| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 70.92 |
| Liaison | Amy Brunvand |
| Submission Date | Sept. 12, 2023 |
University of Utah
OP-2: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.71 / 8.00 |
Emerson
Andrews Sustainable Campus Initiative Fund Manager Sustainability Office |
Gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion | 89,628.79 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 105,354.29 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources | 7,791.49 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 5,585.14 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported electricity | 32,458.74 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 100,276.88 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported thermal energy | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Total | 129,879.02 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 211,216.31 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Figures needed to determine net carbon sinks:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Third-party verified carbon offsets purchased | 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 storage from on-site composting | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Carbon storage from non-additional sequestration | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Carbon sold or transferred | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Net carbon sinks | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
A brief description of the carbon sinks, including vendor, project source, verification program and contract timeframes (as applicable):
Adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Adjusted net GHG emissions | 129,879.02 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 211,216.31 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Start date | July 1, 2021 | Jan. 1, 2010 |
| End date | June 30, 2022 | Dec. 31, 2010 |
A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted:
2010 was selected as baseline year, it was the performance year from our 2011 STARS report and the baseline year from the 2017 STARS report.
We considered using the original baseline year from our first STARS submittal (2005), but those figures had been established by trend-line from 2007-2009 data (as was required in STARS 1.0). We did not feel the information was accurate enough to be used moving forward. All future STARS reporting will use 2010 baseline information.
Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 4,278 | 3,558 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 110 | 156 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 816 | 2,222 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 30,166 | 29,456 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 22,765 | 15,319 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 3,929 | 355 |
| Weighted Campus Users | 38,664.50 | 36,465.50 |
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 | 3.36 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 5.79 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Percentage reduction in adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user from baseline:
Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
Floor area of energy intensive building space, performance year:
| Floor area | |
| Laboratory space | 2,156,378 Square feet |
| Healthcare space | 2,469,429 Square feet |
| Other energy intensive space | 435,775 Square feet |
EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions per unit of EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
A brief description of the institution’s GHG emissions reduction initiatives:
The Facilities Sustainability & Energy staff and partners are continuously working to analyze and reduce energy use and accompanying emissions on campus.
Energy use intensity savings have been realized with a focus on operational efficiency, source energy management, and use of increasingly-efficient infrastructure in construction and renovation projects. Zone scheduling, controls optimization, lighting and HVAC system upgrades, the use of analytics to identify and validate failed equipment, and thermostat usage guidelines have all contributed heavily to increased operational efficiency.
In new building and major renovations the university has approved a no new emission policy to reduce the amount of natural gas fired equipment on campus.
Commuting has been reduced through improved telecommuting policies that were in response to COVID19. Shuttle fleet is being transitioned from diesel to NG and electric - new through campus routes will significantly reduce miles traveled to provide the same service.
Since 2019, a large 20MW geothermal power purchase agreement with Cyrq Energy began delivering renewable energy and more than half of the University's electricity became sourced from renewables. This purchase is responsible for lowering our Scope 2 emissions. The University is also contracted with a 20 MW solar facility that is currently under construction.
Website URL where information about the institution's GHG emissions is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
BUILDING SQUARE FOOTAGE
Data about campus facilities comes from Space Planning master building list and filtered for performance year and building type. Buildings not included were unconditioned (parking structures, etc.) The institutional boundary excludes buildings and properties that are not included in campus planning tools available from Facilities Management, not under the University’s operational control, and/or energy systems billing are not maintained by Facilities Management.
SCOPE 3 GHG EMISSIONS:
"Business Travel" field includes emissions from Directly Financed Air Travel through the university Travel Office. "Other Sources" field includes Scope 3 Transportation & Distribution Losses.
NUMBER OF OTHER INDIVIDUALS
Includes hospital beds + family members in Administrative Services Apartments.
BUILDING SQUARE FOOTAGE
Data about campus facilities comes from Space Planning master building list and filtered for performance year and building type. Buildings not included were unconditioned (parking structures, etc.) The institutional boundary excludes buildings and properties that are not included in campus planning tools available from Facilities Management, not under the University’s operational control, and/or energy systems billing are not maintained by Facilities Management.
SCOPE 3 GHG EMISSIONS:
"Business Travel" field includes emissions from Directly Financed Air Travel through the university Travel Office. "Other Sources" field includes Scope 3 Transportation & Distribution Losses.
NUMBER OF OTHER INDIVIDUALS
Includes hospital beds + family members in Administrative Services Apartments.
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.