Simon Fraser University
2007 Greenhouse Gas
Emissions Inventory
Prepared for:
Simon Fraser University
Prepared by:
Willis Energy Services Ltd.
March 3, 2009
Golder Associates Ltd.
Simon Fraser University
GHG Inventory Report
Table of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................1
1
2
INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................5
1.1
Project objectives.........................................................................5
1.2
Approach ......................................................................................5
CARBON EMISSIONS INVENTORY ..........................................................7
2.1
Inventory Approach......................................................................7
2.2
Scope of Inventory .......................................................................8
2.3
Greenhouse Gases ........................................................................8
2.4
Baseline Year.............................................................................. 10
2.5
Boundary of Inventory ............................................................... 10
2.5.1
2.5.2
2.5.3
2.5.4
2.5.5
Burnaby Campus ............................................................. 11
Surrey Campus ............................................................... 11
Vancouver Campus .......................................................... 11
Kamloops Facility............................................................. 12
Great Northern Way Campus ............................................. 12
2.6
Comparing Control Methods ....................................................... 12
2.7
Sources of Carbon Emissions ...................................................... 13
2.8
Data Collection ........................................................................... 13
2.8.1
2.8.2
2.8.3
2.8.4
2.8.5
2.9
Stationary Emissions: Owned and Metered Properties ........... 13
Stationary Emissions: Leased Properties ............................. 14
Company Vehicles ........................................................... 15
Business Travel ............................................................... 15
Paper Consumption.......................................................... 15
Methodology............................................................................... 15
2.9.1
2.9.2
2.9.3
2.9.4
2.9.5
2.9.6
2.9.7
2.9.8
2.9.9
Electricity Consumption (Scope 2)...................................... 16
Electricity Consumption – Leased Properties (Scope 3).......... 16
Natural Gas Consumption (Scope 1) ................................... 16
Hot Water Consumption (Natural Gas) (Scope 2) ................. 17
Steam Consumption (Scope 2) .......................................... 17
Company Vehicles (Scope 1) ............................................. 18
Diesel Consumption (Electricity Generation) (Scope 3) .......... 18
Paper Consumption (Scope 3) ........................................... 19
Business Travel (Scope 3)................................................. 19
2.10 Emission Inventory Results ........................................................ 20
3
BENCHMARKING AND COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS .................................26
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Benchmarking Limitations ................................................. 29
GHG DATA MEASUREMENT, COLLECTION AND MANAGEMENT
RECOMMENDATIONS ...........................................................................31
4.1
Developing a GHG Inventory Management Plan ......................... 31
4.2
Data Collection ........................................................................... 31
4.2.1
Complete Source Inventory............................................... 31
4.2.2
Vehicle Inventory ............................................................ 32
4.2.3
Paper Consumption.......................................................... 32
4.2.4
Integration of GHG tracking with Financial Accounting Systems
and Enterprise Resource Planning Software ...................................... 32
4.2.5
Business Travel ............................................................... 33
4.2.6
Leased Properties ............................................................ 33
4.2.7
Biomass Emissions........................................................... 33
4.3
Risk Mitigation............................................................................ 34
4.3.1
4.3.2
4.3.3
4.3.4
4.3.5
4.3.6
4.4
Inventory Management .............................................................. 35
4.4.1
4.4.2
4.4.3
5
Central Inventory ............................................................ 35
Baseline ......................................................................... 36
Data Management ........................................................... 36
REDUCTION POTENTIAL AND COSTS ...................................................38
5.1
Current Quantifiable Reductions: Physical Plant......................... 38
5.1.1
5.1.2
5.1.3
5.2
Fuel Switching................................................................. 39
Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Control.................. 39
Vehicles ......................................................................... 41
Future Potential Reductions ....................................................... 42
5.2.1
5.2.2
5.2.3
5.2.4
6
SF6 Emissions ................................................................. 34
HFC Emissions ................................................................ 34
PFC Emissions ................................................................. 35
Laboratory Use and Releases............................................. 35
Insourcing ...................................................................... 35
Event History .................................................................. 35
Building Standards and Codes ........................................... 42
Building Envelope Design .................................................. 43
Renovations.................................................................... 44
Video Conferencing .......................................................... 44
5.3
Marginal Abatement Cost Curve ................................................. 45
5.4
Carbon Costs and Offsets............................................................ 46
5.5
Guidance on Cap and Trade Markets........................................... 52
CARBON MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................54
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7
CONCLUSION .......................................................................................57
8
APPENDIX ...........................................................................................58
8.1
References ................................................................................. 58
8.2
Links........................................................................................... 59
8.3
Emission Factors ........................................................................ 60
List of Tables and Figures
Figure 1-1: Emissions Inventory Development Process (EIDP)............................. 6
Figure 2-1: Emission Source Percentages (Based on CO2e emissions)................. 22
Figure 2-2: Burnaby Campus Trending 2005-2007 .......................................... 25
Figure 2-3: Building GHG Intensity................................................................ 25
Figure 3-1: GHG Emissions per Campus Member............................................. 28
Figure 3-2: GHG Emissions per Gross Square Metre......................................... 28
Figure 5-1 Marginal Abatement Cost Curve..................................................... 45
Figure 5-2: Environment Canada Predicted Offset Costs ................................... 48
Figure 5-3: SFU Floor Space Expansion.......................................................... 50
•
Cost of offsets are as set out in Figure 5-4, with the initial cost of offsets to be
$25 per tCO2e in 2010. .......................................................................... 51
Figure 5-5: Forecasted Cost of Offsetting GHG Emissions and the Carbon Tax ..... 51
Table 2—1: GHG and Associated Global Warming Potential ................................. 9
Table 2—2: Summary of Emission Sources and Scopes .................................... 13
Table 2—3: SFU Emissions by Scope and Location ........................................... 21
Table 2—4: SFU Emissions by GHG ............................................................... 21
Table 2—5: SFU Energy Use in 2007 ............................................................. 21
Table 2—6: Scope 1 Emissions ..................................................................... 22
Table 2—7: Scope 2 Emissions ..................................................................... 23
Table 2—8: Scope 3 Travel Emissions ............................................................ 23
Table 2—9: Paper Use Emissions .................................................................. 23
Table 2—10: Burnaby Campus Trending ........................................................ 24
Table 3—1: University Statistics.................................................................... 27
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Table 3—2: Emission Factors for Universities .................................................. 27
Table 5—1: PSECA Projects .......................................................................... 38
Table 5—2: Impact of Offset Price on Payback Period....................................... 39
Table 5—3: Heating Requirements for Occupied Space..................................... 39
Table 5—4: Cost of CO2e Emissions per Tonne ................................................ 49
Table 5—5: GHG Intensities per m2 ............................................................... 50
Table 8—1: Emission Factors........................................................................ 60
Table 8—2: Indirect Emission Factors ............................................................ 61
Table 8—3: Vehicle Emission Factors (Fuel Consumption) ................................. 61
Table 8—4: Emission Factors from Vehicles (Mileage based) ............................. 62
Table 8—5: Emission Factors for Paper Consumption ....................................... 62
Table 8—6: Burnaby 2005 ........................................................................... 63
Table 8—7: Burnaby 2006 ........................................................................... 64
Table 8—8: Burnaby 2007 ........................................................................... 65
Table 8—9: Surrey 2007.............................................................................. 66
Table 8—10: Vancouver 2007....................................................................... 67
Table 8—11: Kamloops 2007........................................................................ 68
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Introduction
The government of British Columbia has introduced several climate-action
initiatives to meet its goals of reducing provincial greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Corresponding legislation stipulates that public sector organizations such as Simon
Fraser University (SFU) become carbon neutral by 2010. As part of this process,
SFU has sought to quantify its carbon footprint through a GHG inventory. The GHG
inventory will help SFU understand the impact of the regulations and provide
guidance on how to quantify GHG emissions and plan mitigation strategies. This
report covers the 2007 calendar year and will be used to establish a baseline for the
organization.
Facility Information
SFU is a medium-sized university in British Columbia engaged in education and
research. It consists of three campuses located in Burnaby, Surrey, and Vancouver
along with smaller facilities throughout the province. In 2007, the population of SFU
consisted of 6,100 staff and 39,000 weighted full-time equivalent students (21,000
active full-time equivalent students). The combined facilities consist of 328,000 net
square metres of floor space.
Background of Legislation
The government of British Columbia has taken an aggressive approach to reducing
GHG emissions and has introduced several acts and associated regulations to
ensure compliance with its GHG reduction goals. The Greenhouse Gas Reduction
Targets Act (GGRTA), given Royal Assent on November 29, 2007, and brought into
force on January 1, 2008, requires the province to reduce GHG emissions by at
least 33 percent below 2007 levels by 2020, and further sets a target of at least 80
percent below 2007 levels by 2050. In addition, the Act requires the provincial
government, including ministries, Crown corporations, educational institutions, and
health authorities, to become carbon neutral by 2010. These public sector
organizations (PSOs), such as Simon Fraser University, must report annually the
actions they’ve taken to becoming carbon neutral. A regulation under the GGRTA,
the Carbon Neutral Government Regulation, ordered December 8, 2008, specifies
reporting requirements for the PSOs.
In addition, the government has introduced complementary legislation to the
GGRTA to encourage both public and private organizations to comply with its GHG
reduction targets. The Greenhouse Gas Reduction (Cap and Trade) Act (Cap and
Trade Act), given Royal Assent on May 29, 2008, authorizes the implementation of
a cap and trade system, which will set an overall cap on emissions and allow
regulated emitters to buy and sell emissions allowances. PSOs must buy and sell
emissions allowances (or offsets) through the Pacific Carbon Trust (PCT), a Crown
corporation set up by the provincial government. The Emissions Offset Regulation
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under the GGRTA, ordered December 8, 2008, will ensure GHG offsets submitted to
the PCT meet government criteria.
A proposed regulation under the Cap and Trade Act, entitled Greenhouse Gas
Reporting Regulation (GHG Reporting Regulation) will require all facilities in the
province, whether public or private, with emissions greater than 10,000 tonnes
CO2e annually to report their emissions data to the Ministry of Environment. The
GHG Reporting Regulation, described in a Policy Intentions Paper, is currently at the
draft stage and is anticipated to come into force in early 2009.
Impact of Legislation
The GGRTA requires all publicly reporting organizations such as SFU to compile and
report their GHG emissions on a calendar basis to their reporting ministries, which
in SFU’s case is the Ministry of Advanced Education. In addition, the GHG Reporting
Regulation under the Cap and Trade Act will require SFU to report the emissions
from its Burnaby campus to the Ministry of Environment. To achieve carbon
neutrality, organizations will be required to purchase offsets equivalent to their
GHG emissions through the PCT. A reduction in GHG emissions by the organization
will only reduce the amount of offsets required.
Emissions Sources
Greenhouse gas emissions are typically categorized as direct or indirect. Most
emissions from SFU are a result of heating, either produced directly as in the case
of the Burnaby campus, or indirectly through the purchase of hot water or steam,
as in the case of the Vancouver campus.
The reporting protocol followed for the SFU GHG inventory divided the direct and
indirect emissions into the following scopes:
•
•
•
Scope 1: All direct carbon emissions from sources that are owned or
controlled by SFU within the inventory boundary (See section 2.5).
Scope 2: Indirect emissions associated with the consumption of purchased or
acquired electricity, steam, heating or cooling.
Scope 3: All other indirect emissions not covered by Scope 2; for example,
business travel, production of purchased materials such as paper, outsourced
activities, and waste disposal.
For the SFU GHG inventory, all Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions were accounted.
Emissions from letter-sized paper and business travel were accounted in the
inventory under Scope 3. Although business travel was included in the inventory,
government regulations for PSOs outside the direct ministries do not require
emissions from these activities to be reported or offset.
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Boundary of Inventory
Emissions from all facilities, owned or leased, under financial control of SFU were
included in the GHG inventory. A list of the facilities follows; a description of
greenhouse gases included in the inventory is provided in Section 2.3.
•
•
•
The three SFU campuses in Burnaby, Vancouver, and Surrey were included in
the inventory. The Burnaby campus consisted of all buildings at SFU’s
location on Burnaby Mountain, including residences and excluding UniverCity
Trust. The Surrey campus consisted of SFU-owned space at the Surrey
Central City complex. The Vancouver campus consisted of two properties
owned by SFU, the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue and the Segal
Graduate School of Business, and two properties leased by SFU, Harbour
Centre and 611 Alexander, all in downtown Vancouver.
SFU’s Kamloops facility, comprised of six trailers located on the Kamloops
Indian Reserve, was also included in the inventory.
The Great Northern Way campus, Bamfield facility and Verdant properties
were not included in the inventory.
Emissions Inventory
SFU as an organization had GHG emissions of 22,730 tonnes of CO2e. Most
emissions are from the Burnaby campus. A large portion of the emissions for SFU
are a result of building use such as natural gas combustion, electricity and steam
consumption, and diesel powered generators. Vehicles, primarily located at Burnaby
campus resulted in 940 tonnes of CO2e. Paper consumption for SFU resulted in 357
tonnes of CO2e.
GHG Management
For the purposes of this report, overall collection of information concerning GHG
emissions was straightforward for major sources of emissions such as electricity
and natural gas combustion. However, collection of data from leased spaces proved
difficult. Data collection for company vehicles was also challenging since a number
of different SFU departments own vehicles. The nature of data captured by different
departments regarding their vehicles was found to vary significantly. In respect to
future reporting requirements, without proper documented procedures and policies
related to data collection and storage, SFU could face extra costs related to
verification. Therefore, as part of an ongoing GHG reduction strategy, SFU will need
to develop a plan to record its GHG emissions. A key outcome of the plan should be
the creation of a GHG Management Handbook that outlines procedures to collect,
compile, report, and verify emissions. Recommendations for GHG data
management are discussed further in Section 4.
Mitigation
The majority of emissions from SFU are related to the physical plant at the Burnaby
campus. Several mitigation opportunities with the potential to reduce 450 tonnes of
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CO2 have been identified with respect to the HVAC system. Fuel switching, involving
a switch to biomass for the central boiler plant, and greater reliance on heat pumps
and solar heating have been estimated to reduce emissions by 8,800, 440, and 150
tonnes respectively. Most mitigation opportunities lie in improvements to the
building themselves, and cannot be justified on energy savings or GHG reduction.
But, if major renovations are required, the possibility of reductions in energy use
should be investigated. Opportunities related to vehicle use include the use of
biofuels and electric vehicles. These mitigation opportunities are discussed in detail
in Section 5.
Conclusions
The goals of the Carbon Neutral Government Regulation are to lead the province in
reducing GHG emissions. To reach these goals, two key elements are required:
quantification and reduction of emissions. Regulatory requirements will necessitate
a proper plan for the collection, compilation and storage, reporting, and verification
of GHG information. Identifying GHG sources and documenting reporting
procedures will help reduce verification costs and help with the completeness and
accuracy of the GHG inventory.
Reduction of emissions will require a focus on the physical plant. New construction
and major renovations will need to be planned with a focus on emissions reduction.
Opportunities exist with using low carbon energy sources for vehicles and buildings.
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1 INTRODUCTION
In response to growing concerns over climate change, the provincial government, in
November 2007, introduced the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Targets Act (GGRTA). A
key requirement of the Act is for the provincial government, including public sector
organizations (PSOs) such as universities, to reduce GHG emissions by a minimum
of 33% below 2007 levels by 2020. To achieve this target and to set an example,
PSOs are also required to become carbon neutral by 2010. Simon Fraser University
(SFU) retained Willis Energy Services Ltd. (Willis) and Golder Associates Ltd.
(Golder) to provide consulting services relating to the development of a greenhouse
gas (GHG) inventory.
Also, on December 8, 2008, the provincial government issued an Order in Council
empowering the Carbon Neutral Government Regulation (Carbon Neutral
Government Regulation) under the GGRTA. While the consultants have not
evaluated in detail the requirements or impacts of this Regulation on this project, it
appears that the regulatory requirements are generally consistent with this work.
1.1 PROJECT OBJECTIVES
The main project objectives were as follows:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Develop a GHG inventory to meet perceived mandatory reporting
requirements and in conformance with the World Business Council for
Sustainable Development/World Resources Institute Greenhouse Gas
Protocol (WBCSD/WRI GHG Protocol)1;
Identify GHG emission reduction opportunities to manage GHG risks and
minimize compliance exposure;
Calculate carbon tax costs;
Provide recommendations with respect to an on-going GHG measurement
system;
Provide guidance in developing cap and trade markets; and
Provide regular progress updates and presentations to SFU’s GHG project
team.
1.2 APPROACH
The Willis/Golder team applied their Emissions Inventory Development Process
(EIDP) to develop the GHG inventory. The overall EIDP framework is a three-phase
process with four steps in each phase. The EIDP framework is summarized in Figure
1-1.
1
World Business Council for Sustainable Development/World Resources Institute,
Greenhouse Gas Protocol, A Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard, Revised Edition
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Figure 1-1: Emissions Inventory Development Process (EIDP)
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2 CARBON EMISSIONS INVENTORY
A carbon emissions inventory was developed that included all four SFU locations:
• Burnaby campus;
• Surrey campus;
• Downtown Vancouver campus; and
• Kamloops facility.
The following section outlines the approach, scope, boundary, and detailed data
collection methodology and presents the inventory results.
2.1 INVENTORY APPROACH
In general, selection of the boundary and scope for the development of the carbon
inventory was broadly consistent with the WBCSD/WRI GHG Protocol and The
Climate Registry (TCR) General Reporting Protocol1. TCR’s General Reporting
Protocol is a regional protocol, specific to North America, based on the WBCSD/WRI
GHG Protocol.
The B.C. government’s Climate Action Secretariat has developed a draft framework2
(herein after referred to as the “B.C. draft framework”) to provide guidance for
Crown corporations regarding measurement and reporting of greenhouse gas
emissions. The B.C. draft framework does not provide sufficient detail to be able to
be used alone to develop an emissions inventory; it is a “framework” rather than a
reporting protocol. The B.C. draft framework references three existing GHG
reporting protocols as current best practice, including the WBCSD/WRI GHG
Protocol and the TCR General Reporting Protocol, and states that Crown agencies
can refer to these and other documents for further information on defining,
measuring, and reporting emissions. The B.C. draft framework has two associated
web-based emission calculators: SMARTTool3 and SMARTTec4, which have been
developed to measure emissions by Crown corporations that are administered by
the B.C. Ministry of Labour and Citizens’ Services. SMARTTool calculates GHG
emissions from four areas of corporate operations: buildings, fleet, supplies
(currently paper use), and business travel. SMARTTec calculates emissions from
business travel. Although not considered at the beginning of this project, it is now
understood that SFU will be required to use these tools and that the Ministry is in
the process of identifying university requirements, with the anticipated deployment
of these tools to universities in early 2009.
1
The Climate Registry, General Reporting Protocol, Version 1.1, May 2008.
Climate Action Secretariat, Draft Framework for Greenhouse Gas Measurements and
Reporting: Guidance for Crown Corporations March 12, 2007
3
SMARTTool GHG Emissions Calculator provided by BC Ministry of Labour and Citizens’
Services
4
SMARTTec GHG Emissions Calculator provided by BC Ministry of Labour and Citizens’
Services
2
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In summary, the GHG inventory developed through this project has followed the
TCR General Reporting Protocol, but has also considered the B.C. draft framework
as information became available. This information is still limited and the framework
continues to evolve. Commentary has been provided throughout this report where
emission calculations and reporting requirements differ between the TCR protocol
and the B.C. draft framework.
2.2 SCOPE OF INVENTORY
Scope is a term that defines what activities are considered “in or out” of a GHG
inventory and which emissions are “direct” or “indirect”. Categorization of emissions
for this inventory has followed the WBCSD/WRI and TCR protocols as follows:
•
•
•
Scope 1: All direct carbon emissions from sources that are owned or
controlled by SFU within the inventory boundary (See section 2.5).
Scope 2: Indirect emissions associated with the consumption of purchased or
acquired electricity, steam, heating or cooling.
Scope 3: All other indirect emissions not covered by Scope 2, for example,
business travel, production of purchased materials such as paper, outsourced
activities, and waste disposal.
Under the TCR protocol, Scope 1 and 2 emissions are required to be reported as
part of an inventory, whereas the reporting of Scope 3 emissions is optional.
The scope of the B.C. draft framework differs from the TCR protocol as to what is
required and what is optional. The main apparent differences are discussed below.
•
Reporting of emissions associated with business travel are mandatory for
provincial ministries under the B.C. draft framework, whereas it would be
optional to report these (Scope 3) emissions under the TCR protocol.
Emissions associated with business travel have currently been included in the
inventory, however it should be noted that the B.C. draft framework
guidance currently exempts reporting PSOs such as SFU from being required
to report or offset emissions associated with business travel.
•
Reporting of emissions associated with paper use is required under the B.C
draft framework, whereas it would be optional to report Scope 3 emissions
associated with production of purchased material such as paper under the
TCR protocol.
2.3 GREENHOUSE GASES
A GHG emissions inventory includes the six following GHG categories: carbon
dioxide (CO2); methane (CH4); nitrous oxide (N2O); hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs);
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perfluorocarbons (PFCs); and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6). Typically, a GHG
emissions inventory focuses on emissions of CO2, CH4 and N2O as the other GHGs
are rare. No data is currently collected on emissions of HFCs, PFCs and SF6 for
SFU; however, potential sources of HFC’s and SF6 have been identified and future
recommendations for collection of these emissions in the inventory have been
provided. A complete list of the GHGs to be tracked as part of the Carbon Neutral
Government Regulation is provided in Table 2—1.
To streamline GHG emissions inventories and calculate emissions offsets,
greenhouse gases are often recorded as CO2e, or carbon dioxide equivalent. The
carbon dioxide equivalent of a given GHG can be obtained by multiplying the mass
of the GHG by its global warming potential (GWP). The GWP is a factor describing
the radiative forcing impact of one mass based unit of a given GHG relative to an
equivalent unit of CO2 over a given period of time.1 The GWP used in this GHG
report and specified by the provincial government regulations are produced by the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change2, and listed in Table 2—1.
Table 2—1: GHG and Associated Global Warming Potential
Composition
Global Warming
Potential (GWP)
Carbon Dioxide
CO2
1
Methane
CH4
21
Nitrous oxide
N2O
310
HFC-23
CHF3
11,700
HFC-32
CH2F2
650
HFC-41
CH3F
150
C5H2F10
1,300
HFC-125
C2HF5
2,800
HFC-134
C2H2F4 (CHF2CHF2)
1,000
HFC-134a
C2H2F4 (CH2FCF3)
1,300
HFC-152a
C2H4F2 (CH3CHF2)
140
HFC-143
C2H3F3 (CHF2CH2F)
300
HFC-143a
C2H3F3 (CF3CH3)
3,800
HFC-227ea
C3HF7
2,900
HFC-236fa
C3H2F6
6,300
HFC-245ca
C3H3F5
560
Name
HFC-43-10mee
1
2
ISO 14064-1:06
Intergovernmental Panel reference
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Composition
Global Warming
Potential (GWP)
Sulphur hexafluoride
SF6
23,900
Perfluoromethane
CF4
6,500
Perfluoroethane
C2F6
9,200
Perfluoroproprane
C3F8
7,000
Perfluorobutane
C4F10
7,000
Perfluorocyclobutane
c-C4F8
8,700
Perfluoropentane
C5F12
7,500
Perfluorohexane
C6F14
7,400
Name
2.4 BASELINE YEAR
This study commenced in 2008 and the previous complete calendar year at the
time, 2007, was selected as the inventory baseline year. Where data was available,
2005 and 2006 were also included in the inventory for the purpose of observing
data trends.
2.5 BOUNDARY OF INVENTORY
The boundary defines the emission sources SFU is responsible for, what kinds of
emissions are included in the GHG inventory, and the specific gases being tracked.
The boundary used for the SFU GHG inventory is described below. Methodology and
reasoning for the selection of the boundary is also given. Where boundary
conditions might be subject to change depending on interpretation of government
guidelines, these areas are highlighted.
Methods of determining the boundary of an emissions inventory are the equity
share method and the control method. With the equity share method, emissions are
accounted from facilities as a percentage of an organization’s equity stake within
that facility. With the control method, emissions are accounted by an organization’s
control of a facility. The control method is further divided into operational control
and financial control. Operational control is where emissions are accounted from
facilities over which an organization has operational control, and financial control is
where emissions are accounted from facilities over which an organization has
financial control.
The boundary method specified for the emissions inventory for SFU was the
financial control method. This method included all the properties owned by SFU, but
excluded SFU-owned property sublet to other organizations under a capital lease
(such as the property leased to the UniverCity Trust).
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Also accounted under the financial control method as part of the GHG inventory
were the emissions from property leased by SFU for its own use , which under WRI
accounting rules would be treated as Scope 3 emissions (optional reporting), but for
the Carbon Neutral Government Regulation are treated as Scope 1 and Scope 2
emissions.
Aside from the Carbon Neutral Government Regulation reporting requirements, SFU
may be required to report GHG emissions from its Burnaby campus to the B.C.
Ministry of Environment (MOE) under the proposed GHG Reporting Regulation
under the Cap and Trade Act. The regulation, described in a Policy Intentions Paper,
is currently at the draft stage and is expected to be enacted by mid-2009. The
reporting methodology has yet to be specified, but is expected to be based upon
the TCR General Reporting Protocol. These draft reporting requirements do not
appear to impact the other SFU campuses and sites.
2.5.1 Burnaby Campus
All buildings within the Burnaby campus, including residences and excluding
UniverCity Trust, were included within the boundary. SFU-owned property on the
Burnaby campus leased to other organizations, such as research space or retail
space, was not evaluated separately. Services such as snow removal and
gardening/landscaping were not included in the boundary as these services are
outsourced without intention to insource at a later date. Security services’ vehicle
use was included in the boundary as the vehicles are supplied by SFU.
2.5.2 Surrey Campus
Surrey campus consisted of owned property within the Surrey Central City complex:
the Galleria, two floors of the mall complex, and three floors of the tower complex.
SFU-owned space leased to Blenz Coffee was included within the boundary. SFU
Surrey’s portion of emissions from shared services (electricity, hot water, air
conditioning, and emergency back-up generators) was apportioned on a percentage
of overall floor space. Emissions related to the uninterruptible power supply (UPS)
generators were apportioned on a percentage of the purchased supply rather than
the available supply. Gardening and snow removal services were not included in the
inventory.
2.5.3 Vancouver Campus
Vancouver campus consisted of two properties owned by SFU, the Morris J. Wosk
Centre for Dialogue and the Segal Graduate School of Business; and two properties
leased by SFU, Harbour Centre and 611 Alexander. The leased property at SFU
Harbour Centre included the sublet to BC Research Network and the SFU Bookstore.
Information to support emission estimation from leased space at Harbour Centre
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was obtained from the property manager. Emissions were estimated for the leased
space at 611 Alexander Street.
2.5.4 Kamloops Facility
The Kamloops facility consisted of six trailers located within the Kamloops Indian
Band Reserve. All six trailers were included in the boundary. Excluded from the
inventory were facilities provided by remote communities served by the Kamloops
facility’s outreach program.
2.5.5 Great Northern Way Campus
The Great Northern Way campus in Vancouver was not part of the scope for the
emissions inventory; therefore it is not included in the boundary or inventory. The
four member institutions, SFU, UBC, BCIT and ECUAD, none of which have a
majority financial or organizational control of the campus, will need to mutually
determine a GHG reporting procedure where costs and allocations of emissions are
distributed among the four entities.
2.6 COMPARING CONTROL METHODS
In our opinion, using either of the control methods—financial or operational—would
result in negligible differences in terms of SFU’s reporting requirements. Concerning
a change of control method from financial to operational, the decrease in emissions
would be slight, but increased cost in inventory management would result due to
possible sub-metering of tenants, justification of estimates used in excluding
tenants, and increase in verification costs.
In terms of the proposed GHG Reporting Regulation to the B.C. Ministry of
Environment as described in the Policy Intentions Paper, a change in methodology
would likely increase inventory management costs. The draft regulations are also
unclear if the emissions would be the responsibility of the site regardless of tenants.
Given the proposed rules, it appears the purchase of allocations would not be
necessary because emissions would be below the threshold; there should be no
increase in compliance costs. Details relating to the cap and trade system and
allocations and reporting are discussed further in section 5.5.
The spaces for SFU Vancouver and SFU Surrey would be accounted for regardless of
the control method chosen with respect to the Carbon Neutral Government
Regulation. At SFU’s Vancouver campus, a sublessee to SFU at Harbour Centre is
the BC Research Network, a non-profit organization that hosts several servers in its
leased space. Rather than including this space as part of SFU’s emissions inventory,
BC Network Servers should establish its own lease directly with Harbour Centre.
SFU Surrey is owned property and used primarily for academic purposes with the
exception of the space leased to Blenz Coffee. The GHG emissions related to the
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Blenz Coffee space would be small and costly to quantify in relation to the offset
costs; therefore, this space is best dealt with through the lease agreement and a
flow through of offset costs.
2.7 SOURCES OF CARBON EMISSIONS
The sources of carbon emissions included in the GHG inventory and their associated
scope categories are presented in Table 2—2.
Table 2—2: Summary of Emission Sources and Scopes
Emissions Source
Scope (1, 2 or 3)
Natural Gas Use (Boiler and Other)
1
Fuel Oil Use (Boiler)
1
Diesel Use (Emergency Generator)
1
SFU Owned/Leased Vehicles
1
Purchased Electricity
2
Purchased Steam/Hot water
2
Purchase Electricity from Diesel Generator
2
Paper Consumption
3
Business Travel (Air/Personal Vehicle)
3
*
* Scope as defined by WBCSD/WRI GHG Protocol.
2.8 DATA COLLECTION
Data collection of the GHG emissions is described below and includes a description
of identified data sources. Difficulties in collecting data and potential missing data
are identified, and suggested methods for data collection and sources of data are
highlighted. Most GHG emissions information was obtained through utility bills. GHG
emissions information from stationary sources was also obtained through
statements from property managers. Mileage information or fuel consumption was
used for vehicle emissions information. Information provided by the SFU finance
department was the source of information for business travel data. Paper
consumption data was provided primarily by SFU central stores.
2.8.1 Stationary Emissions: Owned and Metered Properties
Electricity
Electricity consumption data for SFU facilities excluding Kamloops was obtained
through utility bills from BC Hydro and from the Kamloops Indian Band for the
Kamloops facility. The multiple meters at the Burnaby and Vancouver campuses
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took time to properly track down. A complete list of accounts and meters should be
maintained with the GHG inventory.
Natural Gas
Natural gas is directly metered at the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue, the
Burnaby campus, and the Kamloops facility. GHG emissions from natural gas
combustion were calculated based on gas meter information. The multiple meters
at Burnaby and Vancouver campuses took time to properly track down and
obtaining account history records from Terasen was difficult as meter replacements
were improperly recorded. Smaller accounts also proved difficult to obtain. A
complete list of accounts and meters should be maintained with the GHG inventory.
Fuel Oil
Fuel oil is used at Burnaby and Surrey campuses for heating in case of natural gas
interruption. Burnaby fuel oil data was obtained from Facilities Management, the
fuel purchase records and the consumption of fuel oil calculated from the BTU
output of the boilers and burn time. Surrey did not use its fuel oil for heating during
the 2007 calendar year according to the building engineer. Records of fuel oil
purchases and fuel oil consumption, through input metering rather than based upon
BTU output, should be used for the GHG inventory to increase accuracy and the
level of verification.
2.8.2 Stationary Emissions: Leased Properties
Steam
Steam for Harbour Centre is purchased from Central Heat Distribution Ltd. Steam
consumption was provided for Harbour Centre through the property manager. GHG
emissions related to the consumption of steam were calculated based upon the
methodology outlined in section 2.9.
Hot Water Supply
Hot water is supplied to the Surrey campus through the property manager. GHG
emissions from the hot water were calculated from natural gas metering data
provided by the property manager and through estimation based on utility bill
information. Hot water use was apportioned based upon SFU’s share of building
floor space.
Electricity
Electricity consumption at leased properties was obtained through the property
managers. Electricity was partially sub-metered at Surrey campus for tenantspecific uses. Electricity consumption related to general site use at Surrey campus,
such as hallway lighting and ventilation, was obtained by apportioning the
equivalent of floor space ratio to the general electricity consumption.
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2.8.3 Company Vehicles
A master list of SFU owned/leased vehicles, based on vehicle insurance, was
provided by the Financial Services department. Vehicles are generally assigned to
different departments at the Burnaby campus, consequently data regarding fuel
consumption of vehicles was provided by the individual departments: Facilities
Management, Geography, Recreation and Athletics, and Biology and Archeology.
2.8.4 Business Travel
Business travel has been included in the inventory at the request of SFU. However
it should be noted that under the B.C. GGRTA 2007, SFU are not currently required
to report, or offset emissions associated with business travel. Business travel
information for 2007 was unavailable. In 2008, SFU updated its expense form to
better collect travel information. An attempt to quantify the business travel was
made based upon information from May to August 2008. Business travel
information presented within the report is based upon the sample from 2008.
2.8.5 Paper Consumption
Paper consumption was obtained from SFU Central Stores which acts as a central
paper distribution point for the Burnaby, Surrey, and Vancouver campus locations.
Xerox supply paper direct to the Burnaby campus, paper quantities supplied by
Xerox (available for 2005 and 2006 only) was included in the inventory. Paper
consumption for the Kamloops facility was provided by the Kamloops Administration
department.
2.9 METHODOLOGY
The methodologies used to calculate GHG emissions are provided with descriptions.
Assumptions made during the development of the inventory are also included and
described. Alternate methodologies that SFU should be aware of for future reporting
are highlighted.
General Methodology
The methodology used to calculate the GHG emissions for SFU was based upon the
WBCSD/WRI GHG Protocol and TCR General Reporting Protocol. When simplified
estimation methods were used—for example, when the emissions were based upon
typical emissions rather than actual consumption or emissions—these techniques
are described in detail below. When differences in voluntary accounting standards
and the provincial government’s reporting requirements for the Carbon Neutral
Government Regulation occurred, the provincial government’s directives took
precedence. This applies primarily to accounting for leased space and GHG
emissions from electricity.
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Emission Factors
The emission factors for the sources of emissions were obtained from various
sources and are explained in detail in the appendix. Where possible, emission
factors for the region were used and obtained from Environment Canada’s National
Inventory Report1 or the provincial government’s SmartTOOL program. Emission
factors for CO2, CH4, and N2O were used and added to obtain a CO2e value. For
combustion, the CO2 emissions are based upon the carbon content of the fuel. The
CH4 and N2O emissions from combustion are based upon the technology in which
the fuel is combusted. For purchased energy, often only a CO2e value was available.
For combustion, the values referenced have not changed from 2005 to 2007. For
purchased energy, the values do change from year to year. Where emission factors
for 2005 and 2006 were unavailable, the 2007 value was used.
2.9.1 Electricity Consumption (Scope 2)
Electricity consumption was measured using metered data. An emissions factor for
BC Hydro supplied electricity, obtained from the SMARTTool program, was applied
to electricity consumed. The Kamloops facility was serviced from the Kamloops
Indian Band Utility which obtained electricity from BC Hydro and, therefore, the
same emissions factor was used.
2.9.2 Electricity Consumption – Leased Properties (Scope 3)
Electricity consumption from leased property was obtained through meter readings
provided by the property manager and apportioned by floor space at Surrey
campus, from disclosure of the property manager at Harbour Centre, and
estimation at 611 Alexander. Emissions factors used were those specified in 2.9.1.
The energy use at Harbour Center is billed upon such factors as floor space, hours
of operation, and type of operation and control of energy use by the tenants. The
location of network servers in the space leased to the BC Research Network added
additional electricity energy use parameters not typically found in office space, such
as back-up generators and increased use of cooling. As such, establishing separate
electricity consumption for SFU Harbour Centre is difficult and could contribute
additional risk to SFU’s GHG inventory.
2.9.3 Natural Gas Consumption (Scope 1)
Natural gas consumption for owned properties was obtained using meter readings
and account statements from Terasen. This information was available for the Wosk
building in Vancouver and for the non-interruptible accounts at Burnaby campus.
1
Environment Canada, National Inventory Report: Greenhouse Gas Sources and Sinks in
Canada, 1990-2006, April 2008.
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Natural gas emissions factors are supplied by the provincial government through its
carbon tax regulations.
2.9.4 Hot Water Consumption (Natural Gas) (Scope 2)
The Surrey campus property at Central City is owned by SFU, but the building
services belong to Blackwood Properties. The hot water service for heating and
domestic hot water is, therefore, a purchased service and a Scope 2 indirect
emission. The hot water service is not directly metered. The emissions from the hot
water service were calculated as a percentage of the floor space owned by SFU at
Central City and applied to the central natural gas meter. These meter readings are
provided in the monthly maintenance and operations invoices. Where the meter
reading was unavailable, the gas consumption was calculated by dividing the
amount invoiced for natural gas by the published Terasen tariff, including delivery
charges and taxes. This method could result in a slight error based upon
Blackwood’s hedging of natural gas commodity charges.
This service is interruptible and can consume #2 light fuel oil on demand. No fuel
oil was consumed in 2007 at Surrey Campus.
2.9.5 Steam Consumption (Scope 2)
Three of the buildings of the Vancouver campus are served by Central Heat
Distribution Ltd. Two of the buildings, the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue and
the Segal Graduate Business School, are owned by SFU and have access to the
steam meters and accounts. Information on steam consumption was calculated
from account statements.
The third building served by Central Heat Distribution Ltd., Harbour Centre, is a
leased property and SFU only occupies a portion of the total building. SFU does not
have access to the steam meter at Harbour Centre and the operations and
maintenance invoicing from the property manager does not explicitly state the
consumption of steam by SFU. As a result, steam consumption figures for SFU at
Harbour Centre were provided by statement without further detail or explanation
from the property manager.
The energy use at Harbour Center is billed upon such factors as floor space, hours
of operation, and type of operation and control of energy use by the tenants. The
location of network servers in the space leased to the BC Research Network added
additional energy use parameters not typically found in most office space, such as
back-up generators and increased use of cooling. As such, establishing steam
consumption for SFU at Harbour Centre is difficult and could contribute additional
risk to SFU’s GHG inventory.
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Steam emissions factors were obtained from the SmartTOOL program. Emissions
from purchased steam include distribution losses. Emission factors for 2005 and
2006 were unavailable; emission factors for 2007 were used instead.
2.9.6 Company Vehicles (Scope 1)
Burnaby was found to be the only campus that had vehicles owned/leased by SFU.
Based on a master vehicle inventory, 12 departments were found to have
owned/leased vehicles. Vehicles are located at the Burnaby campus, with the
exception of departmental vehicles for Geology and Geography, which may be
located off-site.
Data on vehicle type, fuel type, and consumption were provided by the individual
departments. The Facilities Management, Security, and Central Stores departments’
vehicles are refueled from a central gasoline tank using a fuel card system. Data
from the fuel card system, which tracks fuel use on a per vehicle basis, was used to
obtain fuel use. This covered the majority of vehicles included in the inventory.
Other departments with significantly smaller numbers of vehicles provided
estimated fuel use or annual distances travelled by vehicles. Distance travelled was
converted to equivalent fuel use using United States Environmental Protection
Agency (U.S. EPA) fuel economy figures specific to each vehicle.
Emission factors taken from Environment Canada’s National Inventory Report were
then applied to vehicle fuel usage. The emission factors are a function of vehicle
type (light duty vehicle, heavy duty vehicle, etc.), pollutant control technology and
fuel type. Using information from the Report1, assumptions were made with respect
to vehicle type and pollutant control technology that aided the GHG emission
estimates. Additional assumptions are detailed within the emissions inventory. The
emission factors and the fuel use (volume) were used to calculate the GHG
emissions.
2.9.7 Diesel Consumption (Electricity Generation) (Scope 3)
Diesel consumption for the facilities was based on the amount used to fill up the
storage tanks of the generators. This is usually done on a yearly basis. The
electricity generators were not used outside of the scheduled maintenance of one
hour of operation per month. No use of the generators for actual power supply was
recorded at any facility in 2007.
1
Table A2-6: Technology Penetration for HDGVs, HDDVs, LDDVs, LDDTs, and MCs,
Environment Canada, National Inventory Report: Greenhouse Gas Sources and Sinks in
Canada, 1990-2006, April 2008.
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Diesel consumption for electricity generation was unavailable at Harbour Centre;
therefore, the amount consumed was estimated to be similar to that of the Surrey
campus based upon its similar size and purpose.
UPS generators at Surrey campus are maintained on a one hour per two months
basis. The emissions related to these generators were apportioned on the basis of
the portion of available capacity of the generators purchased by Surrey campus.
Emissions factors for diesel combustion were obtained through the TCR General
Reporting Protocol.
2.9.8 Paper Consumption (Scope 3)
Paper quantities distributed from SFU Central Stores for the Burnaby, Surrey, and
Vancouver locations were provided from October 2, 2007, to December 31, 2008.
Data was not available prior to October 2007 as Central Stores only started
processing paper distribution electronically using the TMA system in mid-September
2007. Consumption data for 2007 was determined by factoring the 90 days of
available data in 2007 up to a year, assuming the 90 days of data from 2007 was
representative of consumption throughout 2007.
Paper supplied direct to the Burnaby campus from Xerox was included in the
inventory. Data from 2005 and 2006 was provided, but data for 2007 was
unavailable. Therefore, consumption data for 2007 was assumed to be the same as
2006.
The emissions associated with paper consumption are dependent on the recycled
content of the paper. Paper consumption data from SFU Central Stores and Xerox
included information on recycled content. Paper consumption data from the
Kamloops facility did not include recycled content; therefore the paper from this
facility was assumed to have no recycled content. Consistent with the B.C. draft
framework measurement and reporting by the Climate Action Secretariat, only
paper size 8.5” by 11.5” has been included in the inventory.
Emission factors were based on SMARTTool information. It should be noted that
these emission factors apply to paper pack sizes of 500 sheets, whereas SFU
Central Stores’ standard reporting unit is 1000 sheets. Emission factors were
doubled in the inventory to account for this.
2.9.9 Business Travel (Scope 3)
Two types of business travel are currently collected in the employee expense
reports: air travel and personal vehicle mileage. SFU only began collecting business
travel data in July 2008; therefore data available for the 2007 inventory was
limited. Data from July and August 2008 was provided and extrapolated to a year,
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which assumes these two months of data are representative of travel throughout
the year and that travel during 2007 was consistent with 2008.
For calculation of air travel emissions, the travel destination was extracted from the
expense report. Where only a country or province/state was listed as a destination,
the capital city of the country/province/state was assumed to be the destination
and this assumption is noted within the inventory. The assumption was also made
that flights were round trip to/from Vancouver unless otherwise stated. Flight
distances were obtained by using an airport-to-airport distance calculator
(www.world-airport-codes.com). Emission factors were then applied to these
distances to derive GHG emissions. Emission factors for commercial air travel were
taken from the WBCSD/WRI GHG Protocol. The calculation methodology for air
travel is considered to be an estimate. Limitations of this calculation approach
include that flights booked direct through company credit cards are not collected,
and that emissions for 2007 are based on two months of available data from 2008.
Extracting information on air travel destinations from employee expense reports
was onerous and time consuming. Also, a current limitation of the expense reports
for capturing business travel data is that only two methods of travel are collected:
air and personal vehicle mileage. It is recommended that SFU implement a data
collection system to record method of travel and distance.
For calculation of business travel emissions from personal vehicle use, the distance
travelled (km) was extracted and summed. An emission factor for a large gasoline
vehicle was applied. The limitations of this method include the assumption that all
vehicles have the same emissions profile. In reality, the different personal vehicles
used would have different fuel economies, hence different fuel usage and
emissions. Another limitation is that similar to air travel, emissions for 2007 are
based on two months of available data from 2008.
2.10 EMISSION INVENTORY RESULTS
Presented in this section are key emissions data from the workbook. Complete
campus emissions are available in the Appendix. As part of the report, the
consultants have provided SFU with a GHG inventory of its emissions in an Excel
workbook format. The GHG inventory includes detailed information of sources and
assumptions.
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Table 2—3: SFU Emissions by Scope and Location
Emissions by Location (tCO2e)
Emissions Source
Burnaby
Surrey
Vancouver
Kamloops
SFU
Scope 1
16,080
0
62
27
16,262
Scope 2
1,321
585
762
3
2,666
Scope 3
3,753
20
38
2
3,795
Table 2—4: SFU Emissions by GHG
Emissions Source
Emissions by GHG (t)
CO2
CH4
N2O
CO2e
Scope 1
16,159
6.5
8.9
16,262
Scope 2
2,666
0.4
3.5
2,672
Scope 3
3,775
0.0
0.0
3,795
Table 2—5: SFU Energy Use in 2007
Energy End Use
Energy (GJ)
Natural Gas for Various End Uses
Natural Gas for Central Boiler Plant
Fuel Oil
45,479
261,338
0
Diesel (Back-Up Generators)
1,314
Electricity
239,970
Purchased Steam / Hot Water
Vehicle Use
3,592
14,054
Total Energy Use
565,747
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Figure 2-1: Emission Source Percentages (Based on CO2e emissions)
Note: Under the GGRTA 2007, business travel is not currently included in the carbon neutral
requirement.
Detailed Emissions by Scope and Location are presented in tables 2—6, 2—7, 2—8,
and 2—9.
Table 2—6: Scope 1 Emissions
Source
Emission (tCO2e)
Burnaby
Surrey
Vancouver
Kamloops
SFU Wide
Natural Gas (Various
End Uses)
2,169
0
62
27
2,258
Natural Gas (Boiler)
12,981
0
0
0
12,981
-
0
0
0
0
83
0
0
0
83
6
0
0
0
6
932
0
0
0
932
1
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
1
16,173
0
62
27
16,262
Fuel Oil (Boiler)
Diesel (Emergency
Generators)
Vehicle: Light Duty
Diesel Truck
Vehicle: Light Duty
Gasoline Truck
Vehicle: Light Duty
Gasoline Vehicle
Vehicle: Propane
Total
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Table 2—7: Scope 2 Emissions
Source
Emission (tCO2e)
Burnaby
Surrey
Vancouver
Kamloops
SFU Wide
0
8
8
0
16
1,321
146
193
3
1,664
0
431
561
0
993
1,321
585
763
3
2,672
Diesel (Emergency
Generators)
Electricity
Steam/Hot Water
Total
Table 2—8: Scope 3 Travel Emissions
Emissions
(tCO2e)
Source
Air Travel
3,270
Personal Vehicle
169
Note: Under the GGRTA 2007, business travel is not currently included in the carbon neutral
requirement.
Table 2—9: Paper Use Emissions
Location
Total Emissions
(tCO2e)
Burnaby
299.1
Surrey
20.2
Downtown
37.6
Kamloops
0.1
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Sufficient information was available for the 2005, 2006, and 2007 calendar years to
allow trend analysis of emissions for the Burnaby campus. Table 2—10 provides
detailed source information for the Burnaby campus. As the emissions are heavily
dependent upon heating, data in Table 2—10 is charted against annual degree
days1 information obtained from SFU, results are shown in Figure 2-2.
Table 2—10: Burnaby Campus Trending
Emission (t CO2)
Source
Natural Gas (Various End
Uses)
Natural Gas (Boiler)
Fuel Oil (Boiler)
Diesel (Emergency
Generators)
Vehicle: Light Duty Diesel
Truck
Vehicle: Light Duty Gasoline
Truck
Vehicle: Light Duty Gasoline
Vehicle
2005
2006
2007
1,862.7
2,139.4
2,169.2
10,653.4
11,481.3
12,980.5
203.5
220.3
-
86.3
86.3
86.3
5.7
2.4
5.7
115.2
46.0
932.4
-
-
1.2
-
-
0.8
1,085.7
1,193.9
1,320.9
149.8
405.7
299.1
-
-
3,269.7
14,162.4
15,575.3
21,065.8
Vehicle: Propane
Electricity
Paper
Air Travel
Total Emissions
1
Degree days is the sum of the daily average temperature over a period of days. (ie: If the
daily average temperature was 10°C every day over the course of a year, the year would
have 3650 degree days.)
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Figure 2-2: Burnaby Campus Trending 2005-2007
Figure 2-3: Building GHG Intensity
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3 BENCHMARKING AND COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
The stationary emissions data collected was compared to similar-sized educational
facilities. When the information was available, institutions of similar vocations were
included.
Comparable universities were chosen for the following characteristics:
• Low cost electricity;
• Comparable enrollment;
• Low CO2e emission electricity; and
• Similar vocational functions including teaching and research.
In terms of GHG information, post secondary institutions in Oregon have been
recording and releasing their GHG emissions since 2004 as required by the state
Department of Education. Local institutions, such as the University of Victoria and
UBC, also release their GHG information, but on a voluntary basis. Emissions
reported on a voluntary basis tend to be less thorough than those in a regulated
environment.
Emissions provided are focused on building emissions. Most facilities management
offices do record secondary emissions information and therefore, we were able to
compile GHG emissions information. Emissions from fleet operations and travel are
not always properly separated from commuting statistics and are, therefore,
omitted. Airline travel was omitted from benchmarking as well due to significant
differences in accounting and general lack of publicly available information.
Universities chosen for comparison are listed below, followed by their statistics.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Concordia University, Montreal Quebec1
Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon2
Portland State University, Portland, Oregon3
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C.4
University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon5
University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Manitoba6
University of Victoria, Victoria, B.C.7
Sustainable Concordia 2004-2005 Chapter 8: Energy.
Oregon University System, GHG Inventory, 2004.
Oregon University System, GHG Inventory, 2004.
UBC Sustainability Report 2006-2007.
Oregon University System GHG Inventory 2004.
University of Winnipeg Campus sustainability office energy management.
UVIc Greenhouse Gas Assessment and Analysis Project: Preliminary results.
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Table 3—1: University Statistics
Heating
CO2e
(Tonnes)
Electricity
CO2e
(Tonnes)
Total
CO2e
(Tonnes)
Students
Space
(m2)
Year
9,437
189
9,626
49,711
317,588
2004/2005
Oregon State
University
31,316
93,167
124,483
22,116
680,800
2007
Portland State
University
7,221
24,331
31,552
36,605
402,564
2004
University of
British Columbia
64,475
22,300
86,775
53,880
1,381,678
2006
University of
Oregon
22,153
5,927
28,080
24,000
572,436
2004
University of
Victoria
13,091
1,635
14,726
19,475
291,250
2006
University of
Winnipeg
3,224
204
3,428
30,179
91,750
2006
16,508
1,664
18,172
20,000
373,073
2007
University
Concordia
University
Simon Fraser
University
Table 3—2: Emission Factors for Universities
Tonnes/Campus
Member
Tonnes/m2
Concordia
University
0.19
0.030
Oregon State
University
5.63
0.183
Portland State
University
0.86
0.078
University of
British Columbia
1.61
0.063
University of
Oregon
1.17
0.049
University of
Victoria
0.76
0.051
University of
Winnipeg
0.11
0.037
Simon Fraser
University
0.91
0.049
University
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Figure 3-1: GHG Emissions per Campus Member
6.00
Tonnes of CO2-e
5.00
4.00
3.00
2.00
1.00
0.00
Concordia
University
Oregon
Portland University University University University
Simon
State
State
of British of Oregon of Victoria
of
Fraser
University University Columbia
W innipeg University
Figure 3-2: GHG Emissions per Gross Square Metre
CO2-e Emissions per Gross Square Meter
0.200
Tonnes of CO2-e
0.180
0.160
0.140
0.120
0.100
0.080
0.060
0.040
0.020
0.000
Concordia
University
Oregon
State
University
Portland
State
University
University University University
of British of Oregon of Victoria
Columbia
University
Simon
of
Fraser
W innipeg University
Several factors led to differences in the comparative emissions among the
universities:
•
Cogeneration:
Oregon State University relies heavily on its cogeneration plant for heat and
electricity. As a result, its emission factor for electricity is higher than other
Oregon universities.
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•
Electric Boilers:
UVIC uses some electric boilers for heating. As a result, its emissions factor
for electricity is lower because of the relatively low emissions factor for BC
Hydro electricity.
•
Electricity Emissions Factors:
The electricity emissions factors vary depending upon jurisdiction. BC Hydro,
Quebec, and Manitoba all have low emissions factors for electricity (<22 kg
CO2e/MWh). UBC calculates its electricity emissions factor to include
imported electricity; therefore its factor is four times as large as the BC
Hydro factor. Northwest U.S. universities derive their electricity from the
Northwest Grid, which encompasses coal generation-reliant states such as
Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, resulting in an emissions factor of ~900 kg
CO2e/MWh for these universities.
•
Heating Fluid Transportation:
Larger universities with central plants use a steam transportation system,
resulting in higher heat losses and higher emissions for these universities.
•
Heat Pumps:
The University of Winnipeg uses a higher proportion of heat pumps for
heating; therefore the low emissions factor of electricity results in lower
emissions for the Winnipeg facility.
•
Climate:
Campuses in colder weather locations are often better insulated, resulting in
lower heating costs.
•
Vocation:
Research-focused universities will have higher heating costs due to higher air
exchange demands within hospital and laboratory settings.
3.1.1 Benchmarking Limitations
Due to the lack of detail in reporting documents, the benchmarking information
should only be used as a guide. Variances between institutions can occur due to:
•
•
•
•
Accounting methodology can vary from institution to institution. Emissions
factors used for electricity, natural gas and fuel consumption can differ based
on location. Without verified inventories, comparison is subjective only.
Leased properties might not be included in the inventory.
The proportion of laboratory space, office space, dormitories, and classroom
can vary by institution.
Methods of calculating floor space can vary.
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•
•
•
•
•
GHG Inventory Report
Ancillary services may or may not be included.
Emissions data may have been corrected for weather.
Residential properties may have been included in a larger proportion,
including investment and non-core properties.
Some campuses could be heated via electric boilers.
Baseline year can vary (this is noted next to the emissions data).
Differences in accounting methodology are expected to be eliminated among B.C.
institutions with the Carbon Neutral Government Regulation. The adoption of TCR
accounting methods throughout most of North America should also provide for
consistent GHG inventories.
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4 GHG DATA MEASUREMENT, COLLECTION AND
MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS
Potential issues that arose during the compilation of the inventory relating to data
collection/management are discussed in this section. Options are provided on
methods to simplify the collection of data. Proper data collection to increase
emissions data certainty and decrease future resource requirements is also
outlined. Possible changes to reporting requirements are highlighted, and how to
incorporate these changes into future inventories are addressed.
4.1 DEVELOPING A GHG INVENTORY MANAGEMENT PLAN
As part of preparing for future reporting requirements, a detailed GHG inventory
management plan should be developed to work with current corporate systems and
culture. The ISO 14064 standard provides a base upon which to build a GHG
inventory management plan. More detailed and applied sources include the World
Resources Institute and The Climate Registry. These organizations also provide
detailed reporting protocols, which are widely used. In general, the development of
this report was broadly consistent with the WBCSD/WRI GHG Protocol and The
Climate Registry (TCR) General Reporting Protocol. The WBCSD/WRI GHG Protocol
provides the accounting framework for nearly every GHG standard and program in
the world, whereas TCR’s General Reporting Protocol is a regional protocol, specific
to North America, based on the WBCSD/WRI GHG Protocol.
A detailed GHG inventory plan will help maintain a consistent inventory. It should
also assist when verification or auditing is required. By outlining the processes the
inventory would be less dependent upon individuals, thus avoiding potential
liabilities due to changes in data collection and management.
4.2 DATA COLLECTION
4.2.1 Complete Source Inventory
Currently there is no complete source inventory for SFU. Major emission sources
such as the central boiler plant are well documented; however, data concerning
small heaters and potential fugitive emission sources is limited. Having an inventory
of all stationary combustion sources would assist with verification of data. A
complete list of properties would also assist in the management of GHG emissions
inventory and with mitigation opportunities. Similarly, a complete vehicle inventory
and associated owning department would facilitate data collection. The sources
should include an inventory of utility meters, sources of combustion, leased
property sources, sources from outsourced services with potential of being
insourced, and sources of potential fugitive GHG gas releases.
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4.2.2 Vehicle Inventory
There was difficulty addressing the correct vehicle fleet. This was especially true of
department owned/leased and operated vehicles. A central inventory should be
maintained of mobile combustion sources, including off-road vehicles and vessels—
including those vehicles that are leased for a relatively short (e.g., three-month)
period. This inventory could be based on the existing inventory that documents
vehicle insurance details.
The data provided on vehicles was not consistent across departments, and currently
no information is collected from several departments that operate a small number
of vehicles. Fuel consumption, rather than distance travelled, is the required input
into SMARTTool. It is recommended that data collection be standardized across
departments; one possible way to do this is issue a data collection template that
documents the required information.
4.2.3 Paper Consumption
The current electronic paper distribution tracking system, used by SFU Central
Stores since October 2007, will assist in tracking paper consumption. Further
clarification should be sought on the 53 different paper types encountered to define
exactly what supplied material is size 8.5” x 11”. Consideration should be given to
modifying the system to track paper by campus and to record per cent recycled
content in a separate field rather than within the paper name as current practice.
The quantity of paper supplied by Xerox should be recorded in the future; one way
of achieving this would be to request that Xerox document quantities on invoices,
including paper recycled content.
The Kamloops facility should start tracking recycled content of paper in addition to
tracking paper consumption.
4.2.4 Integration of GHG tracking with Financial Accounting
Systems and Enterprise Resource Planning Software
Most GHG emissions from the campuses can be collected from utility bills. These
invoices are already processed for payment by Financial Services, through its
enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. Obtaining GHG related information at
this step would be the easiest collection method. It would also avoid duplication of
handling invoices, once for finance accounting, and again for GHG data collection.
Information obtained should correspond with data needed for reporting. Key
elements are energy type and amount, billing period, and billing date.
Travel information is another emissions source which can benefit from reporting
through ERP. Travel is not required to be offset, and as such reporting would only
be for internal purposes. Travel is already documented to some extent through
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expense reports. The addition of mileage, fuel consumption, or flight paths and
segments to the expense process would provide a more accurate picture of
emissions from travel.
An advantage of linking the data collection to financial systems is that accounts
usually undergo regular internal, and possibly external, audits.
4.2.5 Business Travel
Travel information can vary by travel type, distance, and number of layovers, all of
which is required information for the calculation of GHG emissions. Expense
submissions should include, as a minimum, travel type and distance. Possible
scenarios include requiring the use of a GHG travel calculator to calculate GHG
emissions from a trip and requiring the input of this information into an expense
report prior to reimbursement. Recording of travel information should be aligned
with the provincial government’s SmartTEC travel emissions calculator.
4.2.6 Leased Properties
As part of the Carbon Neutral Government Regulation, all facilities leased or owned
by a PSO must report their GHG emissions. Therefore, information concerning
supplied utilities of facilities where SFU is a tenant needs to be made available to
SFU for reporting purposes. The legislation has not required, nor enabled, the
release of this information from the landlord to leasing organizations with reporting
responsibilities. As such, amendments to lease agreements should be sought with
property owners, thus enabling access to information that may impact SFU’s GHG
inventory. Preferably, this information should be made available on a monthly basis
in conjunction with operations and maintenance invoices from the property
manager. Access to information should be maintained to assist with verification and
auditing functions.
Under the Cap and Trade Act, SFU’s choice of financial control as the organization’s
boundary specifies that property leased by SFU from others is not part of SFU’s
organizational boundary and, therefore, reporting GHG emissions information from
these leased properties would not be required. In our opinion, the emissions from
facilities leased by SFU currently fall under the reporting threshold for the cap and
trade program and, based upon the SFU Capital Plan1, should not be subject to the
Cap and Trade Act within the timeframe of the Capital Plan.
4.2.7 Biomass Emissions
Special attention must be paid to biomass-related CO2 emissions. Biomass CO2
emissions are often included in reporting requirements, but do not necessitate
1
SFU Capital Plan: 2007-2008
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offsetting due to their carbon neutrality. Currently there are no biomass-related
emissions from SFU sources, but if this situation changes, the data collection and
inventory should be able to record these emissions. Although the CO2 component is
considered carbon neutral, biomass combustion typically does emit other GHG
gases such as N2O and CH4; these emissions are not carbon neutral and need to be
reported. Specific accounting methods for biomass will be made available through
the applicable regulation, and appropriate management techniques can be applied
when it becomes necessary.
4.3 RISK MITIGATION
Due the scope of SFU’s operations and given the nature of SFU’s current activities,
the collection and reporting of GHG emissions should be straightforward with minor
variation from year to year. Although, as SFU continues to expand, so might its
GHG emissions. Unplanned emissions variations from year to year would be the
result of fugitive emissions and changes in weather. Some of the emissions sources
and types of gases could result in increases to management, verification, and offset
costs if not properly documented.
4.3.1 SF6 Emissions
SF6 emissions are limited to the high voltage transmission equipment at the
Burnaby campus. Although the amount present is small, the GWP of SF6, at 23,600
times greater than CO2, can have a quantifiable impact on GHG inventories. As
such, an inventory of these gases on site should be maintained. The import/export
of these gases or equipment from the facility and the decommissioning of
equipment should be recorded as part of the inventory. Contractors should note the
amount of SF6 used in any work in the facilities.
4.3.2 HFC Emissions
Due to the high GWP of HFC gases, their release can also have a quantifiable effect
on GHG inventory. Similar measures to SF6 inventory management should be
implemented.. Sources of HFC would be the import of charged refrigeration
equipment, HFC used to replenish refrigeration and air-conditioning systems, and
the decommissioning and disposal of refrigeration equipment. Currently, R-22 is not
considered a GHG gas due to its legislated phase out.
R-22 is a commonly used refrigerant in older refrigeration equipment. As a HCFC it
is not included within the GHG emissions, as it is already being phased out under
the Montreal Protocol. It should be noted that replacements for R-22 are HFC
gases, and the tracking of inventory of these replacement gases should be
implemented.
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4.3.3 PFC Emissions
Theses emissions are not present at SFU facilities. No inventory management
program is necessary.
4.3.4 Laboratory Use and Releases
Laboratory use and releases of high GWP gas should not have a quantifiable impact
on emissions. Required reporting of the import or the production of GHG gases
during experiments could be done in a similar fashion to the ethical reporting
requirements of experiments. This could provide upper bounds of potential risk
related to these sources.
4.3.5 Insourcing
Services at the campuses that are currently outsourced should be identified for
their potential to be insourced. Of these services, an attempt should be made to
quantify their emissions. Those services with significant emissions will require
monitoring, and attempts should be made to obtain emissions figures from these
contractors. If previously outsourced services are insourced, a readjustment of the
baseline is required. In most cases, this adjustment would be under the de minimus
threshold and would not require an amendment of a previously filed report.
4.3.6 Event History
The nature of the operation at SFU is such that emissions from the campuses are
relatively constant from year to year. As part of the GHG management plan, events
that would result in material changes to the GHG inventory should be documented.
Such events would include fugitive emissions releases, weather through degree
days, natural gas interruptions or venting, switches between biofuels and fossil
fuels, and increases or decreases in facility space. Keeping track of such events will
help explain changes in GHG emissions, or missed targets in reduction of emissions.
4.4 INVENTORY MANAGEMENT
4.4.1 Central Inventory
A central inventory of emissions should be established. Although the Surrey and
Vancouver campuses do have some independence, the organizational reporting
requirements are such that if separate inventories are maintained, discrepancies in
methodology and a lack of completeness and consistency of reports may be
introduced.
Individual departments also have their own emissions sources, primarily mobile
vehicles, travel, and paper use. Requiring standard reporting to a central inventory
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would reduce discrepancies with the type of information (e.g., mileage versus fuel
consumption) and would help maintain an inventory of sources.
Two possible locations for inventory management are:
•
Facilities Management. This department currently compiles much of the data
needed for emissions reporting. A downside is that its services are limited to
the Burnaby campus.
•
Financial Services. This department currently handles most of the reporting
requirements to government and has experience with auditing; this is the
likely place to maintain the GHG inventory. The department also handles B.C.
Ministry of Advanced Education reporting for the Surrey and Vancouver
campuses.
4.4.2 Baseline
As part of the GHG inventory management, a baseline needs to be established. This
will aid in the setting of GHG reduction targets and assist in verification and
auditing functions.
As part of baseline establishment, consideration must be given to future additions
and subtractions of sources from the organization. Defining a procedure for
adjusting the baseline will assist in keeping an accurate baseline.
4.4.3 Data Management
Due to the requirement to report and the cost of offsetting, a data storage and
management plan will be required. A key outcome of the plan should be the
creation of a GHG Management Handbook that outlines procedures to collect,
compile, report, and verify emissions. The GHG Management Handbook should
specify the following:
o Source of data;
o Alternative sources of data;
o Reliability of data;
o Frequency of data collection;
o Process of obtaining the data;
o Reporting process;
o Storage location;
o Data storage redundancy;
o Back-up storage location;
o Quality Assurance and Quality Controls; and
o Access to data.
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Many of these processes would form part of an existing auditable reporting function
for a PSO. Documenting these processes will assist in verification and reduce issues
associated with personnel changes.
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5 REDUCTION POTENTIAL AND COSTS
The major source of SFU’s GHG emissions is related to the combustion of natural
gas for heating and service hot water. A list of the reduction costs associated with
GHG reductions is given in Table 5—1. Potential reductions provided in this section
are independent of each other. For example if an option such as a gasifier is
pursued, the impact of subsequent actions such as heating and ventilation
improvement would be reduced based upon the lower emissions associated with the
upgraded boiler system.
Table 5—1: PSECA Projects
Annual Savings
tCO2e
NPV$/
tCO2e
Reduced1
Payback
Period
(yr)
1,187
64
-85.35
11.4
Type
Project
Cost
($,000)
MWh
GJ
HVAC
Brown Hall
319
227
HVAC
Academic Quad.
1,168
518
7,674
393
40.54
8.8
Geoexchange
Alcan Building
42
4
221
11
882.51
12.9
Geoexchange
Shrum Chemistry
1,550
640
6,494
324
-10.37
11.1
Solar
Bennett Library
1,298
n/a
2,356
118
-105.98
40
Solar
Chancellor’s Gym
437
n/a
669
33
-85.35
47.7
Gasifier
10,800
-1209
187,000
8,800
40.54
8.5
Fuel Switching
1. Net present value (NPV) calculated based on 8% discount rate over 20 years.
Table 5—1 lists a number of projects with GHG reduction potential. Overall HVAC
improvements can provide savings over the course of the project. Upgrades to the
heating and cooling supply, such as geoexchange heat pumps, would have higher
costs and would require a higher price on energy and carbon emissions to provide a
positive payback. Projects such as solar heating would not be justifiable based
solely on savings from energy and avoided carbon costs.
Fuel switching, such as replacing natural gas with biomass, is seen as the lowest
cost option, capital wise, for GHG reductions. This trend can be seen in B.C.’s forest
products industry where significant GHG reductions are a result of switching to
biomass and electrical energy from natural gas and fuel oil.
5.1 CURRENT QUANTIFIABLE REDUCTIONS: PHYSICAL PLANT
Overall, the physical plant at Burnaby accounts for 58% of emissions from the
organization and 66% of emissions subject to offsetting. It is the biggest source of
reduction potential. Aside from fuel switching, reductions obtained from
improvements to the physical plant have long payback periods typical of building
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improvements and overall are not heavily influenced by offset costs, but rather by
total energy costs (Table 5—2).
Table 5—2: Impact of Offset Price on Payback Period
Type
Impact of Offset Price on Payback Period (yrs)
Project
$25/t
$35/t
$40/t
$50/t
$60/t
$75/t
$100/t
HVAC
Brown Hall
11.4
11.3
11.0
10.8
10.5
10.2
9.7
HVAC
Academic Quad.
8.8
8.7
8.5
8.2
8.0
7.7
7.2
Geoexchange
Alcan Building
12.9
12.7
12.2
11.9
11.5
11.0
10.3
Geoexchange
Shrum Chemistry
12.7
15.5
12.2
11.9
11.6
11.2
10.6
Solar
Bennett Library
40.0
39.3
38.0
36.7
35.5
33.9
31.4
Solar
Chancellor’s Gym
4705
46.7
45.1
43.6
42.2
40.3
37.4
Gasifier
8.5
8.4
8.1
7.8
7.6
7.2
6.7
Fuel Switching
5.1.1 Fuel Switching
Switching the fuel source for the central boiler plant from natural gas to gasified
biomass would significantly reduce SFU’s GHG footprint. The physical plant’s GHG
emissions from Burnaby campus could be reduced by as much as 50% and overall
emissions by 42%.
5.1.2 Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Control
The mixed use and high peak occupancy of buildings that are primarily laboratory
and classroom space require a high level of makeup air, especially with the current
emphasis on reducing sick building syndrome. Because the makeup air is usually
not heated with exhaust air, it creates a significant loss of heat from the building.
Table 5—3 indicates the higher heating results for laboratory and classroom space
primarily due to higher makeup air requirements. To lower the heating
requirements of the buildings and the electricity requirements for fans and blowers,
better control of HVAC and making use of heat within exhaust air is necessary.
Table 5—3: Heating Requirements for Occupied Space1
Occupancy
Watts per Square
Metre
80
250
250
Office/Workspace
Laboratory
Classroom
1
SFU Central Heating System: Review of Central Boiler Plant Capacities and Loads , Haintz
Consulting, 2008
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Air-to-Air Heat Exchangers
Due to high makeup air and resulting exhaust requirements, a significant amount of
heat is lost to exhaust. To reduce the heating requirements, air exhaust units could
be centralized and an air-to-air heat exchanger used to reduce the requirements for
heating makeup air.
Digital Demand Controls
Due to mixed use of the buildings, some zones, such as office and work space,
require less heating and makeup air than high demand zones, such as classroom
and laboratory space. Requiring the system to meet the demands of the highest
resource room is inefficient. Buildings should make use of digital demand controls
(DDC) along with the use of HVAC zones to properly apportion HVAC resources.
CO2 Sensors
Although for the most part the University operates on prolonged business hours,
during the course of the day some high demand zones might not require full
resources from the HVAC system. An example is classroom space not in use or
underutilized during a class period. The use of CO2 sensors is one technique to
measure room occupancy and makeup air demand. When integrated with a DDC
system, further heating and electricity savings can be obtained.
Alternative Heating Sources and Strategies
Burnaby campus currently utilizes a central hot water heating plant for most of the
campus’s heating requirement. This type of facility provides reduced costs through
lower natural gas tariffs, reduced maintenance and operating costs, and lower
capital requirements.
The downsides of such a system are:
• Transmission losses;
• Poor part load performance; and
• Reduced efficiency.
To reduce GHG emissions, those buildings that would be considered marginal for
connection to the current central heat plant due to distance or application should
instead be considered for heat pumps, either air exchange or geoexchange. As B.C.
electricity is considered relatively clean, it can significantly reduce liabilities
concerning GHG emissions. Even with the gasifier system being considered, the
central boiler plant would still have a GHG emissions footprint from natural gas
combustion.
Burnaby campus also includes a significant outdoor athletic facility. Such field space
can reduce costs of a geoexchange system by allowing the installation of a
horizontal field rather than a higher-cost vertical field. Installation of geoexchange
fields can be integrated with field renovations to further reduce costs.
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Electric Boilers
Another alternative heating source would be electric boilers for part load instead of
the gas boilers of the central plant. Some buildings decrease their hot water load
significantly during the summer and, as a result, higher inefficiencies in transport
and operation of the boilers occur. Therefore, reducing use of the gas boilers in part
load would reduce GHG emissions.
Electrical Load Reductions
Due to the low GHG emissions from electricity—22 kg CO2e per MWh1—the impact
of electrical efficiency improvements is negligible in terms of delivering significant
GHG reductions. However, energy efficiency improvement is to be part of any
energy management plan and electricity efficiency should still be investigated as
part of a total energy and life cycle cost impact.
5.1.3 Vehicles
Vehicle fuel forms a small portion of SFU’s GHG emissions, but can be one of the
easiest sources of reductions; therefore, a study of the current use and purposing
of the vehicle fleet should be undertaken. For example, a poor use of a vehicle
occurs when a large vehicle is purchased to meet all size requirements. The large
size may be necessary for only 5% of the year, while a smaller vehicle may be
sufficient for the other 95%. Possibilities exist to reduce emissions and costs
through reducing the size and type of the vehicle fleet.
Ethanol Vehicles
The use of ethanol vehicles should be investigated at SFU. Major manufacturers of
vehicles currently provide a choice of vehicles capable of operating on up to 85%
ethanol (E85). The E85 option is often available for trucks and cars that have a
larger engine than the base model. As ethanol derived from plant matter (sugar
cane, corn, and cellulose sources) is considered CO2 neutral2, the emissions related
to vehicle use could decrease by 80%.3
B.C. will require a fuel standard of 5% renewable fuels within the province as
stipulated in the Greenhouse Gas Reduction (Renewable and Low Carbon Fuel
Requirements) Act (Renewable and Low Carbon Fuel Requirements Act). The
standard could be met through the purchase and use of E85.
1
SMARTTool
Plant based ethanol is considered CO2 neutral from a combustion perspective for a GHG
inventory produced according to ISO 14064-1:2006. N2O and CH4 from biomass combustion
(such as ethanol) are still considered. Plant based ethanol can have a significant GHG
footprint when life cycle GHG are taken into account. Life cycle effects are not considered
for GHG inventories.
3
Ethanol has a lower caloric density than gasoline, resulting in higher volumetric
consumption. E85 fuel contains 15% gasoline and has 73% of the lower heating value of
gasoline.
2
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Currently, ethanol is produced outside of the province and ethanol use has been
limited to government fleet vehicles that can import E85 fuel from outside the
province. With the introduction of the Renewable and Low Carbon Fuel
Requirements Act, ethanol is expected to become more available within the
province.
E85 fuel currently sells at a premium to gasoline, especially at lower gasoline prices
(~$0.80/l). In 2012, with a $30/tonne CO2e carbon tax and assuming a $25/tonne
CO2e offset cost, the carbon taxes/offset costs to SFU for gasoline will be 13.2 cents
per litre, along with 14.5 cents per litre road tax exemption.
The price difference and availability of E85 fuel should be monitored as a possible
carbon reduction strategy.
Electric Vehicles
If downsizing of vehicles is considered, a second option for reducing GHG emissions
is to procure electric vehicles. Due to the small size of the Burnaby campus and low
electricity costs, electric vehicles could fill a role in ferrying personnel and tools
around campus. Recent changes to the Motor Vehicle Act permit the use of electric
vehicles in low speed jurisdictions and campus settings.
5.2 FUTURE POTENTIAL REDUCTIONS
As outlined in section 5.1, significant reductions can be achieved through proper
HVAC design. The lowest cost option is implementation during the design process.
Significant progress in this regard has been made in establishing an energy and
carbon model to support building design and implementation decisions, starting at
the conceptual design stage, through working directly with the building developer,
architect, and key contractors. By establishing such a model early in the design
process, the carbon and energy impacts are known and outcomes can be balanced.
As part of reducing the future GHG impact to SFU, new buildings should strive for
higher energy efficiency standards as outlined below.
5.2.1 Building Standards and Codes
Modelling of New Construction
New construction should require the use of modelling during the design phase. The
use of design software should be an integral part of the design approach and within
the building designer’s domain rather than outsourced to another firm for energy
accounting purposes or solely used for Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design (LEED) certification.
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Specific Energy Consumption Goals for Buildings
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning (ASHRAE), the
provincial government, and LEED are striving towards net-zero energy buildings.
This approach should be utilized where possible.
A specific energy reduction target should be set for new construction and major
renovations at SFU. ASHRAE 90.1-2007 provides 15% savings compared to
ASHRAE 90.1-1999 and 24% compared to Model Nation Energy Building Code
(MNEBC)1. These levels of savings are also the minimum required to receive one
point for energy savings within LEED Canada for New Construction 1.0. Targets are
attainable beyond the minimum code requirements, and will help achieve the LEED
gold status for new buildings.
Modelling is able to use proper baselines for different commercial and institutional
uses such as laboratory, office, and classroom space. The ASHRAE 90.1 standard
and the MNEBC are two standards that can be used to attain energy reduction that
are familiar to building design firms. Specifying an energy savings target in respect
to these standards will still allow for design flexibility. The use of ASHRAE 90.1 may
be preferable to meet building codes due to its more recent publication and the
current use of ASHRAE 90.1-2007 within Vancouver and ASHRAE 90.1-2004 in the
rest of the province. On the other hand, no province has adopted the MNEBC, nor is
any jurisdiction currently using it.
5.2.2 Building Envelope Design
Reducing Glazing
The use of a high portion of glazing can add architectural and esthetic value to
buildings, but can significantly add to the heating load of buildings. This effect can
be seen with the Surrey Central City building where efficiency of the building is
relatively low for its function and age. Effective use of glazing can still permit a well
daylit building while keeping glazing below 40%.
Net-Zero Buildings
ASHRAE 90.1 is evolving towards a net-zero standard for buildings by 2030 where
emissions from the building are minimized and the building is able to offset
emissions from other sources. Developments in the Standard should be monitored
as more standard building elements are developed for the net-zero model.
Energy Efficiency Standards and LEED
New buildings should have a mandated efficiency level. This can be achieved
through modelling compared to baseline models such as the NMEBC and ASHRAE
90.1-2007.
1
Exceeding ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2007, ASHRAE Learning Institute, 2008
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LEED should not be construed as a GHG reduction standard. As part of the B.C.
government’s GHG reduction strategy, new public buildings are to be built to LEED
Gold or equivalent criteria. However, it must be understood that the goal of LEED,
developed by the Green Building Council in the U.S. (USGBC) and adapted and
managed by the Canadian Green Building Council in Canada (CaGBC), is
sustainability. LEED certification is based upon achieving a certain level of points in
the following five categories: sustainable site development, water savings, energy
efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality. Achieving LEED
points in energy efficiency is based upon reductions in energy costs and not
necessarily reductions in energy use. The LEED point system could also result in
capital funds being used for building design elements that might not be the most
effective for energy cost and GHG reductions over the life cycle of the building, thus
reducing the ability to decrease overall energy demands.
Defining a minimum amount of energy efficiency will help reduce operating costs
and GHG emissions from new buildings. Setting a minimum energy and atmosphere
point score within the LEED process could provide an incentive to achieve the
secondary points for sustainability and innovation rather than an overall energy
reduction.
Energy Sources
Consideration should be given to future heating sources for buildings farther away
from the central heating plant at the Burnaby campus. With the planned major
renovations for residences, expansion of the campus, and the relocation of the
central heating plant, the benefits of individual or purpose-integrated heating
sources such as geoexchange heat pumps should be investigated.
5.2.3 Renovations
Part of the reduction strategy for SFU should include bringing buildings undergoing
renovation up to the latest ASHRAE 90.1 standard where possible. Only during
major renovations is the cost justifiable for major renovations to building envelope,
including glazing, and HVAC systems. Implementing a requirement to review
renovations for energy efficiency and GHG emissions will allow these improvements
to be implemented when the costs are lowest.
SFU should target some renovations for certification for environmental
sustainability, such as the currently available Building Research Establishment
Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) standard or the LEED for Existing
Buildings when this standard becomes available in Canada.
5.2.4 Video Conferencing
Video conferencing could be used whenever possible to minimize travel, particularly
to avoid long haul air flights which comprise the majority of carbon emissions
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associated with travel. Video conferencing done through a centralized service could
be tracked for the associated reduction in emissions, whereas video conferencing
done through individuals would be difficult to quantify into emissions reduction.
Surveying of the departments would help quantify emission reductions from video
conferencing.
5.3 MARGINAL ABATEMENT COST CURVE
The marginal cost abatement curve graphically represents the costs and steps
associated with reducing the organizations emissions at the present. The chart
doesn’t include costs of the carbon tax or of carbon credits. The cost of reductions
of $40 a tonne or less would be considered to have a positive cash flow based upon
at a cost of $25 a tonne in carbon offsets and $15 a tonne in carbon tax.
Figure 5-1 Marginal Abatement Cost Curve
100
Marginal Cost Abatement Curve
80
100 % Recycled
Paper $330/tonne
Cost ($/tCO2e)
60
Heat Pumps,
Geothermal
Biodiesel (10%),
E85 Fuel Switch
40
Biomass Gasifier
20
0
-20
Ventilation
Upgrades for Recent
Buildings
HVAC/Building
Envelope
-40
Electric Campus
Trucks
-60
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
8,000
9,000
10,000
GHG Reduction (tCO2e)
Items included within the chart were:
• Switch of 10% of the facilities truck fleet to electric campus vehicles (this
includes the benefit of downsizing.
• Improvements to heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems and
building envelope to existing buildings.
• Use of biofuels such as bio diesel and E85 ethanol fuel.
• Installation of a biomass gasifier.
• Installation of heat pumps and geoexchange systems.
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•
•
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Improvements to HVAC in recent buildings.
Switch to 100% recycled paper.
Actions with a negative cost per tonne of reduction are considered to be beneficial
regardless of the price of GHG emissions, but could fail to meet internal return
requirements.
Switching to biofuels would be largely dependant upon the price of these fuels,
equipment costs would be minimal. Other items such as solar thermal and highway
electric vehicles were not displayed due to their high abatement costs. Other
options such as behavioral changes were omitted due to the difficulty of
ascertaining the potential reduction. Such changes would include reduced paper
usage, improved motor vehicle operation techniques, and user controlled energy
use.
5.4 CARBON COSTS AND OFFSETS
As demonstrated by the marginal abatement cost curve (MACC), carbon emission
reduction measures alone will not be sufficient for SFU to achieve carbon neutrality.
This section discusses the potential sources and costs of carbon offsets and the cost
for SFU to ultimately achieve carbon neutrality. Although the B.C. carbon tax and
costs associated with SMARTTool are not directly related to achieving carbon
neutrality, they have been included here as they have cost implications to SFU
related to GHG emissions.
Source of Carbon Offsets
As described in the Carbon Neutral Government regulation, the procedure for
purchase of carbon offsets by public sector organizations will be through the Pacific
Carbon Trust (PCT), however, the process to do so is not yet clearly defined. In
Section 7, that Regulation indicates:
“A public sector organization that is required to acquire or dispose of
emission offsets in order to be carbon neutral must do so by acquiring
them from…..the Pacific Carbon Trust…”
The PCT is a provincial Crown corporation set up by the B.C. government to acquire
credible GHG offsets on its behalf. The credits have to arise in B.C and meet certain
eligibility and verification criteria as defined within the GGRTA-Emission Offsets
Regulation (Emission Offsets Regulation), effective December 8, 2008. The PCT has
recently issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to pre-qualify respondents with
the capability and capacity to provide all or some of the offsets needed to meet its
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requirement for carbon offsets. The current stated cost of obtaining offsets from the
PCT for PSOs is $25/tonne CO2e.1
The reality may be different, depending upon the offset purchase cost the PCT
experiences and potential savings to this value that it can pass on to PSOs.
Although SFU is now unlikely to be able to acquire offsets from the open market,
the open market includes potential sources such as the Chicago Climate Exchange
(CCX), North America’s voluntary GHG reduction and trading system. Companies
who join the exchange commit to reducing their aggregate emissions by 6% by
2010. Current members include several American universities. Current CCX prices
are US$1.55 per tonne CO2e, and have peaked at US$7.4 during 2008.
Carbon Offset Costs
The future cost of carbon offsets is difficult to predict because the sources of offsets
are uncertain and GHG legislation/regulation, which has the potential to impact
carbon offset price through creation of increased demand for offsets, is currently
evolving.
Currently, we are advised that the Ministry of Environment has indicated $25 per
tonne CO2e be used for costing purposes to offset government business travel. As
the requirement to offset business travel was established prior to the creation of a
carbon offset market, the $25 per tonne of CO2e price is based upon estimated
costs.
Environment Canada2 estimates carbon offset prices to rise from $25 per tonne
CO2e in 2010 to $65 per tonne CO2e in 2018.
1
http://www.pacificcarbontrust.ca/Home/ClientServicesPublicSectorOrganizations/tabid/99/
Default.aspx (May 26, 2009)
2
Environment Canada, Turning the Corner: Taking Action to Fight Climate Change,
Technical Briefings, March 14, 2008
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Figure 5-2: Environment Canada Predicted Offset Costs
Costs to Achieve Carbon Neutrality
Based on a carbon offset price of $10-$25 per tonne CO2e, this would result in a
cost to achieve carbon neutrality of $118,000 to $295,000 based on 2007
emissions, assuming all emissions are mitigated through offset purchases. Based on
offset costs predictions provided by Environment Canada, this cost could rise to
approximately $766,000 in 2018 assuming $65 per tonne CO2e emissions.
B.C. Carbon Tax
Although not directly an offset cost, B.C.’s carbon tax is a GHG emissions-related
cost that applies to purchases of fuels such as gasoline, diesel, natural gas, heating
fuel, and propane when used to produce energy or heat that has been in effect
since July 1, 2008. Therefore, reducing emissions in these areas will result in cost
savings to SFU. In 2007, SFU paid a total of $52,000 in carbon taxes based upon a
$10 per tonne tax levied since July 1, 2008. The carbon tax costs will increase over
the next four years as follows11:
•
•
•
•
•
1
July
July
July
July
July
1st,
1st,
1st,
1st,
1st,
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
-
$10
$15
$20
$25
$30
per
per
per
per
per
tonne
tonne
tonne
tonne
tonne
CO2e
CO2e
CO2e
CO2e
CO2e
emissions
emissions
emissions
emissions
emissions
http://www.sbr.gov.bc.ca/documents_library/notices/BC_Carbon_Tax_Update.pdf
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SFU Growth and Future GHG Costs
Based upon current legislation, SFU’s GHG emissions are subject to the Carbon Tax,
and will require the purchase of offsets for the 2010 calendar year. Table 5—4 sets
out the forecasted price of offsets and carbon tax on GHG emissions.
Table 5—4: Cost of CO2e Emissions per Tonne
Year
Carbon Tax1
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
$10.00
$15.00
$20.00
$25.00
$30.00
$30.00
$30.00
$30.00
$30.00
$30.00
$30.00
$30.00
$30.00
$30.00
$30.00
Offsets
(Estimated)
$0.00
$0.00
$25.00
$25.00
$25.00
$25.00
$30.00
$30.00
$50.00
$50.00
$65.00
$65.00
$65.00
$65.00
$65.00
SFU’s future GHG costs are based upon expansion of floor space as shown in
1
Carbon tax is the prescribed rate after the legislated annual increase on July 1st. The value
used in calculations is the average for the calendar year.
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Figure 5-3. Under the Capital Plan, SFU is not expected to significantly deviate from
the current floor space to student ratio. It is assumed that the existing building
stock is not renovated to a high efficiency standard and that the new building stock
is added at GHG emissions intensity per area as stated in Table 5—5. The GHG
costs for adding to the building stock with increased building efficiency such as
Surrey campus, a 25% decrease from Surrey campus, and a straight line reduction
to the 33% target are shown along with a business as usual scenario are shown in
Figure 5-5: Forecasted Cost of Offsetting GHG Emissions and the Carbon Tax.
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Figure 5-3: SFU Floor Space Expansion
Table 5—5: GHG Intensities per m2
GHG Intensity
(kg CO2e/m2)
Emissions
SFU Currently
54.43
Current Design
Efficiency (Surrey
Campus)
27.23
Premium Efficiency
20.42
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Figure 5-5 displays the future costs to offset CO2e emissions from the SFU campus
based upon the following factors:
• Campus expansion is pursued according to the SFU 10 Year Capital
Plan with a delay of five years for projects which have not
commenced.
• Carbon tax is to increase at the legislated rate and no new increases
are implemented after 2012.
• Cost of offsets are as set out in Figure 5-4, with the initial cost of
offsets to be $25 per tCO2e in 2010.
• The baseline expansion case is that SFU expands with the same
emissions intensity per area as is currently the case.
The price of offsetting GHG emissions is expected to reach $1.54 million in 2022, up
from $542,000 in 2010.
Figure 5-5: Forecasted Cost of Offsetting GHG Emissions and the Carbon Tax
SMARTTool Costs
Again, although not directly related to achieving carbon neutrality, SFU will have to
pay costs associated with the implementation and ongoing use of SMARTTool. The
B.C. Ministry of Labour and Citizens’ Services has indicated that there will be a onetime fee for SMARTTool to cover development and rollout of the system, and an
ongoing annual service charge. Details on costs are not currently available.
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5.5 GUIDANCE ON CAP AND TRADE MARKETS
Provincial
The B.C. Ministry of Environment (MOE) has stated that it supports the
implementation of a cap and trade system such as that being developed under the
WCI. Proposed details of the cap and trade scheme, including specific emissions
thresholds, facilities, and sources to be reported, are presented within the GHG
Reporting Regulation Policy Intentions Paper. Currently at the draft stage, the GHG
Reporting Regulation is expected to be enacted in mid-2009. Source 1 emissions
directly related to the facility are targeted by the draft regulation, while non-facility
specific emissions such as air travel and on-road or extra-facility vehicles would not
be included (which will likely cover the majority of SFU vehicles). Under the
proposed regulation, facilities emitting more than 10,000 CO2e tonnes per year will
be required to report their emissions to the Ministry, beginning with the 2009
calendar year, and facilities with emissions over 20,000 tonnes CO2e will also be
required to provide their best estimate of GHG emission by source category for
2006, 2007 and 2008 calendars years. Based on 2007 emissions, SFU would trigger
the 10,000 tonne CO2e threshold for reporting (since emissions from the natural
gas boiler at the Burnaby campus were approximately 13,000 tonnes CO2e in
2007), but would be below the 25,000 tonne CO2e threshold at which verification,
and the purchase of emissions allocations, would be required.
Full implementation of the regional cap and trade system is anticipated to occur in
2012. The proposed MOE cap and trade system is at the early stages of
conceptualization, and the ministry intends to consult further on these regulations
in 2009.
It should be noted that “facility” is not specifically defined in the GHG Reporting
Regulation Policy Intentions Paper, and has currently been interpreted to be a
specific campus and not the whole SFU organization. The definition of the facility
may potentially affect SFU obligations under these proposed regulations; therefore
it is recommended that SFU continue to monitor developments of these proposed
regulations.
Federal
The federal government plans to implement an “intensity based” cap and trade
program under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, as well as other
greenhouse gas reduction efforts. As stated within the Intentions Paper,
Environment Canada has indicated a willingness to enter into equivalency
agreements within provinces whose programs have similarly (or more) stringent
outcomes.
Guidance surrounding the WCI, provincial, and federal cap and trade or emission
cap systems is evolving. It has not currently been determined how the WCI cap and
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trade mechanism will integrate with provincial programs (e.g. the B.C. carbon tax)
and federal programs.
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6 CARBON MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS
The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Targets Act sets out two important tasks. First, it
puts into law the province’s target of reducing GHG emissions by at least 33%
below 2007 levels by 2020. Second, it requires the provincial government and
public sector organizations to be carbon neutral by 2010, which entails the
reporting of emissions and the acquisition of offsets. It should be noted that there is
currently not a requirement for SFU to report or offset carbon emissions associated
with business travel; however, these emissions have been included within the
inventory developed for this project. It should also be noted that “facility” is not
specifically defined in the GHG Reporting Regulation Policy Intentions Paper, and
has currently been interpreted to be a specific campus and not the whole SFU
organization. The definition of the facility may potentially affect SFU obligations
under these proposed regulations; therefore, it is recommended that SFU continue
to monitor developments of these proposed regulations.
The reporting of emissions requires that SFU put together procedures to collect and
store emissions information and to report. To achieve this, a GHG Management
Handbook will be necessary. The Handbook should outline who is responsible to
gather data, what data is to be gathered, where it is to be stored, how this data can
be verified, and who is to report to the government.
With respect to carbon emissions associated with space leased from SFU, it is
recommended that the BC Research Network establish its own lease directly with
Harbour Centre. At the SFU Surrey campus, the GHG emissions related to the Blenz
Coffee space would be small and costly to quantify in relation to the offset costs;
therefore, it is recommended that this space is best dealt with through the lease
agreement and a flow through of offset costs.
SFU should also compile an inventory of all its properties and potential sources of
emissions. Events of significance to the GHG inventory should be recorded.
Identification of fugitive sources should be compiled to better understand the effect
a catastrophic release of a greenhouse gas would have on the GHG inventory and
compliance costs. In addition, information storage should be considered for security
and longevity.
The use of conservative methodology to calculate emissions will typically lead to a
higher emissions figure than in reality. Attempts should be made to collect data
that is based on consumption rather than using estimates such as mileage or based
upon floor space.
The consultants have identified multiple options for SFU to reduce its GHG
emissions. In the near term, emissions from the vehicle fleet can be reduced
through decrease of vehicle size, use of biofuels, and addition of electric vehicles.
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Building upgrades should prioritize improvements to the HVAC systems, as these
options have the shortest payback period to decrease GHG emissions. Over the long
term, renovations and new construction must be planned and designed with a focus
on reducing energy demand. SFU can benefit from the need for capital work on a
significant number of its buildings and the delay in capital projects to integrate
energy efficiency into the planning.
Travel and paper are two areas where GHG emissions can be reduced through
behavioural changes. Providing departments with information related to the GHG
footprints of these two items could influence a greater focus on reducing GHG and
increased energy efficiency.
A number of specific recommendations relating to management of inventory data
have been provided within this report, these are summarized below:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
A specific recommendation concerning The Great Northern Way campus is
that the four member institutions should mutually determine a GHG reporting
procedure where costs and allocations of emissions are distributed among
the four entities.
A complete list of utility accounts and meters should be maintained with the
GHG inventory.
For calculation of emissions associated with fuel oil use at the Burnaby and
Surrey campuses, records of fuel oil purchases and fuel oil consumption,
through input metering rather than based upon BTU output, should be used
for the GHG inventory.
The quantity of paper supplied by Xerox should be recorded in the future;
one way of achieving this would be to request that Xerox document
quantities on invoices, including paper recycled content.
It is recommended that a central vehicle inventory be maintained.
Data collection regarding company vehicles be standardized across
departments; one possible way to do this is issue a data collection template
that documents the required information.
Data collection relating to business travel should include the addition of
mileage, fuel consumption, or flight paths and segments to the expense
process would provide a more accurate picture of emissions from travel.
An inventory of SF6 and HFC gases on site should be maintained, and the
import/export of these gases or equipment from the facility and the
decommissioning of equipment should be recorded as part of the inventory.
Amendments to lease agreements should be sought with property owners,
thus enabling access to information that may impact SFU’s GHG inventory.
Preferably, this information should be made available on a monthly basis in
conjunction with operations and maintenance invoices from the property
manager.
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A number of specific recommendations relating to carbon management and
reduction of costs have been provided within this report, these are summarized
below:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Reduction of energy use within the existing physical plant. Efforts should be
focused upon reduction of heating requirements through HVAC
improvements, and building envelope improvements.
Significant renovations to the physical plant must consider life cycle costs,
especially concerning energy use.
Reduction to electricity consumption should not be a focus of GHG mitigation,
but are still a component of energy management. Emissions from BC
electricity are required to be neutral by 2016.
Vehicle fleet use should be surveyed for downsizing of vehicles, and the
inclusion of alternative fuels, and electric vehicles for campus use.
Campus heating is the primary source of emissions for the organization.
Along with demand reduction for heating, alternative sources of heating
including heat pumps, and biomass should be investigated to reduce
emissions.
Reducing emissions from paper use should focus on paper use reduction
rather than increasing the recycled content.
Reduction of emissions are also available from a behavioral perspective, such
as reduced energy use, reduced paper used, and increased efficiency among
the vehicle fleet. These measures require a process of continuous
improvement to remain effective over the long term.
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7 CONCLUSION
With the requirement to become carbon neutral, institutions such as SFU face a
large task to reduce their GHG emissions. Currently, 79.5% of the GHG emissions
from SFU are related to operation of the physical plant. As most modifications
related to the physical plant are capital intensive, this limits the ability for the
organization to quickly decrease its emissions. SFU does have an opportunity in
that many of the buildings on campus are facing major renovations. Requiring a
focus on obtaining GHG reduction at the initial planning stage for renovations and
new construction will help identify opportunities for decreasing emissions. SFU
should also seek to reduce emissions through continued implementation of
efficiency projects and a move towards low carbon energy sources.
A further 4.1% of emissions are from company vehicles. Reduction action on these
emissions could be quickly implemented through biofuels such as biodiesel and
ethanol, and the replacement of internal combustion engine vehicles with electric
vehicles.
SFU is currently not required to offset business travel, but should remain aware of
its impact on its GHG footprint resulting from business travel (currently 15.2% of
emissions). As the government has required the offsetting of these emissions within
the public service, this could be extended to the larger public sector in the future.
The statistics concerning paper consumption and travel can be used as tool to help
encourage behavioural changes among the SFU community.
The reporting of emissions to the government will require verification. As such, SFU
will need to establish the procedures to collect, compile, report, and verify
emissions. The consultants have outlined in this report strategies to pursue in terms
of creating a GHG Management Handbook. These strategies need to correspond
with current SFU procedures and policies. SFU, as an organization that regularly
reports to the ministry of advanced education, already has procedures in place for
preparing for audits; these should also be looked at to see if they can be applied to
GHG management. A large majority of data collection is already done through the
energy manager and is sufficient for those sources. Areas that require better data
collection are leased spaces, company owned vehicles, fugitive emission sources,
and business travel.
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8 APPENDIX
8.1 REFERENCES
B.C. Ministry of Environment, Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reporting Regulation-Policy
Intentions Paper for Consultation, September 2008
Canadian Green Building Council, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Canada for New Construction 1.0, December 2004
Climate Action Secretariat, Draft Framework for Greenhouse Gas Measurements
and Reporting: Guidance for Crown Corporations, March 12, 2007.
Environment Canada, National Inventory Report: Greenhouse Gas Sources and
Sinks in Canada, 1990-2006, April 2008.
National Research Council Canada: Institute for Research in Construction, Model
National Energy Building Code for Canada, 1997
Province of British Columbia Order of the Lieutenant Governor in Council, Emission
Offsets Regulation, November 14, 2008.
The Climate Registry, General Reporting Protocol Version 1.1, May 2008
Western Climate Initiative, Design Recommendations for the WCI Regional Cap and
Trade Program, September 23, 2008.
World Resources Institute and World Business Council for Sustainable Development,
The Greenhouse Gas Protocol: A Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard,
Revised Edition, March 2004
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8.2 LINKS
Climate Action Secretariat
http://www.climateactionsecretariat.gov.bc.ca/
The Climate Registry:
www.theclimateregistry.org
Environment Canada National Inventory Report:
http://www.ec.gc.ca/pdb/GHG/inventory_e.cfm
GHG Protocol
www.ghgprotocol.org
LEED Canada:
http://www.cagbc.org/leed/what/index.php
Province of British Columbia
www.gov.bc.ca
Western Climate Initiative
http://www.westernclimateinitiative.org/
World Resources Institute
www.wri.org
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8.3 EMISSION FACTORS
Table 8—1: Emission Factors
Emission Factors (kg/Commerce Measure Unit)1
CO2e
CO2
CH4
N2O
Commerce
Measure
Unit
#2 Oil / Light
Fuel Oil
2.87
2.66
0.00281
0.12316
Litre
38.8 GJ/kl
Diesel
2.77
2.73
0.00055
0.00962
Litre
38.3 GJ/kl
Natural Gas
(BC)
49.66
49.43
0.02100
0.02790
GJ
Propane
1.52
1.51
0.00048
0.03374
Litre
Energy Type
1
Energy Density1
25.31 GJ/kl
Emission factors taken from Information supplied by Ministry of Labour and Citizens'
Services email dated 5/11/2008 'Fwd: SMARTTOOL.msg' within file 'GHGReport-anddatafeed-Oct31-LW.xls'.
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Table 8—2: Indirect Emission Factors
kg of CO2-e
2005
2006
2007
kg CO2
kg of CH4
kg of N2O
Commerce
Measure Unit
Energy
Density (1)
Electricity (BC
Hydro)1
20.00
20.00
22.12
N/A
N/A
N/A
MWh
3.6
GJ/MWh
Steam (CHD)2
80.71
80.71
80.71
80.22
0.0332
0.4579
klbs. Steam
1.055
GJ/klbs
Energy Type
Table 8—3: Vehicle Emission Factors (Fuel Consumption)
Vehicle Type
Light Duty Diesel Truck
(LDDT)
Light Duty Gasoline Truck
(LDGT)
Light Duty Gasoline Vehicle
(LDGV)
Propane Vehicle
Emission Factors (kg/L)
Description
Fuel
Type
CO2e
CO2
CH4
N2O
Advanced Control
diesel
2.733
2.663
0.000068
0.00022
Tier 1
gasoline
2.369
2.289
0.00013
0.00025
Tier 1
gasoline
2.341
2.289
0.00012
0.00016
N/A
propane
1.532
1.51
0.00064
0.000028
1
2007 Figure obtained from SmartTool release from Province of BC. This figure concerns BC Hydro Figures only and not the BC Grid. 2005 and 2006 are
obtained from EC NIR 1990-2006 "CO2 Emission Factors from Electricity" Environment Canada, National Inventory Report 1990-2006: Greenhouse Gas Sources
and Sinks, May 2008, Annex 12 Emissions Factors, Tables A12-1, A12-2, A12-3)
2
Emission factors taken from Information supplied by Ministry of Labour & Citizens' Services email dated 5/11/2008 'Fwd: SMARTTOOL.msg' within file
'GHGReport-and-datafeed-Oct31-LW.xls'.
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Table 8—4: Emission Factors from Vehicles (Mileage based)
Emissions Factor (kg/km)1
Emissions Source
CO2-e
Large Vehicle Gasoline (Mileage)
0.22
Short Haul Air Travel (<500 km)
0.15
Medium Haul Air Travel (500 to 1500 km)
0.12
Long Haul Air Travel (>1500 km)
0.11
Table 8—5: Emission Factors for Paper Consumption
Emissions Factor (kg/ream)2
Recycled Paper Content
CO2e
0% Recycled Content
12.9
10% Recycled Content
12.4
30% Recycled Content
11.4
100% Recycled Content
8.1
1
Emission Factors from GHG Protocol website: http://www.ghgprotocol.org/calculation-tools/all-tools (CO2
emissions from business travel). Emission factors originally derived from UK Department for Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) (Table 7, Annexes to Guidelines for Company Reporting on Greenhouse Gas Emissions,
Updated July 2005 (http://www.defra.gov.uk/environemnt/business/envrp/gas/).
2
Emission factors taken from Information supplied by Ministry of Labour & Citizens' Services email dated
5/11/2008 'Fwd: SMARTTOOL.msg' within file 'GHGReport-and-datafeed-Oct31-LW.xls'. Emission factors were for a
pack size of 500 sheets, therefore these factors were multiplied by 2 to give an emission factor for a pack size of
1000 sheets.
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Table 8—6: Burnaby 2005
t CO2e
t CO2
t CH4
t N2O
Natural Gas (Various
End Use)
1,862.7
1,854.1
0.8
1.0
Natural Gas (Boiler)
10,653.4
10,604.0
4.5
6.0
Fuel Oil (Boiler)
244.1
225.6
0.2
10.5
Diesel (Emergency
Generators)
83.3
81.9
0.0
0.3
Vehicle LDDT
5.7
5.5
0.0
0.0
Vehicle LDGT
115.2
112.6
0.0
0.0
Vehicle LDGV
-
-
-
-
Vehicle Propane
-
-
-
-
12,964.3
12,883.8
5.6
17.8
Diesel Generator
-
-
-
-
Electricity
1,085.7
1,085.7
-
-
Steam/Hot Water
-
-
-
-
1,085.7
1,085.7
-
-
Fixed
Scope
1
Mobile
Sub Total
Scope
2
Indirect Fixed
Sub Total
Scope
3
Paper
Paper
149.8
149.8
-
-
Business
Travel
Vehicle
-
-
-
-
Air Travel
-
-
-
-
149.8
149.8
-
-
14,199.9
14,119.3
5.6
17.8
Sub Total
Total Emissions
64
Simon Fraser University
GHG Inventory Report
Table 8—7: Burnaby 2006
t CO2e
t CO2
t CH4
t N2O
Natural Gas (Various
End Use)
2,139.4
2,129.5
0.9
1.2
Natural Gas (Boiler)
11,481.3
11,428.1
4.9
6.5
Fuel Oil (Boiler)
264.1
244.2
0.3
11.3
Diesel (Emergency
Generators)
83.3
81.9
0.0
0.3
Vehicle LDDT
5.7
5.5
0.0
0.0
Vehicle LDGT
932.4
105.4
0.0
0.0
Vehicle LDGV
1.2
-
-
-
Vehicle Propane
0.8
-
-
-
14,908.2
13,994.5
6.0
19.3
Diesel Generator
-
-
-
-
Electricity
1,193.9
1,193.9
-
-
Steam/Hot Water
-
-
-
-
1,193.9
1,193.9
-
-
Fixed
Scope
1
Mobile
Sub Total
Scope
2
Indirect Fixed
Sub Total
Scope
3
Paper
Paper
405.7
405.7
-
-
Business
Travel
Vehicle
-
-
-
-
Air Travel
-
-
-
-
405.7
405.7
-
-
16,507.8
15,594.1
6.0
19.3
Sub Total
Total Emissions
65
Simon Fraser University
GHG Inventory Report
Table 8—8: Burnaby 2007
t CO2e
t CO2
t CH4
t N2O
Natural Gas (Various
End Use)
2,169.2
2,159.2
0.9
1.2
Natural Gas (Boiler)
12,980.5
12,920.4
5.5
7.3
Fuel Oil (Boiler)
-
-
-
-
Diesel (Emergency
Generators)
83.3
81.9
0.0
0.3
Vehicle LDDT
5.7
5.5
0.0
0.0
Vehicle LDGT
932.4
911.7
0.0
0.1
Vehicle LDGV
1.2
1.2
0.0
0.0
Vehicle Propane
0.8
0.8
0.0
0.0
16,173.1
16,080.6
6.5
8.9
Diesel Generator
-
-
-
-
Electricity
1,320.9
1,320.9
-
-
Steam/Hot Water
-
-
-
-
1,320.9
1,320.9
-
-
Fixed
Scope
1
Mobile
Sub Total
Scope
2
Indirect Fixed
Sub Total
Scope
3
Paper
Paper
299.1
299.1
-
-
Business
Travel
Vehicle
166.4
166.4
-
-
Air Travel
3,269.7
3,269.7
-
-
3,735.2
3,735.2
-
-
21,229.2
21,136.6
6.5
8.9
Sub Total
Total Emissions
66
Simon Fraser University
GHG Inventory Report
Table 8—9: Surrey 2007
t CO2e
t CO2
t CH4
t N2O
Natural Gas (Various
End Use)
-
-
-
-
Natural Gas (Boiler)
-
-
-
-
Fuel Oil (Boiler)
-
-
-
-
Diesel (Emergency
Generators)
-
-
-
-
Vehicle LDDT
-
-
-
-
Vehicle LDGT
-
-
-
-
Vehicle LDGV
-
-
-
-
Vehicle Propane
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Diesel Generator
7.7
7.5
0.0
0.0
Electricity
146.3
146.3
-
-
Steam/Hot Water
431.2
429.2
0.2
0.2
585.2
583.0
0.2
0.3
Fixed
Scope
1
Mobile
Sub Total
Scope
2
Indirect Fixed
Sub Total
Scope
3
Paper
Paper
20.2
-
-
-
Business
Travel
Vehicle
-
-
-
-
Air Travel
-
-
-
-
20.2
-
-
-
605.4
583.0
0.2
0.3
Sub Total
Total Emissions
67
Simon Fraser University
GHG Inventory Report
Table 8—10: Vancouver 2007
t CO2e
t CO2
t CH4
t N2O
Natural Gas (Various
End Use)
62.2
62.0
0.0
0.0
Natural Gas (Boiler)
-
-
-
-
Fuel Oil (Boiler)
-
-
-
-
Diesel (Emergency
Generators)
-
-
-
-
Vehicle LDDT
-
-
-
-
Vehicle LDGT
-
-
-
-
Vehicle LDGV
-
-
-
-
Vehicle Propane
-
-
-
-
62.2
62.0
0.0
0.0
Diesel Generator
7.7
7.5
0.0
0.0
Electricity
193.4
193.4
-
-
Steam/Hot Water
561.3
557.9
0.2
3.2
762.4
758.8
0.2
3.2
Fixed
Scope
1
Mobile
Sub Total
Scope
2
Indirect Fixed
Sub Total
Scope
3
Paper
Paper
37.6
37.6
-
-
Business
Travel
Vehicle
-
-
-
-
Air Travel
-
-
-
-
37.6
37.6
-
-
862.2
858.3
0.3
3.2
Sub Total
Total Emissions
68
Simon Fraser University
GHG Inventory Report
Table 8—11: Kamloops 2007
t CO2e
t CO2
t CH4
t N2O
Natural Gas (Various
End Use)
27.0
26.9
0.0
0.0
Natural Gas (Boiler)
-
-
-
-
Fuel Oil (Boiler)
-
-
-
-
Diesel (Emergency
Generators)
-
-
-
-
Vehicle LDDT
-
-
-
-
Vehicle LDGT
-
-
-
-
Vehicle LDGV
-
-
-
-
Vehicle Propane
-
-
-
-
27.0
26.9
0.0
0.0
Diesel Generator
-
-
-
-
Electricity
3.3
3.3
-
-
Steam/Hot Water
-
-
-
-
3.3
3.3
-
-
Fixed
Scope
1
Mobile
Sub Total
Scope
2
Indirect Fixed
Sub Total
Scope
3
Paper
Paper
0.1
0.1
-
-
Business
Travel
Vehicle
2.2
2.2
-
-
Air Travel
-
-
-
-
2.3
2.3
-
-
32.6
32.5
0.0
0.0
Sub Total
Total Emissions
69