COLLEGE OF SAINT BENEDICT
ST. JOSEPH, MN
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
INVENTORY
REPORT
2009-2010
REPORT ISSUE DATE: DECEMBER 2010
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Office of Sustainability at the College of Saint Benedict (CSB) has completed the greenhouse gas
(GHG) emission inventory (carbon footprint). Intern Lindsay Wimmer and Sustainability Fellow, Theo
Eggermont (Core Team) were responsible for data collection and analysis. Director of Sustainability,
Judy Purman, served in an advisory role to this process. This report includes the methodology used to
determine the footprint as well as an analysis of footprint data for fiscal years 2009 and 2010.
Overall, the carbon footprint decreased 162.5 mtons; from 15,874.9 mtons COe in 2009 to 15,712.4
mtons CO2e in 2010. Decreased emissions were seen in emissions related to heating oil/natural gas
usage and study abroad air travel from 2009 to 2010. A 2% increase in emissions related to purchased
electricity from 2009 to 2010 was seen.
The Core Team chose to include data related to faculty, staff and student commuting from the previous
inventory conducted in 2008 without change in this analysis. This is the main area where CSB needs to
identify a more accurate method for collecting data. The system for collection of reimbursed mileage
data will also be improved.
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS INVENTORY METHODOLOGY
PROTOCOL AND CALCULATION TOOLS
The GHG emissions inventory was conducted using the American College and University Presidents
Climate Commitment (ACUPCC)’s Clean Air-Cool Planet (CA-CP) calculation tool, version 6.6,
supplemented by the World Resources Institute’s (WRI) GHG Protocol. The GHG Protocol is the most
widely accepted international standard for GHG accounting and is the basis of the CA-CP tool. The
inventory of emissions included those arising from electricity consumption, heating and cooling, vehicle
fleet operations, business travel (by air, rental vehicle and personal vehicle), waste management
practices, wastewater treatment and daily commuting to and from the campus.
BOUNDARY AND DATA
The Core Team met on September 21st, 2010 and agreed to set the boundary for the carbon footprint to
include the CSB campus demographics (detailed in Table 1), the buildings and grounds of the campus
related operations and activities located in St. Joseph, MN; 808,612 square feet of building, power
generation and consumption, business and study abroad travel, fertilizer use, faculty, staff and student
commuting, refrigerants, waste water processing and solid waste management. The energy embedded
in goods and products consumed in the regular course of doing business, and the capture and storage of
carbon were not included in this analysis.
Table 1. Campus demographics for 2009 and 2010
Sector
Students
Faculty
Staff
Status
2009
2010
Full Time
2038
1997
Part Time
60
81
Full time equivalent*
2067
2036
Full time
148
147
Part Time
32
31
Full time equivalent*
164
163
Full time
299
301
Part Time
18
22
Full time equivalent*
308
312
*2 part time = 1 full time
All data used in the calculation of the carbon footprint were supplied by CSB staff (see Table 2)
Table 2. Sources of Data for the Carbon Footprint
Data Type
Data Provider
Data Source
Budget
Anne Oberman, Controller
Business Office
Students
Jane Stromme, Classroom/Athletic
Registrar Official Tenth Day
Coordinator, Registrar’s Office
Reports
Karen Knutson, Associate Director of
CSB Ipeds HR
Faculty and Staff
Institutional Research
Building square footage
Terry Loso, Power Plant Director; Dan
Siemens annual reports/CSB
Laudenbach, EMS/HVAC Maintenance
Net and Gross Square Footage
Heating Oil and Natural Gas
Terry Loso, Power Plant Director
Siemens
Campus Fleet
Dorothy Gangl, Purchasing
Receipts
Anne Oberman, Controller
Refrigerants
Terry Loso, Power Plant Director
Gail Lancour, Central MN
Refrigeration
Electricity Consumption
Terry Loso, Power Plant Director
Fiscal Electrical Reports
Faculty, Staff, Student Commuting
Jean Lavigne
2008 GHG Report
Study Abroad Air Travel
Peggy Retka
Study Abroad Excel
Spreadsheet
Admission-related air travel
Mary Ruble
Admissions Excel Spreadsheet
Fertilizer
Chris Brake, Grounds Supervisor
Receipts
Solid Waste
Larry Christen, Facilities Director
Gary Kammers, Operations
Manager, Veolia ES Solid
Waste Midwest, Inc.
Wastewater
Terry Loso, Power Plant Director
Estimate
CARBON FOOTPRINT TIMEFRAME
Because CSB operates on a fiscal year that runs from July 1 through June 30, the Core agreed to compile
data from the fiscal years of 2007 through the 2010 fiscal year. Not all data was available for fiscal
years 2007 and 2008 so it was decided not to include the final calculations for those years in this report.
CARBON FOOTPRINT GASES AND UNIT OF MEASURE
The carbon footprint is measured in metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (mton CO2e). A metric ton
is 2,205 pounds. The carbon dioxide equivalent is the common unit of multiple greenhouse gases
emitted within the footprint boundary converted to standard terms by use of the Global Warming
Potential (GWP).
The GWP is a measure of how much a gas contributes to global warming over a period of time (100
years) compared to carbon dioxide and allows comparison of the impact of the concentrations of GHGs
to each other. Carbon dioxide has been assigned a GWP of 1 since it is the most prevalent GHG.
Although some GHGs may be present in the atmosphere in lesser quantities than carbon dioxide, they
may have a longer lifespan in the atmosphere and may, in the long run, be much more detrimental. A
higher GWP indicates that gas is a more potent GHG. Table 3 compares the GWP for the six major GHGs
included in a carbon footprint.
Table 3. Comparison of the global warming potential (GWP) of the six greenhouse gases
GHG
Symbol
GWP*
Carbon Dioxide
CO
1
Methane
CH
Nitrous Oxide
NO
296
Hydrofluorocarbons
HFCs
120-12,000
Perfluorocarbons
PFCs
5,700-11,900
SF
22,200
Sulphur Hexafluoride
2
4
2
6
25
EMISSIONS INVENTORY DETAILS
Overall, CSB emissions totaled 15,875 mtons CO2e for 2009 and 15,713 mtons for 2010. Table 4
provides a summary of emissions from operations and Table 5 compares CO2e by different metrics; per
student, per person and per square foot of building.
Table 4. Greenhouse Gas Emissions (mtons CO2e) by Category, 2009 and 2010
Activity
2009
% of Total
2010
% of Total
Heating oil and natural gas
2,865.9
18.05
2,243.7
14.28
Campus Fleet
292.1
1.84
275.2
1.75
Refrigerants
23.7
0.15
97.6
0.62
Fertilizer
2.5
0.02
3.3
0.02
Purchased Electricity
6,080.8
38.30
6,365.9
40.52
Faculty/Staff Commuting
3,120.0
19.65
3,148.9
20.04
Student Commuting
405.1
2.55
399.1
2.54
Air Travel for campus business and
Alternative Break Experiences
402.2
2.53
518.5
3.30
Other Directly Financed Travel
6.5
0.04
12.5
0.08
Study Abroad Air Travel
2,084.0
13.13
2,005.9
12.77
Solid Waste**
(10.1)
-0.06
11.3
0.07
Wastewater
0.9
0.00
0.9
0.00
T&D Losses
601.4
3.79
629.6
4.01
TOTAL
15,874.9
15,712.4
*Transmission and Distribution line losses associated with purchased electricity
**Most waste is combusted to generate electricity which results in a credit to total emissions. Please
refer to details below under the Solid Waste heading.
Table 5. Comparison of metric tons CO2e by demographics and square footage
Number
Metric tons CO2e by
of units
Category
Number of Students
2067
7.68 mtons/student
Number of Students, Faculty, Staff
2539
6.25 mtons/person
808,612
0.02 mtons/ft2
Number of Students
2036
7.72 mtons/student
Number of Students, Faculty, Staff
2511
6.26 mtons/person
808,612
0.02 mtons/ft2
Year
Category
2009
Square Feet of Buildings
2010
Square Feet of Buildings
Figure 1. A comparison of Emissions (mtons CO2e) for 2009 and 2010
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
2009
2010
Figure 2. Percent of the 2009 total emissions by activity
Percent Contribution by Activity
2009 Carbon Footprint
Heating oil/Natural Gas
0% 0%
Fleet
4%
14%
13%
0%
Refrigerants
2%
Fertilizer Use
0%
0%
3%
Purchased Electricity
Fac/Staff Commuting
3%
Student Commuting
Air Travel
Adm Air Travel
20%
41%
Study Abroad Air
Solid Waste
Wastewater
T&D Losses
Figure 3. Percent of the 2010 total emissions by activity
Percent Contribution by Activity
2010 Carbon Footprint
Heating oil/Natural Gas
0%
0%
2%
13%
Fleet
Refrigerants
19%
Fertilizer Use
3%
2%
0%
0%
Purchased Electricity
Fac/Staff Commuting
Student Commuting
21%
Air Travel
40%
Adm Air Travel
Study Abroad Air
Solid Waste
POWER PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION
NATURAL GAS AND ELECTRICITY
Data for natural gas consumed and electricity purchased is detailed in Table 6. Natural Gas is reported in
pounds of steam. The conversion, according to the EPA, from pounds of steam to kbtu is x1.094. To
convert from ktbu to mmbtu, the number is divided by 1000.
Emission factors for carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) from the WRI GHG
Protocol, Stationary Combustion spreadsheet are used to calculate GHG emissions from natural gas
consumption. Methane and N2O emissions are converted to carbon dioxide-equivalents using the Global
Warming Potentials from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Third Assessment Report.
Emissions from purchased electricity from Xcel Energy were calculated using emission factors
representing the power pool average for kilowatt hours consumed in the MROW sub-region. The use of
power pool average emission factors is a standard method incorporated into CA-CP and is used by the
WRI in their GHG Protocol, and the U.S. Department of Energy in the recently revised 1605(b)
Voluntary Reporting of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Program.
Table 6: Natural gas (MMbtu) and electricity purchased in 2009 and 2010
Natural Gas (MMbtu)
Purchased Electricity (kWh)
2009
2010
54,099
42,343
7,327,239
7,670,786
TRANSPORTATION
Table 7 details the number of miles and gallons by program or group. The diesel fuel for the intercampus busing system, ”The Link” between the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University and
the miles driven by contracted bus company, Trobec’s . To determine the gallons of diesel used by
Trobec’s miles were divided by 5.5 (the average number of miles per gallon according to the Link
Transportation Director). The total number of gallons was then divided by two, accrediting half of the
emissions to Saint John’s University as approximately half riders are enrolled at Saint John’s and half at
Saint Ben’s. The gasoline gallons used directly on Saint Ben’s campus, such as fuel for security vehicles
and grounds equipment, is included as well.
Table 7: Mileage and gallons for transportation and group in 2009 and 2010
Activity
2009
2010
Air Miles
Study Abroad Travel
Reimbursed Air miles
ABE trips
Miles
1,342,176
282,402
100,760
Admissions
134,837
167,661
7,722,312
1,002,666
16,087
7,793,968
987,878
3860
Vehicle Commuting
Faculty and Staff
Student Commuting
President and
Assistant’s Vehicles
Busing Miles
Link
Trobec’s
Other
On Campus Gasoline
39,173
8,568
Gallons
13,641 Gallon
3161 Gallons
13,800 Gallons
Miles
1,291,826
386,804
113,395
38,415
6,761
Gallons
13,761 Gallons
2,459 Gallons
12,513 Gallons
DIRECT TRANSPORTATION SOURCES
COMMUTING
Commuting is broken up into two categories, student and staff.
Student emissions include the Link Bus Service and daily commuting by students. For the number of
miles driven by students we used the miles from for 2008 from the CACP which generated the 2008 GHG
report. We don’t expect commuter habits to have changed in the past 2 years. The Introduction to
Environmental Studies class will conduct a survey of student transportation in the spring and this report
will be updated accordingly.
AIR TRAVEL AND BUSINESS TRAVEL
The air miles from admissions (FY08-10), and study abroad (FY07-10) are divided by two as half are
accredited to Saint John’s, and staff travel miles (FY09-10) which is not divided by two as these miles
solely account for Saint Ben’s Staff. Miles traveled and paid for by corporate credit cards on air travel
(FY ’10 is $332,276) are not included as no method of recording the number of miles has been
established. A method for calculating the number of miles for this should be established to more
accurately account for emissions.
Alternative Break Experiences are programs offered through “CSB Campus Ministry that work hard to
provide meaningful trips, both nationally and internationally.” Resulting emissions are divided by two as
participants are from both Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s.
Business miles from campus owned vehicles from the President’s car and the Special Assistant to the
President’s car were received from campus records. Miles traveled by admissions are calculated from a
report from the Director of Admissions and divided by two as half of the emissions are attributed to
Saint John’s.
Personal miles for on campus vehicles are not included nor are the vehicle miles reimbursed by CSB. A
protocol was initiated in 2008, but the results were not tallied. Time prohibits tallying the information,
but a new system has been added which will create a separate account that will reimburse employees.
The amount of money withdrawn from the account divided by the amount per mile will calculate the
number of miles. The controller will be the source for this data for future carbon footprint updates.
WASTEWATER
Table 8: Estimated gallons of wastewater disposed 2009 and 2010
School Year
Summer
Total
2009 (Gallons)
170,000/month
2010 (Gallons)
170,000/month
100,000/month
100,000/month
1,830,000
1,830,000
Wastewater generated on campus is processed by St. Cloud Wastewater Treatment plant by Anaerobic
Digesters. Methane produced by the plant is used to heat the plant in the winter and keep optimal
temperatures for digestion. In the summer, unused methane is released. In the burning of this
methane, the less potent greenhouse gas of carbon dioxide is produced, but unaccounted for in our
inventory.
Table 8 outlines the estimated gallons of wastewater disposed. Estimates were provided by the Power
Plant Director. The number also includes all the monastery wastewater as it is currently not separated.
A metering system is set to be installed and should allow for more accurate data in the next inventory.
REFRIGERANT USE
The only refrigerants calculated for this report are the ones used in the campus wide dining facilities.
CSB contracts with Central MN Refrigeration to maintain CSB’s refrigerants. Central MN Refrigeration
provided the resupply data for CSB each year. Refrigerants resupplied at CSB include HP-80, HP-81, R-22,
R-404A, R-410, and R-507; the most abundantly resupplied is R-404, followed by R-22. Refrigerants
contribute to 0.62% in 2009 and 0.15% in 2010.
Although refrigerants contribute little to the emission total, one metric ton of R-22 has a global warming
potential of 1,700 mton CO2e. Although the calculated impact of refrigerant use on the carbon footprint
was quite small compared to other sources of emissions, it is important to keep in mind that refrigerants
are classified as hazardous waste and do pose a significant threat to the environment in very small
quantities.
FERTILIZER USE
The GHG nitrous oxide (N2O) is formed from fertilizer application through oxidation processes that
convert a small portion of the N to small amounts of N2O. CSB Grounds applies fertilizer on campus to
maintain an aesthetic landscape. There are no fertilizer inputs in 2007 because the current CSB Master
Gardener was not hired until after fertilization in 2007 and no records were kept. Records were kept
starting in 2008. Amounts of fertilizer used between years are highly variable for dry fertilizer was used
in 2008, whereas liquid fertilizer was used in 2009 and 2010. Fertilizer use is a minor contributor to the
total emissions; 0.02% in 2009 and 0.02% in 2010.
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
Monthly totals of refuse derived fuel and landfill with CH4 recovery & flaring were acquired from Veolia
ES Solid Waste Midwest, Inc.
Table 9: Solid waste generated (short tons) and methods processed, 2009 and 2010
Year
Refuse Derived Fuel
CH4 Recovery and Flaring
Totals
2009
310
4
314
2010
214
63
277
Solid waste refers to garbage accumulated on campus. Veolia ES Solid Waste Midwest, Inc. transports
the school’s waste to an incinerator. At times the incinerator is down for repairs. When the incinerator is
down, the solid waste is transported to the Minden Transfer Station. The Minden Transfer Station then
hauls the waste to a landfill with CH4 recovery and flaring. Solid waste management at CSB actually
decreases the total emissions of CSB because most waste is combusted to generate electricity which
results in a credit to total emissions. In 2009 solid waste decreased total emissions by 0.06% and 0.07%
in 2010.