university faculty and staff, to invest in solar panels at low rates from reputable installers. The UConn Office of Environmental Policy diligently promoted the program and accumulated 75 local homeowner listings and 4 sales totaling 34.53 kW of clean solar power, eliminating about 29.4 tons of CO2 emissions. Through outreach methods such as Earth Day Spring Fling, a Solarize U workshop, the Daily Campus (on campus newspaper), the Daily Digest (daily e-news), and flyer distribution throughout the campus, the initiative reached a significant number of faculty, staff, and members of the broader community. Many expressed interest in the program. Apart from accumulating as many solar sales as possible, the office’s main goal was to spread awareness about the affordability of renewable energy installations, as well as the long term cost savings and environmental benefits.
Note: CO2 emissions were estimated assuming 1,310 hours of peak performance over the course of a year and the conversion factor of 1.3 lbs of CO2 per kWh.
A brief description of the carbon sequestration program and reporting protocol used:
UConn maintains several tracts of preserved forest, collectively 2663 acres, in various stages of maturity. These forests are open to the public, and have series of maintained trails for hiking and recreational access. With the development of the approved Tech Park http://techpark.uconn.edu/ there will be an additional 102 acres added to the North Campus Conservation Easement and the land will be used for educational purposes and forestry purposes overseen by Thomas Worthley from the Department of Extension. The University also reclaimed former landfill territory, and now maintains 33 acres of wetlands and 31 acres of uplands on the reclaimed territory with public trail access. Both of these processes add value to the community, provide carbon offsets, and sustain biodiversity and flood protection in the community.
http://ecohusky.uconn.edu/outreach/heep.html
The Extension Forestry Program of the University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension System provides education for natural resource professionals, elected and appointed officials, volunteers and private woodland owners who care for this valued resource and landscape. Extension educators—in cooperation with many organizational partners—seek to improve the health, care, diversity, and management of Connecticut’s trees and forests. Educational efforts reflect the wide diversity of the state’s forested landscape and ownership – from small-scale private woodlands, land trusts and woodland cooperatives to state forests; from street trees, town greens and parks to municipal watersheds.
http://www.canr.uconn.edu/CES/FOREST/
A brief description of the composting and carbon storage program:
Additionally, the University has begun composting a significant portion of its agricultural waste and a significant portion of its pre- and post-consumer food waste through the installation over the past several years, and operation of in-kitchen eCorrect units in five of its dining halls.
A brief description of the purchased carbon offsets, including third party verifier(s) and contract timeframes:
We purchase carbon offsets from Sterling Planet in the name of the winning dorm in the per capita energy conservation portion of UConn's annual EcoMadness competition. The offsets purchased reflect CO2 emissions avoided by the amount of energy saved over the baseline, by residents in all 23 first- and second-year dormitories competing during the course of the month-long energy and water conservation contest.
Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of residential students | 12,723 | 11,307 |
| Number of residential employees | 32 | 26 |
| Number of in-patient hospital beds | 8 | 8 |
| Full-time equivalent enrollment | 21,298 | 18,602 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 5,902.79 | 4,604.70 |
| Full-time equivalent of distance education students | 312 | 395 |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Year | Jan. 1, 2015 | Dec. 31, 2015 |
| Baseline Year | Jan. 1, 2007 | Dec. 31, 2007 |
A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted:
Prior to 2007, inventory numbers are inconsistent. Data consistent with the calculator dates back most accurately from 2007 onwards. We use precise actual fuel consumption numbers and emissions data for all scope 1 and scope 2 emissions sources.
Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
Floor area of energy intensive building space, performance year:
| Floor Area | |
| Laboratory space | 493,552 Square feet |
| Healthcare space | 8,873 Square feet |
| Other energy intensive space | 0 Square feet |
Scope 3 GHG emissions, performance year::
| Emissions | |
| Business travel | --- |
| Commuting | 16,424.12 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Purchased goods and services | 95.67 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Capital goods | --- |
| Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 | --- |
| Waste generated in operations | 179.28 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Other categories (please specify below) | --- |
A brief description of the sources included in Scope 3 GHG emissions from "other categories":
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:
The University of Connecticut greenhouse gas inventory has been conducted on an annual basis since 2003. The ACUPCC, signed in 2008, has given the University the goal of becoming a carbon neutral campus by 2050, with numerous goals along the way.
The University of Connecticut has gone to great lengths to make its buildings significantly more energy efficient, including major construction and renovation projects to meet at least LEED Silver certification, replacement of lighting fixtures and bulbs with more efficient technology, a retrocommissioning project to optimize temperature and lighting controls, and encouragement of behavioral changes by students through programs such as the annual EcoMadness energy and water competition.
Retro-commissioning continued in 2015 with studies at Rome Hall, the Music Building, and at the chilled water entrances of 26 buildings. Combined, these projects are expected to yield $110,000/yr in energy cost savings and reduce UConn’s carbon footprint by 1,000 tons/yr.
Through July 2015, 31 buildings have been re-lamped with LED bulbs, resulting in $72,500 of annual energy savings and 470 TPY of reductions in CO2 emissions.
An energy efficiency overhaul at Gampel Pavilion, which replaced all lighting with LEDs, installed VFDs to regulate air handlers, and replaced the original chillers and cooling towers with modern equipment for more efficient heating and cooling, will save $100,000/yr in energy costs and trim another 1,000 tons/yr from our carbon footprint.
The University’s goals for future campus greenhouse gas inventorying efforts include increasing awareness and understanding of the process, maximizing efficiency and continuity of the data collection, and improving the inventory to identify data gaps, provide greater reporting flexibility, and better capture overall campus emissions and credits.
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
On-campus generation and purchased electricity figures have been updated with data from Facilities Operations.
Emissions and population data are for the Storrs main campus & nearby Depot Campus only.
On-campus generation and purchased electricity figures have been updated with data from Facilities Operations.
Emissions and population data are for the Storrs main campus & nearby Depot Campus only.
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.