Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 65.48
Liaison Amy Brunvand
Submission Date Oct. 21, 2020

STARS v2.2

University of Utah
OP-1: Emissions Inventory and Disclosure

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.35 / 3.00 William Leach
Sustainability Project Coordinator
Facilities Management
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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

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:

The University of Utah uses the UNH Sustainability Institute SIMAP Campus Carbon Calculator and follows ACUPCC guidelines to complete its GHG emissions inventory.

Electrical grid-based emissions factors based on 2018 eGRID for WECC


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 GHG inventory verification process:

Internal QA/QC - The GHG emissions report is updated and maintained by the Facilities Management Sustainability & Energy division, in conjunction with the university's Sustainability Office. Most data is compiled by a Technical Support Analyst and reviewed for accuracy each month through statistical models and a manual verification by the Associate Director of Sustainability and Energy.

The University reports energy data into Energy Star Portfolio Manager. Annually, this data has been reviewed for accuracy by the U.S. Department of Energy as it tracked performance for the University's participation in the Better Buildings Challenge.


Documentation to support the GHG inventory verification process:
---

Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions, performance year:
Weight in MTCO2e
Stationary combustion 94,051.32 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Other sources (mobile combustion, process emissions, fugitive emissions) 5,450.69 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Total gross Scope 1 GHG emissions, performance year:
99,502.01 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions, performance year (market-based):
Weight in MTCO2e
Imported electricity 74,455.30 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Imported thermal energy 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Total gross Scope 2 GHG emissions, performance year:
74,455.30 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Gross GHG emissions from biogenic sources, performance year:
0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Does the GHG emissions inventory include Scope 3 emissions from the following sources?:
Yes or No Weight in MTCO2e
Business travel Yes 7,122.09 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Commuting Yes 55,901.50 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Purchased goods and services No 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Capital goods No 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 Yes 3,757.70 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Waste generated in operations No 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Other sources No 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Total Scope 3 GHG emissions, performance year:
66,781.29 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

A brief description of how the institution accounted for its Scope 3 emissions:
---

Has the institution completed an inventory within the previous three years to quantify its air pollutant emissions?:
Yes

Annual weight of emissions for::
Weight of Emissions
Nitrogen oxides (NOx) 78.42 Tons
Sulfur oxides (SOx) 0.17 Tons
Carbon monoxide (CO) 24.47 Tons
Particulate matter (PM) 2.13 Tons
Ozone (O3) ---
Lead (Pb) ---
Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) 230 Tons
Ozone-depleting compounds (ODCs) ---
Other standard categories of air emissions identified in permits and/or regulations ---

Do the air pollutant emissions figures provided include the following sources?:
Yes or No
Major stationary sources Yes
Area sources No
Mobile sources No
Commuting No
Off-site electricity production No

A brief description of the methodology(ies) the institution used to complete its air emissions inventory:

Emissions from the University of Utah are primarily due to the operation of: boilers, comfort heating equipment, and emergency generators. Boilers located throughout the campus are covered by "Standards of Performance for Small Industrial Commercial Institutional Steam Generating Units" found in 40 CFR Part 60 Subpart Dc. Two large boilers located in Building 303 predate those regulations.

Some emergency generators located on campus are subject to "Standards of Performance for Stationary Compression Ignition Internal Combustion Engines" found in 40 CFR part 60, subpart IIII and the "National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Stationary Reciprocating Internal Combustion Engines" found in 40 CFR Part 63, Subpart ZZZZ.

Applicable Regulations:
U.S. EPA, 40 CFR Sub. C -Part 50 et al, Air Programs; Ambient AQ Standards, Particulate Matter
U.S. EPA, 40 CFR Subchapter C -61, National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants
U.S. EPA, 40 CFR Subchapter C - 60, New Source Perf. Strds. for Recip. Internal Comb. Eng. (RICE)
U.S. EPA, 40 CFR Subchapter U -Air Pollution Controls


Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity (location-based):
---

Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported thermal energy (location-based) :
---

Website URL where information about the institution’s emissions inventories is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

NOTES

In 2016, Salt Lake County was an EPA non-attainment area for PM 10, PM 2.5, SOx
In 2016, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert recommended Salt Lake County for 8-hour ozone non-attainment.

SOURCES

Utah Division of Environmental Quality, Division of Air Quality. University of Utah, Title V Operating Permit Permit Number:3500063003, May 20, 2015.
URL: http://www.deq.utah.gov/NewsNotices/notices/air/docs/2015/PM10TSD/Appendix/M-university-of-Utah-appendix.pdf

Improving the Air We Breathe: Emission Mitigation Strategies for the University of Utah. University of Utah Air Quality Task Force, (2015)
"Since the 1990s the University of Utah, spearheaded by Environmental Health and Safety and Facilities Management, has been working to reduce its permitted air emissions." [p. 3]
URL: http://sustainability.utah.edu/_documents/2015-UofU-Air-Quality-Task-Force-

U of U Air Quality Mitigation Plan
http://sustainability.utah.edu/airquality/UniversityofUtah-HB168plan.pdf


NOTES

In 2016, Salt Lake County was an EPA non-attainment area for PM 10, PM 2.5, SOx
In 2016, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert recommended Salt Lake County for 8-hour ozone non-attainment.

SOURCES

Utah Division of Environmental Quality, Division of Air Quality. University of Utah, Title V Operating Permit Permit Number:3500063003, May 20, 2015.
URL: http://www.deq.utah.gov/NewsNotices/notices/air/docs/2015/PM10TSD/Appendix/M-university-of-Utah-appendix.pdf

Improving the Air We Breathe: Emission Mitigation Strategies for the University of Utah. University of Utah Air Quality Task Force, (2015)
"Since the 1990s the University of Utah, spearheaded by Environmental Health and Safety and Facilities Management, has been working to reduce its permitted air emissions." [p. 3]
URL: http://sustainability.utah.edu/_documents/2015-UofU-Air-Quality-Task-Force-

U of U Air Quality Mitigation Plan
http://sustainability.utah.edu/airquality/UniversityofUtah-HB168plan.pdf

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.