Volume 3 | First Quarter 2008
Understanding Carbon Emissions
By Doug Maust, PE, LEED AP
and Leighton Deer, PE, LEED AP
The concepts of sustainable
living and environmental
stewardship are having a profound effect on how companies and institutions manage
their resources, plan future
development and shape their
corporate reputations. Many
national and multi-national
corporations recognize that
they have a responsibility to
the environment. These companies are looking at ways
to reduce their fossil fuel consumption through conservation, better space utilization and development of energy
systems that make use of renewable resources.
CARBON EMISSIONS
Throughout our day, we engage in activities that affect
the environment. Nearly everything we do requires energy—from heating and cooling our homes to using the
washer and dryer or refrigerator. Energy in North America comes primarily from fossil fuels—coal, natural gas
and oil. When fossil fuels are burned to produce heat
or electricity, they create combustion products which
are released into the environment and atmosphere. The
predominant greenhouse gas produced is carbon dioxide. Because other greenhouse gases, such as methane
and nitrous oxide, can be converted into an equivalent
carbon dioxide emission, scientists use carbon dioxide
equivalent emissions (CO2e) as a metric for discussing
total greenhouse gas emissions.
THE
ADVISOR
HGA Engineering Knowledge Exchange
In order to successfully manage
greenhouse gas reduction strategies,
emissions must be accurately and
consistently measured.
GREENHOUSE GAS REGULATIONS
Regulatory pressure to limit greenhouse gas emissions is
increasing. The most recognized regulation is the Kyoto
Protocol, an international agreement under which industrialized countries will reduce their collective emissions
of greenhouse gases as compared to the year 1990.
The United Nations hosted talks in Bali in December
2007 to discuss treaty provisions that will follow Kyoto.
UK Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said, “This is an
historic breakthrough and a huge step forward. For the
first time ever, all the world’s nations have agreed to negotiate on a deal to tackle dangerous climate change,
concluding in 2009.”
MEASURING EMISSIONS
In order to successfully manage greenhouse gas reduction strategies, emissions must be accurately and
consistently measured. Of the international, national
and voluntary greenhouse gas emission programs, the
most widely accepted emissions accounting tool used
to quantify baseline greenhouse gas emissions is the
Greenhouse Gas Protocol (www.ghgprotocol.org), developed by the World Resources Institute and the World
Business Council for Sustainable Development. They defined three emissions categories:
Northland College, Environmental Living & Learning Center
• Scope 1 Emissions are from sources that are owned
or controlled by an individual company or institution.
The most common direct emissions are related to
fossil fuels that are consumed to provide space
and domestic water heating. Some organizations
also make their own electricity using fossil fuel in
generators. The other significant contributor in Scope
1 is fuel purchased for company vehicles.
• Scope 2 Emissions are related to indirect use of fuel
by a company or institution. For example, the utility
may consume fossil fuel in power plants to make the
electricity used by an individual company.
• Scope 3 Emissions are defined as emissions
created from sources not owned or controlled
by the company. An example is the fossil fuel an
employee’s vehicle consumes on the drive to work or
airplane fuel consumed for an employee’s business
travel.
Carbon emissions may be reduced three
ways:
• Conserving energy reduces the
amount of fossil fuel consumed and
proportionally reduces the amount of
greenhouse gases emitted.
• Using renewable energy systems that
replace fossil fuel use, such as water
thermal mass, wind turbines, biomass
gasifiers and solar collectors that can
be incorporated into building or utility
infrastructure.
• By purchasing the positive
environmental attributes of a third
party developer’s carbon emissions
reduction project.
THE FUTURE OF CARBON
EMISSIONS
Three strategies have emerged as the
principle means for achieving emissions
reductions. The first, is a tax on fossil fuels that increases the fuel price to drive
Thermal mass
refers to materials
that have the
capacity to store
thermal energy
for extended
periods. The most
effective thermal
mass is water.
Water thermal
mass absorbs
solar energy and
heat from the sun
during the day
and releases that
heat at night.
consumption down. The second strategy,
is to trade greenhouse gas emission
credits like a commodity, where low cost
producers of emission credits meet market demand. Lastly, legislative regulation
creates rules that limit the use of fossil fuels while requiring renewable energy.
It is unclear how final rules will be developed to limit emissions; however, it
is clear that knowing our environmental
impact in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases we produce prepares us to
participate in the discussion and understand the economic implications of the
proposed rules. Today, one metric ton
of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions
is valued at approximately four dollars
on a voluntary exchange in the United
States and five times that price in European exchanges. Establishing a total
volume and price for carbon emissions
will allow organizations to determine
the cost and benefit of reducing carbon
emissions.
Wind turbines
convert wind
energy to
electricity
for energy
distribution.
Engineers
determine the
optimum tower
height, control
systems, number
of blades and
blade shape.
University of Minnesota—Morris
Energy Sources History & Long Term Goals
100%
Percent of Campus Energy Needs
MITIGATING CARBON EMISSIONS
Establishing a total volume and price for carbon
emissions will allow organizations to determine the
cost and benefit of reducing carbon emissions.
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
-20%
2004
2005
Fossil Fuel
2006
2007
Wind Turbine 1
Biomass refers to
living and recently
dead biological
material that can
be used as fuel.
Biomass is derived
from several
plants, including
miscanthus,
switchgrass,
hemp, corn,
poplar, willow,
sugarcane and oil
palm.
2008
2009
Wind Turbine 2
2010
2011
2012
Biomass Electricity
Solar collectors
extract the energy
of the sun into a
usable or storable
form. Glazing is
used to increase
the absorption
rate of solar
radiation.
Hammel, Green and Abrahamson, Inc. (HGA) is a full-service architecture, engineering and planning firm with offices in Minneapolis and Rochester, Minnesota; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Sacramento, San
Francisco and Los Angeles, California. Organized into inter-disciplinary Practice Groups, HGA offers a balanced portfolio of planning and design expertise with a focus on Corporate, Healthcare, Science &
Technology, and Arts, Community and Education clients. For information on this topic or other questions, please contact Yan Shagalov, PE, LEED AP at YShagalov@hga.com or visit us at www.hga.com