Overall Rating Bronze - expired
Overall Score 36.91
Liaison Bradley Flamm
Submission Date March 30, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

West Chester University of Pennsylvania
OP-1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 5.19 / 10.00 Bradley Flamm
Director of Sustainability
Office of the President
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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 Some
Commuting Some
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:

Sustainability Indicator & Management Analysis Platform (SIMAP) used to enter GHG emissions sources, then uploaded to Second Nature Reporting website. Scope 3 emissions were obtained from Purchasing Department records of reimbursed air and ground travel for FY 2017. Commuting data obtained from survey conducted on campus of faculty, staff, and students, complemented with parking permit data from WCU's Public Safety Department. University of New Hampshire Sustainability Institute SIMAP team contacted West Chester University in May 2018 to explain an update to Scope 2 GHG footprint calculations; that update is reflected in reporting on this STARS credit.


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?:
No

A brief description of the internal and/or external verification process:
---

Documentation to support the internal and/or external verification process:
---

Does the institution wish to pursue Part 2 and Part 3 of this credit? (reductions in Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions):
Yes

Gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion 5,632.78 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 12,718.21 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources 326.46 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 393.35 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity 18,638.39 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 15,544.61 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 24,597.63 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 28,656.17 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 July 1, 2016 June 30, 2017
Baseline Year July 1, 2009 June 30, 2010

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):

West Chester University's GHG emissions baseline represents the first year for which the university calculated carbon emissions. This year -- Fiscal Year 2010 -- was included in WCU's first Climate Action Plan, published in 2013.


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

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

None of these categories of offsets were purchased by WCU in FY 2017.


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:
---

Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions 24,597.63 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 28,656.17 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 5,168 4,397
Number of employees resident on-site 10 10
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds 0 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 15,622.10 11,561
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) 1,691 1,621
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 1,052 0
Weighted campus users 13,490.33 10,988.25

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 1.82 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 2.61 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Percentage reduction in adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user from baseline:
30.08

Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
3,968,910 Gross square feet

Floor area of energy intensive building space, performance year:
Floor Area
Laboratory space 79,201 Square feet
Healthcare space 13,193 Square feet
Other energy intensive space 21,667 Square feet

EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
4,175,365 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

Scope 3 GHG emissions, performance year:
Emissions
Business travel 1,556.34 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Commuting 9,421.81 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Purchased goods and services ---
Capital goods ---
Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 ---
Waste generated in operations ---
Other categories ---

A brief description of the institution’s GHG emissions reduction initiatives, including efforts made during the previous three years:

WCU continues to make significant investments in its district geothermal heating and cooling system. Since FY 2014, the system has expanded by almost 400 wells, has been connected to six additional buildings representing almost 450,000 square feet of space. We continue to implement a Guaranteed Energy Savings Agreement to replace inefficient lighting fixtures with LED technology. And newly constructed and renovated buildings (including the new Business and Public Management Center, Mitchell Hall, and Wayne Hall) have been designed and constructed to LEED standards.


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:

Data compiled by Bradley Flamm, Director, Office of Sustainability (bflamm@wcupa.edu, x2053) from sources in Facilities, Public Safety, and other offices.


Data compiled by Bradley Flamm, Director, Office of Sustainability (bflamm@wcupa.edu, x2053) from sources in Facilities, Public Safety, and other offices.

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.