Introduction
In 2013, 54% of Americans identified as coffee-drinkers
population of more than 150
(HPSH, 2015). That same year, this
cups/day, totaling nearly 170
million consumed an average of 3.1
billion cups annually. At these rates of consumption, coffee has
come to represent one of the most highly consumed beverages in
the country alongside carbonated soda. In turn, it also represents a
significant energy demand in its cultivation, processing, and
consumption. Within this production chain, the preparation by the
consumer is one of the most crucial parts of the entire life cycle of
coffee, making up a share of 30% of its overall production-related
emissions (Brommer, 2011).
The total 3,267 faculty and staff at Boston College represent a
significant portion of the coffee consumption that occurs in campus
facilities (BCOIR, 2014). This is especially important considering
that, unlike the coffee machines used in the campus dining halls,
there is great variation in the types of coffee machines that are used
in the University’s offices and departments.
As a result, there is a wide variety of coffee machine types within
campus offices and departments, including drip-brew filter,
these
single serving pod/capsule, or espresso machines. The energy use
phase varies highly among these types of coffee machines and in
some cases extends beyond coffee making into heating or standby
mode. No energy audit has been conducted on these machines at
Boston College nor has a survey been conducted of which types are
being utilized where in campus facilitates. This current unknown
variability can potentially contribute to significant inefficiencies in
energy consumption on campus that can in turn lead to economic
loss and emission production.
Objectives
Collect energy data from on-campus divisional coffee pots.
Right now, there is no information available about Boston College’s
institutional energy use. These data will help create the bigger picture
by establishing the scope and scale of the university’s usage as well
as identifying particular varieties of coffee brewers that are most
efficient.
2.
Identify personal trends in coffee consumption. This
information will be used to provide a deeper understanding of the
energy readings obtained in the department. No data are available
regarding the actual usage of coffee makers on campus, nor are there
data on how faculty and staff view the consumption of coffee.
3.
Establish recommendations to curb coffee brewer energy
usage. With the diversity of brewers available on campus and with
the information obtained through the first two objectives, areas for
improvement will be identified. Through these recommendations,
which will be sent to Boston College Facilities, a University-wide
policy can be established to decrease the University’s impact on the
environment and save money.
1.
Methods
Quantitative
Kill-A-Watt energy meters were attached to each institutional
days so as to account for any
coffee maker for three consecutive
differences in class schedule and associated faculty presence. In
order to identify peak energy usage,
readings were taken hourly
between 9am and 5pm for each day and reset to 0 each morning.
Overnight values were recorded before the meters were reset. Data
was then analyzed using Microsoft Excel to reveal trends.
Qualitative
An online survey containing fourteen
questions designed to
measure amounts of coffee consumption, times of consumption,
varieties of coffee brewers, and methods
of coffee waste disposal
was distributed to all participating departments. Respondents were
able to rate their opinions on the sustainability of campus-wide
also
coffee consumption on a scale of 1 to 5, as well as give suggestions
and comments on the topic.
Conclusions
The results of this study demonstrated 5 primary findings:
1.) Filter-drip machines expend 1.96x more energy than
single serve machines
2.) 75.4% of energy is expended while machines are idle
overnight
3.) Peak coffee consumption occurs between 7am and 9am
4.) Faculty and staff currently lack proper receptacles for
coffee waste
5.) Many departments currently have either no central
machines or multiple departmental machines
Based upon these major findings. We suggest that Boston
College take the following steps in order to improve the
efficiency of coffee consumption in campus facilities:
1.) Where economically feasible, switch from filter-drip to
single serving machines
2.) Switch off machines at the end of the work day
3.) Turn off machines after peak hours
4.) Implement composting for coffee grounds and filters for
those departments using filter-drip machines or, for those
using single serving machines, implement reusable capsules
or pods
5.) Where there are multiple departmental coffee machines,
consolidate into one central maker
Through the implementation of these changes, Boston College
has the potential to save $7,300 - $9,500 in energy costs during
the academic year and reduce emissions by 38.61 metric tons of
CO2. These potential economic and environmental benefits
provide substantial emphasis on the necessity for efficiency
measures.
Future Research
This study was inherently limited by resources available and time
constraints. Therefore, future investigations should use these
topic further. Because the
finding as a basis to investigate this
cultivation of coffee beans contributes to 55% of the overall
emissions of a coffee’s life cycle, future investigations should
analyze the sourcing and production of various coffee brands.
(Brommer, 2011). It would also be
useful to analyze coffee
consumption at the student level within Boston College dining halls
to get a more complete understanding
of coffee sustainability on
campus.
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank our professor, Dr. Tara Pisani-Gareau, as
well as our mentors, Bruce Dixon and Robert Pion, for their
and for supplying us with the
continued guidance on this project
necessary materials. We would also like to thank all of the
Departments and Offices who participated for their willingness to
help us in our study and for taking the time to provide us with data.
References
Boston College Office of Institutional Research. “Boston College Fact
Book 2012-2013.” (2013): 11-36.
Brommer, Eva, Britta Stratmann, and Dietlinde Quack. "Environmental
impacts of different methods of coffee preparation." International
Journal of Consumer Studies 35.2 (2011): 212-220.
Harvard School of Public Health. "Coffee by the Numbers." 2015.Web.
<http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/multimedia-article/facts/>.