Allegheny College
Climate Action Plan
Originally released 14 September 2009
Updated 20 October 2009
Introduction
Allegheny College has long valued, encouraged and nurtured a culture of civic responsibility amongst all
members of the campus community. In the past decade, the principle and practice of sustainability has
emerged as a vital component of this culture. Conscientious, proactive individuals and groups from every
background and discipline across campus have over the years asked difficult questions and encouraged
positive change in the ways we operate, build, invest, teach, work and collaborate as an institution.
Independent efforts eventually built, coalesced and resulted in the crafting of the Allegheny College
Environmental Guiding Principles in October 2002. The guidelines demonstrate that Allegheny College
takes seriously its role as environmental citizens and stewards, and commits to include environmental
awareness, local action and global thinking into all decision-making processes and operations.1 The
Environmental Guiding Principles provided direction for the College to begin purchasing wind renewable
energy credits in 2002, commit to purchasing ENERGY STAR appliances, pursue energy audits and
retrofits, develop a comprehensive composting program, become the twelfth college in the nation to sign
the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment in 2007 and hire the College’s
first Sustainability Coordinator in July 2008. In particular, signing the ACUPCC and hiring a
sustainability coordinator has added teeth and muscle to the College’s commitment to pursue
sustainability in a strategic, coordinated manner and as an inherent component of the culture of
Allegheny College. With the recent upswell in interest, dedication and collaboration to this end,
significant steps in efficiency, responsibility and awareness are assured.
Brief Summary of Climate Change
While sustainability encompasses many habits and values, the most pressing step in an individual’s,
institution’s or government’s path towards sustainability is quantifying and addressing the carbon
footprint of operations and activities, including all greenhouse gas emissions produced by the energy
consumption, waste production, travel and other polluting activities. While there has been much debate
and research regarding the reality and extent of human induced global climate change for several
decades, there is now international scientific consensus that global climate change is real, significant,
caused by human activities and demanding of immediate attention and action. The International Panel
on Climate Change (IPCC) is recognized as the leading authority on global climate research and modeling
and is currently starting to outline its Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) which will be finalized in 2014. The
IPCC Fourth Assessment Report (AR4), “Climate Change 2007” was written by international experts and
is widely regarded as the most comprehensive review yet of climate change science. It underpins
international negotiations on new emission targets to succeed the Kyoto Agreement2, which will be
established at the United Nations Climate Change Conference to be held in Copenhagen in December
2009.
Since the IPCC released AR4 in 2007, there has been an abundance of new peer reviewed research and
projections which indicate climate change is proceeding at a more rapid pace than anticipated by
previous estimates or model projections. In fact, “IPCC projections published in 2007 now appear rather
conservative in light of more recent observations and improved modeling techniques.”3 A more
developed scientific understanding of climate change drivers and their interactions along with more
complex, sophisticated and accurate climate modeling techniques now depict a direr picture of climate
change and its effects.
“Allegheny Celebrates Holiday Season with a Strengthened Commitment to the Environment.” Allegheny College
News and Events. 27 Nov 2002. 29 June 2009. <http://www.allegheny.edu/news/releases/003458.php>.
2 Sample, Ian. “Scientists offered cash to dispute climate study.” The Guardian. Friday 2 February 2007. 29 June
2009. <http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/feb/02/frontpagenews.climatechange>.
3 Pew Center on Global Climate Change. “Key Scientific Developments Since the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report:
Science Brief 2. June 2009. 1 July 2009. < http://www.pewclimate.org/docUploads/Key-ScientificDevelopments-Since-IPCC-4th-Assessment.pdf>. p 5.
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Propelled by the new science and evidence of accelerating, long term and irreversible impacts, some of
the world's leading climate scientists have concluded our current 387 ppm CO2 is already too high to
maintain the climate to which humanity, wildlife, and the rest of the biosphere are adapted4 and have
therefore recommended a revision of the highest safe level of atmospheric CO2 to a target cap of 350
parts per million. 5 James Hansen of America's National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the first
scientist to warn about global warming more than two decades ago, suggests an initial objective of
reducing atmospheric CO2 to 350 ppm, with the target to be adjusted as scientific understanding and
empirical evidence of climate effects accumulate. Further, Hansen and other scientists suggest this target
must be pursued on an aggressive timescale of decades, as the airborne fraction, climate system
feedbacks, and the ocean response time suggest that “unless we are able to rapidly return to 350 ppm this
century, we risk reaching tipping points and irreversible impacts such as the melting of the Greenland ice
sheet and major methane releases from increased permafrost melt.”6 7 While the new science indicates
immediate reductions to achive 350 ppm is a more appropriate target cap, currently many policy-makers,
institutions, and NGOs are still supporting targets, such as the IPCC’s 450 ppm, which still allows for an
increase in atmospheric greenhouse gas concentration, and therefore potentially greatly increasing the
risk of catastrophic climatic changes. Yet at the UN climate negotiations in Poland at the end of 2008,
the 350 target began to attract more endorsers, including Nobel laureate Al Gore who appealed to
delegates to now ‘toughen our goal’ to 350ppm.8
While the IPCC’s 2007 AR4 report on observed and projected climate change has proven to be quite
conservative, even this report uncompromisingly acknowledged, “Humanity’s task of moderating humancaused global climate change is urgent.” 9 The IPCC also recognized, in 2007, the importance of
immediate and momentous mitigation efforts over the next two to three decades as essential to achieve
lower stabilization levels. “Delayed emissions reductions significantly constrain the opportunities to
achieve lower stabilization levels and increase the risk of more severe climate change impacts.”10 While
there is clearly urgency to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions globally, the challenge is not
insurmountable. James Hansen reasonably notes, “Realization that we must reduce the current CO2
amount has a bright side: effects that had begun to seem inevitable, including impacts of ocean
acidification, loss of fresh water supplies, and shifting of climatic zones, may be averted by the necessity
of finding an energy course beyond fossil fuels sooner than would otherwise have occurred.”11 Rather
than approaching carbon minimization as an impossible and undesirable obstacle, we’d be wise to
recognize the multiple benefits and opportunities, not only as Hansen details from a global systems
perspective, but also as day to day benefits to be achieved by each government, institution, business and
individual. These benefits include cost savings, clean air to breathe, safe water to drink, less wastes with
which to dispose, more comfortable homes and workplaces, more reliable and cost stable energy sources
and a more stable global political climate. Addressing global greenhouse gas emissions is not only
absolutely necessary, but is also environmentally, morally and financially responsible and beneficial.
Hansen, James, et al. Target Atmospheric CO2: Supporting Material. Submitted April 7, 2008.
<http://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/0804/0804.1126.pdf>. p 16.
5 “350 Science.” 350. 1 July 2009. <http://www.350.org/about/science>.
6 “350 Science.” 350. 1 July 2009. <http://www.350.org/about/science>.
7 Hansen, James, et al. Target Atmospheric CO2: Supporting Material. Submitted April 7, 2008.
<http://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/0804/0804.1126.pdf>. p 16.
8 “350 Science.” 350. 1 July 2009. <http://www.350.org/about/science>.
9 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report. Nov 2007. p 66.
10 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report. Nov 2007. p 66.
11 Hansen, James, et al. Target Atmospheric CO2: Supporting Material. Submitted April 7, 2008.
<http://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/0804/0804.1126.pdf>. p 16.
4
Climate Regulation and Mitigation Action
National
While many of the world’s governments are starting to act to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with both
the Kyoto Protocol coming into force and European Union (EU) implementing its Emissions Trading
scheme recently, as of mid year 2009, the United States does not have an equivalent national greenhouse
gas emissions reduction regulation. The United States has signed but not ratified the Kyoto Protocol,
despite being the largest emitter of global greenhouse gases, accounting for around one fifth of the total.12
“With 4.6% of the world's population, United States accounts for 20.9% of global emissions- an average
of 20.6 tonnes of CO2 per person.”13 Clearly our nation needs to step forward to address its
disproportionate contribution to this global problem. The American Clean Energy and Security (ACES)
Act, recently passed out of the House, would be a first belated step for the U.S. if it is passed through the
Senate. In short, the current wording of the legislation would create a renewable electricity standard,
establish a cap-and-trade program to reduce national emissions, invest money in renewable energy
technologies, set energy efficiency standards, establish a green-job training program, and detail the
development of a smart-grid for renewable electricity transmission.14 While it has been lauded as a first
step, many climate scientists and environmental groups argue that the act is watered down and should be
strengthened to provide maximum incentive to reduce national emissions. The act now faces further
revisions in the Senate, allowing the potential for either strengthening of the act or further bending to
fossil fuel industry interests and demands.
State
While legislation is debated and developed at the federal level, there is great need for Pennsylvania to
take state action for its significant emissions as well. Pennsylvania contributes 1 percent of total global
emissions of CO2 and therefore ranks globally as the world’s twenty-second largest emitter. (UCS PA
Report) Nationally, Pennsylvania is the sixth most populous state yet ranks third, behind Texas and
California, in emissions from fossil-fuel sources, largely because of the state’s major coal-fired electricity
production and export. (UCS PA Report) Further emissions are contributed by a large agricultural
industry, plentiful natural gas fields and notable industrial, manufacturing, and service economies.
Unless action is taken now, scientists estimate that by 2100, PA’s annual average temperature will
increase by 2.5 degrees F, with extreme seasonal temps increasing by 11 degrees F in the summer and 8
degrees F in the winter. These temp increases will be accompanied by extreme precipitation changes,
intense heat waves and droughts, incurring costly impacts for the state. Higher temps will depress milk
production of heat stressed cows; reduce grape and apple harvests which require adequately cold winter
temperatures for the state’s current varieties; lower field crop yields due to exacerbated pressures of
pests, disease and drought; reduce winter snowpack and therefore harm the ski and snowmobile tourist
industry; cause northward shifts in the ranges of valued plant and animal species such as hemlock, black
cherry, fall foliage standouts sugar maple and beech, and trout and other cold water species; and reduce
by at least 25% the suitable habitat for as many as half of the 120 bird species examined in Pennsylvania.
John Hanger, Acting Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
acknowledges, "So much of the world around us is dependent on a stable climate. As the effects of
climate change increase, industries like agriculture and tourism could suffer, infrastructure systems may
fail, ecosystems will face an increasing number of invasive species, and regions will be exposed to new
Watkins, Kevin. “Human Development Report 2007/2008: Fighting Climate Change: Human Solidarity in a
Divided World.” 2007. p 41. United Nations Development Program. 27 June 2009.
<http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR_20072008_EN_Complete.pdf>.
13 “The Human Development Index-going beyond income.” Human Development Reports. United Nations
Development Program. 27 June 2009.
<http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/countries/country_fact_sheets/cty_fs_USA.html>.
14 Sheppard, Kate. “Everything you always wanted to know about the Waxman-Markey energy/climate bill-in bullet
points.” Grist. 3 June 2009. 29 June 2009. < http://www.grist.org/article/2009-06-03-waxman-markey-billbreakdown>.
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diseases that may threaten the public health.”15 Recognizing the need to be accountable for the state’s
disproportionate contribution to global emissions and to address these threats, the Pennsylvania Climate
Change Act of 2008 (Act 70) convened the Pennsylvania Climate Change Advisory Committee in August
2008. The Committee is tasked with advising the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
on implementation of Act 70, including, but not limited to: designating a voluntary greenhouse gas
registry, delivering a greenhouse gas inventory report, creating an impacts assessment and developing a
climate change action plan.16 The Committee’s report and recommendations are expected in October
2009.
Local
While the federal and state governments slowly debate and negotiate acceptable legislation and potential
action, many local governments and institutions of higher education recognize the need for immediate
and significant action. A number of initiatives, such as the Northeastern States’ Regional Greenhouse
Gas Initiative and the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, will help reduce greenhouse gas
emissions on the regional and local scale while demonstrating that doing so need not be detrimental to
local and state economies. In 2007, university and college presidents united voluntarily to encourage all
higher education institutions to become accountable for their impacts on the environment and global
climate. Modeled after the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, they formed the American
College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) in recognition of the realities and
consequences of global warming and the social mandate for higher education to “exercise leadership in
their communities and throughout society by modeling ways to eliminate global warming emissions, and
by providing the knowledge and the educated graduates to achieve climate neutrality.”17 With 645
signatories as of July 2009, the ACUPCC is leading the charge to address anthropogenic climate impacts.
The Commitment expresses concern regarding the unprecedented scale and speed of global warming and
its potential for large-scale, adverse health, social, economic and ecological effects. Signatories recognize
the need to reduce the global emission of greenhouse gases by 80% by mid-century at the latest, in order
to avert the worst impacts of human induced global warming and to reestablish more stable climatic
conditions. The ACUPCC details the expected steps for fulfilling the Commitment, including completion
of a baseline and then periodic greenhouse gas inventories, the development of a comprehensive climate
action plan for achieving climate neutrality, strategies for incorporating environmental literacy into the
curriculum, and methods for monitoring progress and accountability.
As a large physical and operational presence within the City of Meadville and a signatory of the ACUPCC,
Allegheny College recognizes its responsibility to press forward to quantify and minimize its greenhouse
gas emissions while offering a model and support for other local and regional institutions, businesses and
the City itself to do the same. While the City of Meadville has pursued some steps to reduce municipal
greenhouse gas emissions, including a shift to some LED lighting and operation of a biodiesel digester,
there is not yet a formal commitment and plan to take concerted action. As the recent recipient of a grant
to fund a municipal greenhouse gas inventory, the City is taking a significant stride in quantifying its
footprint and hopefully this will evolve into a plan to minimize it in the future.
Weaver, Neil. “PA Takes Another Major Step Towards Addressing Climate Change As Advisory Committee...”
Reuters. Friday 5 September 2008. Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. 28 June 2009.
<http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS148863+05-Sep-2008+PRN20080905>.
16 Powers, Joseph. “Pennsylvania's Climate Change Advisory Committee; Meeting.” The Pennsylvania Bulletin.
Saturday 2 August 2008. Pennsylvania Climate Change Advisory Committee. 28 June 2009.
<http://www.pabulletin.com/secure/data/vol38/38-31/1422.html>.
17 The American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment. 13 May 2009.
<http://www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org/>.
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Basis of Allegheny College’s Climate Commitment
Demonstrating leadership in efforts to address the carbon footprint of higher education, President
Richard Cook served on the Steering Committee of the American College and University Presidents
Climate Commitment and became a charter signatory of the ACUPCC in 2007. At that time, Allegheny
College committed to four tangible actions:




Establish a policy that all new campus construction will be built to at least the U.S. Green
Building Council’s LEED Silver standard or equivalent.
Adopt an energy-efficient appliance purchasing policy requiring purchase of ENERGY STAR
certified products in all areas for which such ratings exist.
Within one year of signing this document, begin purchasing or producing at least 15% of our
institution’s electricity consumption from renewable sources.
Participate in the Waste Minimization component of the national RecycleMania competition, and
adopt 3 or more associated measures to reduce waste.
Next, Allegheny College completed a greenhouse gas inventory, completed in part by the work of a junior
seminar and independent student research to collect and analyze data under the direction of Jennifer
DeHart, Assistant Professor of Environmental Science. While the College crafted its Environmental
Guiding Principles in 2002 to detail the breadth and depth of the College’s commitment to sustainability
and the means to integrate the same into the curriculum, culture and greater community of the campus,
the signing of the ACUPCC and subsequent greenhouse gas inventory have become the tools for a more
comprehensive and intentional implementation of these principles. President Richard Cook established
and clarified the College’s commitment, saying, “Allegheny is not only committed to reducing our own
impact on the environment, but we are also dedicated to providing students with the knowledge and
skills they need to deal with ongoing environmental issues as they assume leadership roles. Achieving
climate neutrality and making investments in the environmental education of today’s youth are critical to
the long-term health of our economy and society.”18 While President Cook established and defined
Allegheny’s path towards sustainability, the commitment has been institutionalized in the thinking of the
administration and the culture of the College as a whole. While Cook retired from Allegheny in 2008, our
succeeding and current President, James Mullen, continues to champion sustainability. Further, our
new strategic plan will integrate sustainability into the fabric of Allegheny’s operations, decisions and
culture.
Statement from President James Mullen
Allegheny College’s commitment to sustainability is ongoing, deep, and personal: personal not only
among our campus leadership but among our campus community as a whole. Students have taken
ownership of Allegheny’s sustainability efforts: they are the first to prod us when they feel there is more
the College can do, they are the first to take responsibility for their own actions and to ask themselves and
their peers to do more.
As noted elsewhere in this document, Allegheny’s sustainability efforts are part of our campus culture, a
culture in which we take responsibility for our own lives as well as make a commitment to social justice
and to being informed and active citizens of our communities and of our world.
“Allegheny College to Launch Pilot Project with Clinton Climate Initiative.” Allegheny College News and Events.
7 Nov 2007. Allegheny College. 22 June 2009.
<http://www.allegheny.edu/news/releases/allegheny_college_to_launch_pilot_project_with_clinton_climate_ini
tiative.php>.
18
Our students are proud that their College has taken a leadership role in sustainability efforts on college
and university campuses nationwide. And we are proud that our students will take this commitment to
environmental sustainability with them when they graduate – and continue to make it an essential part
of how they live their lives.
Green Campus and Mitigation Efforts to Date
Allegheny College recognizes its responsibility to pursue sustainability as an integral part of its mission,
operations and curriculum. This commitment is already evident in our operations, buildings, grounds,
waste management, dining halls, community collaborations and curriculum.
Energy
For many years Ken Hanna, Director of Physical Plant, has prioritized energy management for
conservation and money saving purposes. With a goal of a 5% reduction in annual energy consumption,
the Physical Plant has implemented many efforts to this end. In 2000, temperature control systems were
installed in fifteen campus buildings to better monitor and manage electrical use. In 2001, the College
partnered with Vestar, Inc, an energy services company, to perform a first energy audit and energy
savings retrofits.19 20 The College invested approximately $530,000 in 10 of the campus’s 38 principal
buildings to gain savings of approximately $64,000 annually through lighting redesign and retrofit, new
controls on heating systems, water conservation measures and changes to air handling systems.21 After
adopting the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment in 2007, Allegheny
College also became one of the original 11 colleges and universities to partner with the Clinton Climate
Initiative. Allegheny was the first college in the country to issue a request for proposals for an energy
audit and efficiency retrofits in fulfillment of this partnership. In the summer of 2008, Allegheny College
completed this energy audit in collaboration with Siemens Energy Company. The subsequent campuswide energy retrofits, beginning in the summer of 2009, will not only increase our efficiency and
decrease our greenhouse gas emissions, but will also prove to be an economically responsible investment.
In addition to partnerships with energy savings companies, Allegheny has taken steps to incorporate
sustainability into the annual projects of our Comprehensive Maintenance Plan. As building renovations
and upgrades come to the top of the CMP queue now and in the future, each building will become more
efficient and contribute to a gradual decrease in the campus carbon footprint. Such work includes
replacement of inefficient boilers, increased insulation, new windows, low flow fixtures, lighting
upgrades, ENERGY STAR appliances and VendingMisers.
The College also began to purchase wind renewable energy credits (REC’s) in 2002 to offset the
environmental impacts of a portion of our total energy consumption. Since 2007, the College has
increased this purchase of wind REC’s for 15% of total energy consumption, making the College an EPA
recognized Green Power Partner22.
“Allegheny College, Other Area Organizations Honored for Energy Efficiency Efforts.” Allegheny College News
and Events. 23 April 2002. Allegheny College. 29 June 2009.
<http://www.allegheny.edu/news/releases/allegheny_college_other_area_organizations_honored_for_energy_ef
ficiency_efforts.php>.
20 “Allegheny’s Meadville Community Energy Project Wins Governor’s Award.” Allegheny College News and
Events. 25 September 2002. Allegheny College. 29 June 2009.
<http://www.allegheny.edu/news/releases/003426.php>.
21 “Allegheny Completes Retrofits at Brooks Hall.” Allegheny College News and Events. Allegheny College. 29
June 2009. <http://www.allegheny.edu/news/releases/allegheny_completes_retrofits_at_brooks_hall.php>.
22 “EPA Recognizes Allegheny College as Green Power Partner.” Allegheny College News and Events. 14 Nov 2006.
Allegheny College. 29 June 2009.
<http://www.allegheny.edu/news/releases/epa_recognizes_allegheny_college_as_green_power_partner.php>.
19
Buildings
Allegheny has made a strong commitment to building efficiency and conservation, through renovations
and retrofits of existing buildings and the construction of new buildings designed to LEED Silver
standards.
North Village: Completed in August 2006, North Village Phase I—Allegheny College's newest
residence halls—achieved LEED® Certified recognition. The project was designed and constructed to
optimize natural ventilation and lighting, regulate temperature with a geoexchange heating and
cooling system, reduce water and energy consumption, and incorporate many local, recycled or reused
materials. The College broke ground on North Village Phase II in June 2009 and plans to complete
construction by July 2010. This 232 bed residence hall was designed with the intent to achieve LEED
Silver certification and will include many of the same green features as Phase I, most notably
geoexchange heating and cooling.
Vukovich Center for Communication Arts: Completed in fall 2008, this academic building and theater
facility features passive solar heating, Forest Stewardship Council certified wood, recycled materials,
occupancy sensors, and a green roof.
454 House: To create a new home for the Admissions Office, Allegheny College renovated a vacant
brick fraternity house on the north side of campus. Completed in June 2009, the renovation and
expansion features geo-exchange heating and cooling, rain gardens for storm-water runoff, waterless
urinals, FSC certified wood, porous parking pavers, and recycled-content building materials.
Carr Hall: Slated for a major renovation, Carr Hall will be the new home of the Environmental Science
department. Therefore, much attention is being given to the creation of an innovative, highly efficient,
low impact design that doubles as a model and teaching tool. Preliminary plans include geo-exchange
heating and cooling, rainwater collection and reuse, a rooftop garden and indoor landscaping and
water elements.
Waste Minimization
In recent years, Allegheny College has made concerted efforts to decrease overall waste and dispose more
responsibly of what waste we do generate. In 2008 and 2009 Allegheny participated in RecycleMania.
This offered an excellent opportunity to involve students in the process, raise awareness, collect data
regarding our waste stream, compare our results to similar campuses, and identify opportunities to
reduce our overall waste, such as preventing excessive intercampus mail and junk mail, promoting
reusable cup and bottle use in dining halls, and clarifying recycling can signage.
An essential component of the campus’ waste minimization strategies is our composting program. In
2001, Allegheny became the first college in Pennsylvania with an in-vessel Wright Environmental
digester composting nearly 1,000 pounds per day of pre- and post-consumer dining hall waste, including
biodegradable plates and to-go containers. Approximately 75 tons of compost are produced annually and
used across campus, saving the college approximately $20,000/ year in topdressing, topsoil and mulch
purchases.23 The college also manufactures and sprays compost tea as a rich, organic source of fertility
for athletic fields and lawns.
Grounds
Allegheny prioritizes landscaping with native, hardy, pest resistant plants that will not require irrigation
after establishment. Not only does this type of plant selection minimize environmental impact in the
form of avoided irrigation and fertilization, but it contributes to the natural beauty of the campus with
giant rhododendron bushes, centennial trees, perennial flowers and ground covers. The most dramatic
example of the environmental and aesthetic benefits of native landscaping is the acre of campus planted
Spencer, Robert. “Composting Helps Anchor University’s Climate Commitment.” Biocycle. May 2008, Vol. 49,
No. 5, p. 28. The JG Press. 23 May 2009. <http://www.jgpress.com/archives/_free/001644.html>.
23
in native species wildflowers and prairie grasses (switchgrass and big bluestem) through a unique
collaboration with Ernst Conservation Seeds. It is expected that this single wildflower plot will eliminate
the need for approximately 50 hours of mowing annually, saving not only staff time but also gas, oil,
equipment, maintenance and the associated greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, the native habitat
will provide a unique research laboratory and parking lot runoff filtration.
Local Foods
The Allegheny College community supports the production and consumption of local foods in multiple
ways. The Center for Economic and Environmental Development’s (CEED) Local Foods project
organizes and empowers local growers, while our dining service, Parkhurst brings local foods to our
dining halls through its FarmSource program, which stipulates 30-40% of our food be purchased from
local sources. This includes produce and baked goods from Fresh From the Vines Farm (where many
students also volunteer and intern) and bread and rolls from Creative Crust, a local family owned bakery.
In addition, Allegheny College hosts an annual Local Foods Dinner to educate the community about the
benefits of eating locally. We also collaborate with the Crawford County ARC in the maintenance of a
vegetable garden on campus as a complement to their programming. The renovation of Carr Hall will
likely also include the creation of a large growing space for students to learn and grow produce for use in
the dining halls. Growing and purchasing campus food locally provides several benefits: student learning
opportunities, decreased fuel consumption for shipping food, investment in local farms and fresher,
healthier food in the dining halls.
Community Outreach
Much attention is paid to on campus sustainability efforts however, Allegheny recognizes the importance
of community engagement and collaboration as well. The Center for Economic and Environmental
Development (CEED) engages Allegheny faculty, students and community partners in collegecommunity partnerships that address local and regional sustainability issues and demonstrate that
economic and environmental decisions can work hand in hand to foster economic vitality and an
improved quality of life. Projects include:
 Arts & the Environment
 Creek Connections
 Ecotourism
 Environmental Health
 Environmental Writing
 Local Foods
 Strategic Environmental Management
 Sustainable Communities
 Sustainable Forestry
 Sustainable Manufacturing
Important community outreach is also achieved through the very diverse work of the Community Service
Office.
Curriculum and Culture
Perhaps most important in the long view, Allegheny encourages the development of citizens who actively
promote sustainability. Allegheny College incorporates environmental principles and ethics into
disciplines as diverse as art, geology, writing, political science, religion, economics, history, philosophy,
and communication arts. Students may focus on sustainability through established majors and minors,
by self-designing a concentration of study, or choosing from a wide range of interdisciplinary elective
courses. Introduction to Environmental Science, ES110, is a highly popular course that 40% of the
student body chooses to take during their 4 years at Allegheny, despite the fact that ES majors only
comprise 7% of the student body. In another analysis of the reach of sustainability related courses it was
found that about 12% of the general student body (excluding ES majors) enrolled in courses with
sustainability content in the Fall 2008 semester. While hard data is not yet available for a complete
analysis, it is likely that the large majority of the student body is enrolled in a sustainability related
course at least once over the typical eight semesters at Allegheny College.
In addition to regular coursework, Allegheny seniors must independently design and complete a
comprehensive project. In many instances, this student work has challenged Allegheny to further
sustainability efforts while also providing the research and recommendations to aid implementation.
Examples include: feasibility studies for on-campus wind or solar energy, integration of local foods into
dining halls, developing a greenhouse gas inventory, researching green materials and methods for use in
construction and renovations, and designing dorm energy competitions.
Student-led organizations and actions complement the curriculum and encourage students to embrace
sustainable ways of living and thinking during their time at Allegheny and beyond. An Eco-Reps
program was launched in 2008 with a focus on peer engagement. Their first campaigns dealt with waste
minimization in the creation and encouragement of the use of reusable cups and a Recycled Craft Fair as
part of RecycleMania. The 2008/2009 Allegheny Student Government also tackled issues of
sustainability with their Lights Out Accountability campaign and creation of a Green Revolving Fund for
future student use. Students for Environmental Action and the Environmental Science Club also worked
to promote environmental awareness and responsibility.
One of the main roles of the Sustainability Coordinator is to further engage and educate the campus
community in personal environmental responsibility as an integral component of the Allegheny College
culture. While Physical Plant action has great impact on campus energy usage by increasing building and
mechanical efficiency, it is also necessary to reduce consumption by altering the consumption habits of
all members of the campus community. The recently developed Sustainability Liaison program (with 50
volunteers from nearly every office and department on campus) furthers this work to assist all campus
offices and departments in embracing energy efficiency and waste minimization. With new submeters
installed on all campus dorms in 2008, dorm energy competitions will commence and involve more
students in the quest to reduce overall consumption and inspire environmental sustainability habits that
will persist in the future. In addition, since 2000 a student Energy Czar is hired each year to raise
awareness and encourage responsible behaviors. Additional students will begin to work with the
Sustainability Coordinator to expand this reach.
While Allegheny has engaged in much proactive and innovative action to recognize, quantify and
minimize our carbon footprint and advance sustainability overall, there is additional need to continue
this work in a more organized, aggressive and goal-oriented manner. The goals, deadlines and methods
outlined in this Climate Action Plan will provide the framework for our continued success.
Climate Commitment
Allegheny College recognizes the need for immediate action to counteract global climate change and has
committed to taking significant steps to address our institutional contribution to greenhouse gas
emissions. As the new climate science indicates a growing urgency to decrease greenhouse gas emission
trajectories in this decade, it is recommended by both the Sustainability Coordinator and sub-committees
of the new Strategic Planning process that Allegheny College set the ambitious yet realistic goal of
achieving climate neutrality by the year 2020. Since Allegheny has already undertaken successful
efficiency efforts, and taken significant steps such as constructing LEED certified buildings and
performing a comprehensive energy audit, it is reasonable to believe that continued efforts, along with
dedication and focus can allow us to aspire to reach climate neutrality in a decade. The year 2015 is not
only the halfway point between the establishment and the achievement of our climate neutrality goals,
but is also the 200th anniversary of the founding of Allegheny College. As such, 2015 will be a
momentous year in our institution’s history, a moment to envision our most positive future, and take
stock of our progress in reducing our greenhouse gas emissions.
Allegheny College will first and foremost cultivate a culture of sustainability within the campus
community by encouraging responsible and efficient resource use, waste minimization and
environmentally sensitive practices. Behavioral changes and technological retrofits will determine the
majority of our greenhouse gas emission reductions, with renewable energy credits and carbon offsets
reserved as a way to neutralize the remainder of our much reduced emissions before 2020. By 2015, we
hope to have reduced our electricity usage by at least 40% and our natural gas usage by a minimum of
30% through behavioral changes and efficiency retrofits. By 2015, we will also minimize our landfilled
waste by 50%. There is still a need to refine the data on commuting habits and travel financed by the
College in order to set appropriate goals. The Sustainability Coordinator will implement new data
collection systems and perform surveys to gather this data by 2011 and then set goals for the first interim
target in the year 2015 accordingly.
It is recommended that a committee to be convened in support of the continued development and
implementation of the Climate Action Plan representing a broad range of campus members and
strengths. This committee should also be tasked with identifying and establishing additional interim
goals between 2009 and our mid-point year of 2015 and again for the five years remaining between 2015
and the final goal of climate neutrality by the year 2020.
Greenhouse Gas Inventory Results
Developing an inventory of greenhouse gas emissions associated with Allegheny College’s direct and
indirect activities was the first essential step to quantify our climate impact and allow the development of
action plans and mitigation strategies. In Spring Semester 2007 students in an Environmental Science
junior seminar conducted a preliminary inventory for the years 2000-2006. Two students from that class
continued work during the summer of 2007. Dr. Jennifer DeHart, Assistant Professor of Environmental
Science, directed the student work and completed the baseline inventory for the 2007 calendar year.
Compiled data was entered into the Clean Air-Cool Planet Greenhouse Gas Emissions Calculator24, which
conforms to the emissions-reporting accounting standards set forth by the World Business Council for
Sustainable Development and the World Resource Institute in the GHG Protocol’s “Corporate
Accounting and Reporting Standard”. The six greenhouse gases considered in the calculator are those
included in the Kyoto Protocol: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O),
hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFC), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). The calculator uses
emissions factors and the global warming potential (GWP) of each greenhouse gas to calculate the
greenhouse gas emissions of each individual activity, expressing the emissions using the common metric
of carbon dioxide equivalents to allow for meaningful comparisons of very different activities and the
resulting emissions.
The Clean Air-Cool Planet Calculator defines different categories of emissions by three scopes or levels of
institutional responsibility. Scope 1 emissions are direct emissions from sources that are owned and/or
controlled by the institution. Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions from sources that are neither
owned nor operated by the institution but whose products are directly linked to on-campus energy
consumption. Scope 3 emissions include emissions from sources that are neither owned nor operated by
the institution but are either directly financed or are otherwise linked to the campus via influence or
encouragement.
The American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) protocol requires that
signatories inventory all Scope 1 and 2 emissions and report Scope 3 emissions from commuting and
directly financed air travel to the extent that data is available. Institutions are also encouraged to report
any other Scope 3 emissions, especially those that are large or “can be meaningfully influenced”.25 Some
universities also opt to include certain Scope 3 upstream emissions, such as paper purchasing,
wastewater treatment or food supplies, in their inventories, generally for the sake of allocating future
reductions to these sources.26
The results of Allegheny College’s greenhouse gas inventory are displayed below in a chart, Table 1,
borrowed from the ACUPCC Reporting Tool but with revised emissions data from the updated Version 6
of the Clean Air-Cool Planet Calculator. An analysis of the results follows.
“Conduct an Emissions Inventory.” Climate Action Toolkit. 2008. Clean Air-Cool Planet. August 2008.
<http://www.cleanair-coolplanet.org/toolkit/inv-calculator.php>.
25 Andrews, Jennifer et al. “Campus Carbon Calculator Users’ Guide Version 6.” August 2008. p 10.
26 Andrews, Jennifer et al. “Campus Carbon Calculator Users’ Guide Version 6.” August 2008. p 10-11.
24
Emissions Data
Emissions from the following sources (in metric tons of CO2e)
Scope 1 Emissions
Stationary Combustion (natural gas)
5,118 metric tons of CO2e
Mobile Combustion (gasoline and diesel for campus
owned fleets, Athletics travel)
160 metric tons of CO2e
Fugitive Emissions (refrigerants, fertilizers)
40 metric tons of CO2e
Total Scope 1 emissions
5,318 metric tons of CO2e
Scope 2 Emissions
Purchased Electricity
7,441 metric tons of CO2e
Total Scope 2 emissions
7,441 metric tons of CO2e
Scope 3 Emissions
Commuting (employee and student)
2,050 metric tons of CO2e
Directly Financed Outsourced Travel (Athletics travel)
17 metric tons of CO2e
Solid Waste (landfilled waste)
228 metric tons of CO2e
Wastewater treatment
12 metric tons of CO2e
Paper Purchasing (standard copy paper only)
90 metric tons of CO2e
Transportation and Distribution losses (T&D losses
from Scope 2 electricity)
736 metric tons of CO2e
Total Scope 3 emissions
3,132 metric tons of CO2e
Total emissions before mitigation (Scopes 1, 2, & 3)
15,891 metric tons of CO2e
Emissions reductions due to the purchase of RECs
(1,565,613 kWh)
930 metric tons of CO2e
Net Emissions
14,299 metric tons of CO2e
Table 1: Allegheny College 2007 GHG Emissions Data27
“2007 GHG Report for Allegheny College.” American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment
Reporting System. 26 November 2008. Allegheny College. 5 July 2009. <http://acupcc.aashe.org/ghgreport.php?id=365>.
27
Data Analysis
Scope 1
Scope 1 emissions include natural gas for boilers and hot water heaters, fuel consumed in campus-owned
fleets and equipment (mowers, etc), refrigerants and fertilizers. While our natural gas consumption is
simple to quantify and record, mobile combustion of gasoline in our campus-owned fleet vehicles was a
bit more complicated and resulted in some missing data in the 2007 greenhouse gas inventory. The 2007
inventory does not include emissions data from Security vehicles or the van fleet operated by the ACCEL
office. Mileages for these vehicles have since been recorded and will therefore be easily added to
subsequent inventories. Campus air-conditioning units use the refrigerant, hydrochlorofluorocarbon 22
(HCFC-22), commonly referred to as R-22. Only R-22 that is lost from air-conditioning units due to
leaks, breaks or improper disposal must be accounted for. Use of synthetic fertilizers also contributes to
our greenhouse gas emissions. While the majority of our fertility needs are provided for by our compost
operation, synthetic fertilizers are still applied to newly planted grass. Since fertilizer is purchased from
Meadville Farm and Garden on an as-needed basis, accurate records of the total amounts used and the
percentage of nitrogen in each purchased mix have not been kept in the past. The value used in the 2007
greenhouse gas inventory is an estimate.
Scope 2
Scope 2 emissions are attributed solely to our purchased electricity. Due to our geographical region and
therefore the heavy reliance of our electric generation on coal (56% of generation) our emissions are
higher than they might be in areas where the energy mix favors more renewables and cleaner energy
technologies.
Scope 3
While Scope 3 emissions are significant and require addressing, there is also some difficulty still
remaining in fully collecting complete and accurate data to establish a clear picture of the actual
emissions associated with commuting, purchasing, waste, etc. Faculty and staff commuting was
estimated using a current employee directory of home addresses to calculate the approximate driving
distances to and from the college according to Mapquest. It was assumed that 100% of all faculty and
staff drove a personal car (with an average fuel efficiency for Pennsylvania vehicles), two times a day for
218 days (five days each week for ten months per year).28 This data should be refined by more in depth
study and surveying of actual employee commuting habits, frequencies and vehicle types. By assuming a
worst case scenario for commuting habits in our 2007 inventory, we are likely to see a decrease in actual
mileage and therefore emissions when more representative data regarding commuting is collected.
Similarly, student travel data during the academic year is based on an outdated and insufficient survey
addressing student car use both for commuting and travel in and around Meadville29. While the
estimates of employee and student travel can be refined for greater future accuracy, the data is based on
reasonable assumptions and estimates that provide us with a sense of vehicular travel to and from
campus on a daily basis and how this contributes to our overall greenhouse gas emissions. Athletic team
travel is also included in Scope 3 since we contract bus transportation and rent vans to transport our
teams. College financed air travel and business travel via vehicle are yet completely unaccounted for due
to the absence of an existing system to collect this data. While the absence of a data collection system
leaves a hole in our inventory for the time being, we must acknowledge this may be a significant source of
emissions once we are able to track the travel associated with conferences, fundraising, and recruiting
particularly in the offices of Admissions, Development and Athletics. Methane emissions associated with
solid waste disposal was estimated using an EPA value of average waste generation per individual rather
than using direct measurement values of the waste generated by our campus. Direct measurements
Ladie, Jenna L. “A Guide to Allegheny College’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Data Recordation and
Collection System.” March 31, 2008. p 22.
29 “Allegheny College’s Carbon Emissions and Sequestration: The Relationship Between Student Transportation
and Robertson Forest.” Allegheny College Environmental Science Junior Seminar.
28
provided by Tri-County will be included in all subsequent greenhouse gas inventories to allow future
tracking of the impacts of our waste minimization efforts. Transportation and distribution (T & D) losses
associated with our electricity consumption are also included in Scope 3. This accounting represents a
change in the categorization of T & D emissions from Scope 2 in the original Clean Air-Cool Planet
Calculator to Scope 3 in the most recent version. Our inventory results have been updated to reflect this
change. While not required by the ACUPCC, we have included wastewater and paper purchasing in our
greenhouse gas inventory as a means to quantify the impact, justify changes to minimize impact and
track our future successes. It is important to note that the paper purchasing data represents only our
campus’ use of standard 8 ½ x 11 white office paper and excludes colored, specialty finishes and sizes and
outsourced printing jobs. Scope 3 emissions data collecting and reporting will continue to be refined in
order to more accurately depict the impacts of these institutional activities and track future reductions.
Allegheny’s first priority will be to establish a plan to track and mitigate emissions associated with
commuting and college-financed travel. Other institutionally financed emissions we may choose to
quantify and address in the future include food production and transportation emissions.
Major Emissions Sources
The total emissions of all Scopes for the 2007 inventory were 15,891 MTCO2e before mitigation activities.
Figure 1 shows the split of emissions by the three scopes. However, Figure 2 depicts a more detailed
breakdown of emissions and highlights those associated with stationary natural gas combustion,
electricity consumption and commuting as the top three most significant contributors to our total
emissions.
2007 Emissions by Scope
Scope 3
20%
Scope 1
33%
Scope 2
47%
Figure 1: 2007 Emissions by Scope
Emissions by Source
Wastew ater treatment
0%
Solid Waste
1%
Athletics
0%
Copy paper
1%
T & D losses
5%
Natural gas
32%
Commuting
13%
Campus fleet
1%
Electricity
47%
Refrigerants and
Fertilizers
0%
Figure 2: Emissions by Source
The most significant Scope 1 emissions, are from our use of natural gas for heating purposes,
accounting for 5118 MTCO2e or 32% of total emissions.
Scope 2 emissions are attributed solely to our purchased electricity and account for 7441 MTCO2e or 47%
of Allegheny College’s total emissions. In recognition of the negative impacts of our electric consumption
and the associated coal-reliant generation, Allegheny College purchases wind renewable energy credits to
offset 15% of our total electricity related emissions. However, after accounting for our REC purchases,
electricity still accounts for 41% of our institution’s total emissions.
Scope 3 emissions currently account for about 20% of Allegheny College’s total emissions despite
significant holes in the data collection and accounting. Commuting contributes 2050 MTCO2e or 13% to
our total emissions. Subsequent inventories will also account for college-financed travel by car and
airplane, increasing significantly our total emissions and the percentage of which is generated by travel
related activities.
The total emissions of all Scopes are 15,891 MTCO2e before accounting for mitigation activities such as
renewable energy credits, composting and forest sequestration. While we acknowledge the benefits of
these mitigation activities in our greenhouse gas inventory, the recently released ACUPCC Carbon Offsets
Protocol indicates we can consider the renewable energy credits as a means to offset our total emissions,
but should not consider composting or forest sequestration as a means of additional offset. While
composting diverts organic waste from the landfill and therefore prevents methane production, the Clean
Air-Cool Planet Calculator also calculates the potential of composting to actually sequester greenhouse
gases in the compost/soil. Allegheny College produces 90 tons of compost annually, which is calculated
to sequester 35 MTCO2e. While this value is significant and highlights just one of the many values of our
composting operation, it will not be counted as an official offset of our other operational emissions. The
same is true of our forest sequestration which is calculated to be 627 MTCO2e. While this is a valuable
carbon “sink” in addition to its other inherent values as a preserved ecosystem, we will not count it as an
offset of our operational emissions since it does not represent an additional sequestering of carbon from
what would have happened in a business as usual situation. After accounting for our renewable energy
credits, Allegheny College’s net emissions are 14,299 MTCO2e.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trajectory
While there is still much work to be done to refine the accuracy and depth of data included in Allegheny
College’s inventory, the initial data analysis and illumination of the most significant emission sources is
invaluable as we chart our next steps and plan to achieve climate neutrality. Perhaps more importantly
than serving as a means of data analysis, an inventory is also an awareness raising tool and can serve as a
wake up call for a campus to recognize and address the significant impacts of its activities and purchases.
Not only does an inventory provide a snapshot of each year’s emissions, but the Clean Air-Cool Planet
Calculator also uses emission data from past years to establish a projected trajectory of campus emissions
growth if no action is taken. Based on data entered for the years 1998 through 2007, our future emission
trajectories are projected to increase as depicted below if no mitigation action is taken. Figure 3 depicts
our total gross emissions trajectory while Figure 4 splits the trajectories by the three Scopes.
Projected Gross Emissions Trajectory
21500
20500
19500
MTCO2e
18500
17500
16500
15500
14500
13500
19
98
20
00
20
02
20
04
20
06
20
08
20
10
20
12
20
14
20
16
20
18
20
20
12500
Year
Figure 3: Projected Gross Emissions Trajectory
Projected Scope Trajectories
10000
9000
MTCO2e
8000
7000
6000
Scope 1
Scope 2
5000
Scope 3
4000
3000
20
18
20
16
20
20
14
20
12
10
20
08
20
20
06
20
04
20
02
00
20
20
19
98
2000
Year
Figure 4: Projected Scope Trajectories
Our total emissions trajectory is projected to increase 30% by 2020 based upon our historical growth
since 1998. However, based on our past energy minimization efforts, our actual annual increases are
projected to continue to slowly decrease and therefore level our trajectory: beginning with a 1.8% annual
increase in 2010 and decreasing gradually to a 1.5% annual increase by 2020. While this leveling trend is
quite subtle, it does reflect the successes of past efforts to increase energy efficiency and therefore
decrease greenhouse gas emissions. We’ve already begun to turn the tide of our emissions and must now
use strategy and focus to accelerate our success.
It is also interesting to examine our total emissions per ft2 since we are closing a chapter of gradual
growth and renovation. We have added significant square footage to the campus with, for example, the
construction of the Vukovich Center and North Village Phase I in 2006. While these constructions added
square footage and energy demand to campus, Figure 5 reflects the efficiency of these buildings in the
downward trend in emissions per ft2 after 2006 when the buildings were opened. The recently
completed renovations of the 454 House of Admissions and the downtown Founders House plus the
current construction of North Village Phase II will add more square footage and therefore energy demand
and greenhouse gas emissions to the campus footprint. Again energy efficiency has been an emphasis in
these projects so emissions per ft2 are not likely to increase.
Emissions by Square Footage
MTCO2e/1000 ft2
14
13.8
13.6
13.4
13.2
13
12.8
12.6
12.4
12.2
12
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Year
Figure 5: Emissions by Square Footage
Similarly, while our overall emissions have increased over the past years and are therefore expected to
continue to increase, when our emissions data is examined in terms of emissions per community member
the trajectory shows very little past or projected future growth. From 1998 to 2008, there has been
approximately a 15% increase in community size (based on full and part time students, faculty and staff—
part time members counted as 50%). This is depicted in Figure 6 and is another strong reflection of the
success of past mitigation efforts.
Emissions by Community Member
MTCO2e/community member
7.5
7.3
7.1
6.9
6.7
6.5
6.3
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Year
Figure 6: Emissions by Community Member
While the recent past has been a period of growth both in terms of square footage and population, in this
same time period we were also able to achieve emissions reductions. The most significant year of
efficiency was in 2002, when we completed a series of energy and water saving retrofits in collaboration
with Vestar, an energy savings company. These retrofits yielded a 9% reduction in the total annual
MBTUs consumed per square foot by the entire campus. Since 2002, our Director of Physical Plant has
also striven to achieve an annual reduction in energy consumption. Despite our recent growth in square
footage, we’ve achieved an additional 7.4% reduction in MBTUs/sq ft in the past three years. These past
successes in spite of our campus growth suggest we are poised to achieve significant emission reductions
now that our stage of growth is complete and we have dedicated a strategic Climate Action Plan to
emissions reductions.
Mitigation Strategies
While we’ve taken the initiative to reduce our energy and water consumption in the past and met with
success, we must now become more strategic about our ultimate commitment and implement an
ambitious, coordinated plan that will lead us to achieve our goal of climate neutrality by the year 2020.
There are many options of projects and changes that can lead a community and institution to decrease its
total greenhouse gas emissions. These mitigation strategies must be considered from many perspectives
in order to identify and implement the projects that will be most effective and suitable for Allegheny
College. Each mitigation strategy must be examined in regard to its capital cost, associated savings,
annual greenhouse gas reduction potential, net cost/offset ratio, payback period and the associated
social, environmental and educational impacts. Other details that should be considered include
maintenance costs, organizational capacity to undertake and manage the project, community support
and enthusiasm, academic and research impacts, and alignment with campus values and the strategic
plan.
To quantify and express our greenhouse gas inventory, we used the Clean Air-Cool Planet Calculator to
graph our past greenhouse gas emissions and project our future emissions. In order to assess the
quantitative costs and benefits of carbon reduction means, the Solutions Module uses minimal numerical
inputs detailing the costs and effects of a handful of potential mitigation strategies to evaluate the
projects over time with respect to each other. The cost and savings data entered for each project must,
out of necessity, be assumptions even when based on current price projections, estimates and similar
projects at other institutions. While these assumptions do not depict a clear and precise enough scenario
to finance the project and start immediately, they are enough to provide a clear sense of its strengths and
weaknesses. In addition, the Solutions Module allows us to visualize how many different projects and
efforts contribute to a gradual lessening of our net greenhouse gas emissions until their sum achieves
neutrality.
Fifteen mitigation strategies, ranging from technological retrofits, to behavioral modifications to carbon
offset purchases were identified as strong potential projects and entered into the Solutions Module.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Trayless Dining
Winter Break “hard” energy shutdown
Real-time energy display and behavioral modification
Insulation of campus-owned houses
Computer energy management software
Landfill waste reduction
Photovoltaic solar array
Geothermal retrofits
Paper purchasing policy
Energy audit retrofits: phase I
Energy audit retrofits: phase II
Hybrid motorpool
ReRev kinetic energy harnessing
Renewable energy credits (RECs)
Carbon offsets
Our mitigation efforts to achieve climate neutrality by the year 2020 should not be limited to the
execution of only these fifteen strategies. There are many other worthwhile technologies, projects and
techniques that are essential components of a strong culture of sustainability at Allegheny. These
strategies were not included in the quantitative analysis, but will be discussed in detail and considered
equally among these projects in terms of implementation.
An executive summary of the project financing, reductions and payback data (converted to 2005 $ for
consistency) for each of these fifteen mitigation strategies is displayed in Table 1.
Table 1: Executive Summary: Project Financing, Reductions, Paybacks
Project Name
Total Capital
Cost
Average
Discounted
Annual Cash
Flow
IRR
Discounted
Payback
Time
(years)
30
($110)
$1219
$37,802
1757.46%
0.06
(2.1)
2010
11
($53,353)
$257,155
$3,085,860
635.91%
0.16
2010
15
-
$4,623
$73,970
-
2010
15
($37,720)
($4769)
($76,304)
2010
30
($149,237)
$2714
2010
20
($2,561,863)
2011
5
2015
% of Start
Year
Emissions
% of End
Year
Emissions
(64.4)
0.01%
0.01%
$587.02
(3,229.6)
(35,526.0)
19.30%
16.26%
$86.86
0.00
(51.3)
(769.4)
0.31%
0.24%
$96.14
-
N/A
(80.3)
(1,204.3)
0.48%
0.38%
($63.36)
$84,125
6.90%
15.96
(49.8)
(1,493.1)
0.30%
0.19%
$56.34
$79,517
$1,669,855
9.19%
10.66
(1,270.2)
(25,404.3)
7.59%
5.60%
$65.73
($6,802)
$91
$546
5.76%
4.61
(4.9)
(24.6)
0.03%
0.03%
$22.15
20
($2,504,551)
($26,504)
($556.591)
-
N/A
(637.9)
(12,757.4)
3.49%
2.63%
($43.63)
2010
15
($12,400)
($722)
($11,549)
-
N/A
(0.1)
(1.1)
0.00%
0.00%
($10,331)
2012
10
($46,668)
$1622
$17,841
9.90%
6.93
(97.3)
(972.7)
0.56%
0.48%
$18.34
2009
30
-
$21,272
$659,444
-
0.00
(192.7)
(5,780.4)
1.17%
0.76%
$114.08
2011
30
($33,192)
($908)
($28,148)
-
N/A
(2.4)
(72.6)
0.01%
0.01%
($387.66)
2015
6
-
($27,338)
($191,369)
-
N/A
(5,485.1)
(32,910.8)
29.98%
27.62%
($5.81)
2020
5
-
($55,979)
($335,875)
-
N/A
(6058)
(30,290)
30.5%
28.69%
($11.09)
2012
30
($6,000,000)
($154,415)
($4,786,850)
8.34%
13.40
(2,391.2)
(71,735.5)
13.77%
9.05%
($66.73)
Start
Year
Duration
(years)
2009
NPV
Annual
Reductions
(MT eCO2)
Total Lifetime
Reductions
(MT eCO2)
Discounted
Cost per
Reduction
Trayless dining
Real-time
energy display
and behavioral
modification
Paper policy
100% PCC
recycled, 1"/1.5
spacing
Landfill waste
reduction
Insulation of
campus owned
houses
Energy audit
retrofits phase I
Hybrid
motorpool
Energy audit
retrofits phase
II
ReRev kinetic
energy
harnessing
Computer
energy
management
software
Winter break
"hard" energy
shutdown
PV solar array
RECs
Carbon offsets
Geothermal
retrofits
Figure 1 depicts graphically the metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents offset by each of the fifteen
measures and how these mitigation strategies work together to move our emissions trajectory towards
neutrality. It is important to note that the emissions reduction impact of each strategy is measured in
relation to the projected future emissions trajectory. Since the Clean Air-Cool Planet Calculator projects
our emissions trajectory based on our historic data from 1998-2007, it is likely that our emissions
trajectory predicts higher emissions levels than we will in fact experience. As noted in the Greenhouse
Gas Inventory Results chapter, Allegheny has recently completed a period of both physical square footage
and community population growth. While we know our growth has reached a plateau, the Calculator
predicts an emissions trajectory reflecting growth in continuation of the recent trends. If our actual
emissions trajectory proves to be lower than the Calculator predicts over the next several years, it will
mean each strategy will offset a greater percentage of our total emissions and therefore require fewer
renewable energy credits and carbon offsets to be purchased annually to make the final push to
neutrality.
25000
carbon offsets
RECs
energy audit retrofits phase II
20000
geothermal retrofits
trayless dining
building dashboard and behavioral modification
15000
MT eCO2
paper policy 100%1" /1.5 spacing
landfill waste reduction
insulation of campus owned houses
10000
energy audit retrofits phase I
hybrid motorpool
ReRev kinetic energy harnessing
computer energy management software
5000
winter break " hard" energy shutdown
PV solar array
Emissions After Reductions
1990
2000
Year
2010
2020
10%Below 1990 Emissions
Figure 7: Annual Emissions Including Project Reductions
Figure 2 provides a cost/offset ratio analysis of the same fifteen mitigation strategies. Each project is
plotted to show the cost or savings for each metric ton of CO2e mitigated by the strategy along the Y axis,
arranged left to right in order of most attractive to least attractive in terms of their carbon reduction
efficacy of cost/offset ratio. Those projects which will not only reduce emissions, but also generate
financial savings extend above the zero line, while those projects which will reduce emissions at a cost to
Allegheny extend below the zero line. The width of each measure shows the overall greenhouse gas
reductions that result from the measure as a percentage of net emissions. There are several measures
which are difficult to see in this graph because of their narrow depiction of the net emissions offset.
These projects, including trayless dining, the insulation of campus owned houses, a PV solar array, a
paper purchasing policy, hybrid motorpool and ReRev kinetic energy harnessing are still worthy projects,
but do not stand out when compared to the rest in this type of data analysis.
Table 2 offers a very simplified summary of investment and returns and an abbreviated exploration of
what it might cost should we choose to pursue neutrality immediately through the use of RECs and
carbon offsets.
$125
$ / MT eCO2 reduced (negative values are costs)
$105
$85
$65
$45
$25
$5
($15)
($35)
($55)
($75)
0
trayless dining
winter break "hard" energy shutdo wn
paper po licy 100% 1"/1.5 spacing
building dashbo ard and behavio ral mo dificatio n
geo thermal retro fits
energy audit retro fits phase I
insulatio n o f campus o wned ho uses
hybrid mo to rpo o l
co mputer energy management so ftware
RECs
carbo n o ffsets
energy audit retro fits phase II
landfill waste reductio n
P V so lar array
ReRev kinetic energy harnessing
Width of Bar = Annual Reductions (MT eCO2)
Figure 8: Cost/Offset Ratio
Table 2: Investment Summary
Upfront Investment
Trayless Dining
Winter Break "Hard" Energy Shutdown
Real-time energy display and behavioral
modification
Insulation of Campus Owned Houses
Computer energy management software
Landfill waste reduction
Photovoltaic solar array
Geothermal retrofits
Paper purchasing policy
Energy Audit: Phase I
Energy Audit: Phase II
Hybrid Motorpool
ReRev kinetic energy harnessing
Total Investments:
Total Annual Operating Costs:
Total Annual Savings:
$53,353
$149,238
$46,668
$37,720
$33,192
$6,000,000
Annual
Savings
$2,044
$33,864
$4,100
$343,378
$11,904
$7,562
$3,346
$257
$550,337
$6,196
$284,438
$130,934
$1,604
$72
$6,578
$2,561,863
$2,504,551
$6,802
$12,400
$11,405,787
$11,008
$1,375,936
Renewable energy credits (RECs): assume purchase in
$35,326
2015 to offset 100% of remaining electric consumption
Carbon Offsets: assume purchase in 2020 to offset 100%
$73,340
of remaining emissions
To Immediately Achieve Climate Neutrality:
Renewable energy credits (RECs)
Carbon Offsets
Total Annual Cost of 100% Offset:
Annual Operating
Costs
$110
$220
Annual Emissions
(MTCO2e)
7441
8450
Cost/Unit
$0.0044/kWh
$11/MTCO2e
Annual
Cost
$57,200
$92,950
$150,150
Trayless Dining
Trayless dining was commenced in Brooks Dining Hall at the beginning of the 2009/2010 academic year.
In addition, a new energy and water efficient dishwasher was installed in Brooks over the summer. The
associated savings and emissions reductions of these two actions are being tracked and recorded at this
time. Adopted by many campuses across the country in the past year, trayless dining has been shown to
reduce food waste by 25-30%. Other campuses that have converted to trayless dining have calculated a
single tray requires 1/3 to ½ gallon of heated water for a wash. Since Brooks serves an average of
15,000 meals per week, the College could prevent the use of 5000-7500 gallons of water weekly. In
preventing the consumption, we also prevent the discharge of this water, detergents and dishwasher
drying agents to the sewage system and, ultimately, our local waters. Minimization of energy
consumption is a bit tougher to quantify, but reducing the amount of water that must be heated and the
number of dishwasher drying cycles should realize significant savings. This is a particularly attractive
project because it is driven mostly by a behavioral change on the part of the community rather than a
financially driven technological change, therefore it has the highest cost/offset ratio of all the mitigation
strategies considered here.
Data Assumptions:
Annual Cost: $110—for advertising/educational signs
Annual Savings:
Water Savings: $1392.51/academic year
Assume a savings of 5000 gal water/wk at cost of
$6.72/unit water and 31 wks in the academic year. This calculation excludes savings
realized during summer use.
Water Heating Savings: $465/academic year
water.30
Assume a savings of $0.03/gallon of heated
Winter Break “Hard” Energy Shutdown
A “hard” energy shutdown is another behavioral change that is cheaply implemented and has the
potential for a significant payback in terms of energy saved and emissions reduced. Western Kentucky
University has had success with this tactic saving about 37% of typical energy use during their three week
winter break by setting back thermostats, turning off all but safety lights, unplugging vending machines
and water fountains, turning off water heaters and all other unnecessary energy draws and requesting
faculty, staff and students turn off computers, unplug electronics and appliances to reduce phantom
draws. Physical Plant does already implement some building temperature setback strategies during
Allegheny’s breaks, but a more comprehensive and aggressive approach could net considerable savings at
little cost besides education materials. The most important step in implementing this strategy is in
communicating and coordinating with all members of the Allegheny community to determine if there is a
need to accommodate individuals or research needs which have a legitimate need for presence in the
buildings during the winter break.
Data Assumptions:
Annual Cost: $200—for advertising/educational signs
30
www.campusdish.com/en-us/cssw/stephenfaustin/sustainability/sustainabilityatsfa.htm
Annual Savings:
Electric Savings: $7921.39
Assume a three week shutdown with a 20% reduction in
electricity use (using our January 2007 electricity use as a baseline) at a cost of
$0.06/kWh.
Natural gas savings: $24,060.30
Assume a three week shutdown with a 20% reduction
in natural gas use (using our January 2007 natural gas use as a baseline) at a cost of
$11.50/MCF.
Real-time energy display and behavioral modification
Allegheny College installed electric submeters in 25 buildings in the summer of 2008. For the first time
in Fall semester 2009, the Allegheny community will compete to reduce energy consumption in both
dorms and academic buildings during a two week competition. The Energy Competitions will be
accompanied by educational programs and engagement activities to fully involve each member of the
campus community. Other schools which have implemented similar energy competitions have realized
energy savings of 30-40% during the competitions. With continued education and engagement after the
competition, Allegheny College can expect to realize continued reductions in consumption based on
lasting behavioral changes. A pilot competition between two campus-owned houses in spring 2009
yielded electricity reductions of 40-55%. By further investing in a real-time energy display, accessible via
the Internet, Allegheny would gain a valuable tool to encourage awareness, accountability and
competition among students throughout the year. Lucid Design Group, the creators of the Building
Dashboard, one such real-time energy display mechanism, has calculated 10-56% reductions in energy
consumption on campuses using their product. In addition to serving as a tool for competitions and
consumption reduction, a real-time energy display program also serves as a valuable teaching tool which
can not only display energy usage but monitor the impacts of green roofs and renewable energy
installations. Partnering with a real-time energy display provider, coordinating annual Energy
Competitions, continuing to distribute free CFLs, and educating the campus community in positive
energy habits are essential steps in our emissions reduction efforts. See Appendix__ for a quote from
Lucid Design Group on the development and maintenance of a real-time energy display system online, as
well as three monitors for public display and interaction.
Data Assumptions:
Upfront Costs: $48,428
Based on a price quote from Lucid Design Group and assuming the
purchase of three public monitors.
Annual Cost: $3800
Based on a price quote from Lucid Design Group of $1350/year for a 12month monitoring term of remote information service. Assumes additional budget of
$2450 for education and awareness campaigns and annual Dorm Energy Competition
materials, prizes and execution.
Annual Savings: $312,000
Assume 40% reduction from average annual use of 13,000,000
kWh at price of $0.06/kWh.
Insulation of campus-owned houses
Allegheny College owns nineteen student houses and the President’s House. While many of these
residences have had new more efficient windows installed, there are still considerable opportunities to
achieve greater efficiency in these homes, particularly through the use of insulation. Like many houses in
Meadville, these residences are fifty years or older with little effective insulation remaining. While much
more investigation must be done to specifically identify the opportunities for improving the houses,
energy audits in two of the buildings revealed strong potential for energy savings and emission
reductions. The results of these audits on two houses were used to predict the potential impacts of
insulating the sidewalls, foundations, and attics of all twenty campus-owned houses. Of course, each
house’s needs must be considered individually before taking action. However these two audits provide a
worthwhile prediction of the great potential of this mitigation strategy.
Data Assumptions:
Upfront Costs: $135,600
Based on energy audits of two campus-owned houses performed
separately by Home Works Energy Solutions and Home Performance Testing Systems
LLC (See Appendix __). The estimated price per square foot for insulation purposes was
applied to the approximate total square footage (~38,000 ft2) of campus-owned house
space.
Annual Savings: $10,818
Based on projected energy savings from two energy audits
referenced above. The estimated natural gas savings per square foot after insulation was
applied to the approximate total square footage of campus-owned house space.
Computer energy management software
Computer energy management software was a recommended strategy in Siemens energy audit in 2008,
however was not included in the first prioritized round of energy audits (phase I) due to some question of
how the software would work in conjunction with the existing computers, programs, and practices of
Computing Services. Since then Computing Services has worked closely with the Sustainability
Coordinator to identify opportunities for energy savings and overall sustainability of campus computing
practices. The use of energy management software is considered a viable option that must simply be
chosen and implemented in a strategic manner that is sensitive to the other goals of Computing Services.
Installing energy management software would allow the computers to shutdown or standby in an energy
saving mode automatically after a period of disuse and still “wake up” for nightly anti-virus and software
updates. Until Spring semester 2009, Computing Services recommended all campus computers be left
on 24/7 to allow for nightly updates. New guidelines now suggest leaving computers running on
weeknights, as before, but shutting the computer completely down over the weekends. This simple
change could potentially save 37% of computer energy consumption if implemented by all users. While
this is a significant first step by Computing Services, investing in energy management software would
ensure greater savings and efficiency.
Data Assumptions:
Upfront Cost: $43,169
Based on estimated cost quoted in Siemen’s Energy Audit.
Annual Savings: $7142
Based on estimated savings quoted in Siemen’s Energy Audit.
Landfill waste reduction
Allegheny College participated in the national RecycleMania competition in the past two Spring
semesters. This has allowed us to gather detailed information about the total amounts of our waste
generation and the proportions of garbage, recycling and composting. We will approach the Spring 2010
RecycleMania as an opportunity to educate and engage the community around issues of waste and reuse.
By promoting reuse, educating about the proper sorting of waste and encouraging minimization of waste
production, we should aim as a community to ultimately decrease our total landfill waste by 40%. While
education, awareness and competition during RecycleMania will contribute to achieving this goal,
Allegheny College should further examine methods to reduce waste such as banning the sale of bottled
water on campus and providing each student with an Allegheny College water bottle to facilitate this
change. Eventually other throw-away products could be phased out of the dining halls, catered events
and even vending machines. Catering has already taken some positive steps to create “trash-free” events,
by providing only compostable or recyclable items and collecting the waste appropriately.
Our overall recycling rates could also improve by investing in additional recycling containers and clear,
consistent labeling throughout campus buildings. Further, recycling should become a priority for
sporting events, facilitated by the purchase of recycling containers and accompanied by an awareness
raising campaign during such events.
Data Assumptions:
Upfront Costs: $34,273
Assume purchase of three dozen 44 gallon recycling cans with lids ($73.50
each) for Robertson Athletic Complex and catering and events. Assume purchase of a
hundred Slim-Jim recycling containers and lids ($57 each) for use in campus buildings.
Assume purchase of 2500 metal water bottles ($7.89 each) and metal coffee mugs ($2.99
each) to distribute to each member of campus community to reduce and ultimately
eliminate the use of disposable cups and bottled water.
Annual Costs: $6578 Assume purchase of 600 metal water bottles and metal coffee mugs each year for
distribution to new students, faculty and staff.
Annual Savings: $3040.21
Assume 20% reduction of waste sent to landfill at average landfill
tip fee for Mid-Atlantic region of $46.29/ton. Assume this waste diverted to recycling at
Tri-County recycling hauling fee of $25/ton.
Photovoltaic solar array
While a PV solar array requires a sizeable initial investment that will not likely be recuperated quickly in
energy production, there is great value in pursuing a small scale solar installation on campus. In
particular, any renewable energy technologies on campus are worthwhile endeavors as incomparable
teaching tools. Allegheny emphasizes an education in which students learn in hands-on applications that
prepare them for a rich life and career after graduation. With an increasing number of students
interested in renewable energy technologies and an energy future that will emphasize a transition to solar
and wind energy, Allegheny would be wise to invest in a PV solar array for educational and awareness
purposes as well as small scale energy production and the potential to help decrease our peak demand.
In the summer of 2009, the Sustainability Coordinator and two students attended the Sustainable Energy
Fund’s Solar Scholars Conference at Lafayette College. Attendees learned how to design, install and
maximize the performance of a solar array. A past Allegheny participant in this conference, Maggie
Surface, researched and designed a solar array that could be installed on the roof of Carr Hall. With the
pending renovation of Carr Hall as the Environmental Science & Physics Building, a solar installation
would be a fitting component of the finished renovation. While the Sustainable Energy Fund historically
has offered several grants each year to fund the installation of solar arrays on college campuses, they
were financially unable to do so in 2009. It is possible that Allegheny College could fund an installation
through their future grants or another possible source.
Data Assumptions:
Upfront Costs: $31,346.95
Based on Maggie Surface’s senior comp in which North Coast
Energy Systems provided a price estimate for a 3kW array with all equipment, accessories
and labor.
Annual Savings: $233.82
Based on annual production of 3897 kWh by similar array operating
at Mercyhurst College and Allegheny’s electricity cost of $0.06/kWh.
Geothermal retrofits
Allegheny College has had great success in the past several years through the use of geothermal, or geoexchange, heating and cooling. This technology has been included in the construction of North Village
Phase I, the renovation of the 454 House, and will also be featured in North Village Phase II. North
Village Phase I uses about 0.01 ccf of natural gas per square foot of building space annually, while the
remainder of the campus buildings use on average about 0.057 ccf/sq ft. Natural gas is primarily used on
campus for heating, so these values indicate a savings of 80% on heat alone in North Village Phase I.
While this building was built to be well insulated and more efficient overall, the geothermal system
contributes the vast majority to this great savings. In addition, geothermal provides an efficient and costeffective source of cooling for the summer months. Studies indicate geothermal systems can realize
heating cost reductions of 50% and cooling cost reductions of 20%. Allegheny College and other higher
education institutions, applying the technology, have seen payback periods of about 4 years. While
geothermal heating and cooling is slowly becoming more prevalent on college campuses, there are several
colleges which are not only using the technology in new buildings, but also planning to convert their
entire campuses to geothermal systems. Ball State University is undertaking the largest conversion to a
central geothermal well field and connection to all campus buildings (See Appendix__ for a summary of
the central geothermal applications at Ball State University, Stockton College and West Chester
University). Since Allegheny College has already experienced great success with its recent use of
geothermal, we should explore all opportunities to add this technology to our campus at a greater scale.
While this conversion has great potential, it will require significant research and engineering and will
most likely be most efficient if linked to the heating and cooling upgrades of buildings as they rise to the
top of the Comprehensive Maintenance Plan or as part of the energy audit retrofits. As the largest users
of natural gas on campus, the Campus Center, Doane/Steffee, Brooks, Wise-Mellon, and Pelletier Library
should be prioritized for geothermal retrofit consideration. The College should further commit that no
building will add cooling capabilities unless it is linked to a new geothermal system. To achieve an
entirely carbon-free heating and cooling system, Allegheny College should explore the potentials of
powering the heat pumps of the geothermal system with wind or solar power.
Data Assumptions:
Upfront Costs: $6 million
Assume all 1,224,082 ft2 of college buildings (excluding campusowned houses) currently heated and cooled without the use of geothermal, could be
retrofitted to a geothermal system. Based on Stockton College’s $1.2 million premium cost
to retrofit to geothermal for 350,000 ft2 in 1994, calculate the total premium cost of
conversion for our square footage assuming a dollar in 1994 is equivalent to $1.44 in
2009.31 This projected upfront cost assumes geothermal is added in conjunction with a
previously planned retrofit of the HVAC system, therefore the upfront cost is the premium
cost to add geothermal rather than replacing with a conventional HVAC system.
Annual Savings: $519740
Assume heating savings of 50% from annual natural gas
consumption of 90,389.7 Mcf in 2007 at a price of $11.50/Mcf. Does not account for
electricity savings associated with cooling since not all campus buildings currently have
cooling and some electricity is also required to operate heat pumps.
31
http://www.minneapolisfed.org/
Paper purchasing policy
The life cycle of paper from raw material extraction to disposal is extensive, costly and the environmental
impacts associated with the industry are significant. Each process consumes vast amounts of fossil fuels,
the combustion of which contribute to global climate change and air pollution in the form of carbon
dioxide, nitrous oxides, sulfur dioxides, carbon monoxides and particulate matter.32 In recent years the
paper industry has substantially reduced its impacts on the environment, yet the pulp and paper industry
remains the third largest polluter of air, land, and water in the United States.33 Allegheny College
currently uses standard white copy and printing paper across campus with no priority given to
purchasing paper produced from recycled fibers or Forest Stewardship Council certified trees and
without bleaching agents. Environmental Science Professor, TJ Eatmon, led a Junior Seminar in Spring
2009 in an exploration of options to improve the environmental responsibility of both our paper sourcing
and our paper consumption. Their research explored the use of smaller margin and spacing settings in
documents, an increase in the post-consumer recycled content of our paper and the savings potential of
switching to a centralized ordering system. See Appendix __ for the full report. An intern with the
Sustainability Coordinator is continuing this research in the Fall 2009 semester and will layout a plan for
a conversion to a sustainable, and potentially centralized paper purchasing policy. The work of both the
Junior Seminar and intern suggest that Allegheny College could convert to 100% PCC recycled paper and
yet reduce the total budget for paper purchasing through the use of document spacing settings and a
centralized purchasing system. Converting to a more sustainable and centralized system also reduces our
greenhouse gas emissions associated with tree harvest, paper processing and delivery. Further,
decreasing our overall paper consumption will also reduce our overall paper waste production. During
the research and conversations associated with the recent printer and copier contract with Hagan,
Allegheny College considered the implementation of a print quota for each student to encourage
thoughtful use of paper. While this method was rejected at the time, Allegheny College could choose to
reconsider this method in the future if necessary (http://www.papersavingsoftware.com/). Another
simpler and more innocuous method would be to offer an Allegheny specific tagline (i.e. “think before
you print”) for use on emails to discourage the printing of digital communications.
Data Assumptions:
Annual Savings: $5630
Assumes adoption of default document settings of 1” margin and 1.5 line
spacing with the resulting reduction in annual printing paper consumption of 4440 reams.
Assumes adoption of purchase of 100% recycled content paper at increased price of
$4.40/ream.
Energy Audit
An energy audit in collaboration with Siemens was completed in the summer of 2008. Physical Plant
employees and the Sustainability Coordinator reviewed the recommended efficiency retrofits and
prioritized the projects that are included as a whole as “Energy audit retrofits: phase I” in the data
analysis above. These projects were chosen mostly for their desirable payback period and ease of
implementation. However, the remaining retrofits identified in the energy audit are also included as
“Energy audit retrofits: phase II”. While these retrofits have longer payback periods and are more
complicated to implement, they are included in this analysis because of their significant ability to further
reduce our overall greenhouse gas emissions. Despite being less financially attractive, they must be
considered for their ability to increase the efficiency and sustainability of our operations. Many of these
retrofits should be included in the planning and execution of the annual Comprehensive Maintenance
Plan so they can be incorporated into other items of work in campus buildings.
32
33
Blum et al. 1995
Nicholas 2008
Data Assumptions:
Phase I Upfront Costs: $2,419,431 Drawn from Physical Plant’s identification of retrofit priorities in
the Siemen’s Energy Audit.
Phase I Annual Savings: $268,624 Drawn from Physical Plant’s identification of retrofit priorities in
the Siemen’s Energy Audit.
Phase II Upfront Costs: $2,365,305 Drawn from Physical Plant’s identification of less feasible or
financially attractive retrofits in the Siemen’s Energy Audit.
Phase II Annual Savings: $123,654 Drawn from Physical Plant’s identification of less feasible or
financially attractive retrofits in the Siemen’s Energy Audit.
Hybrid motorpool
Allegheny College added its first hybrid vehicle, a Honda Civic hybrid, to the motorpool fleet in 2008.
Student research under the direction of Geology Professor, Rachel O’Brien, indicates this conversion to a
hybrid vehicle has already netted significant gasoline savings and therefore reduced greenhouse gas
emissions for the College. Allegheny could also add another hybrid sedan to the motorpool fleet when
ready to replace the remaining Toyota Camry. While not included in the above data analysis, Allegheny
College might also consider the implementation of a Zipcar program on campus for its potential to
decrease the use of vans for only a handful of passengers when both sedans are in use and its potential to
decrease the size of our current motorpool. The Zipcar program is discussed in greater detail in “Other
Strategies”.
Data Assumptions:
Upfront Costs: $6180 Assume the purchase of two Hybrid Civics (one already purchased and another to
replace remaining Toyota Camry in motorpool) at a premium cost of $3090/vehicle.34
Annual Savings: $1458
Based upon the 15,194 miles travelled by the Toyota Camry in 2007/2008
at 25.5 mpg. Assumes a Honda Hybrid Civic would achieve 47.5 mpg.
ReRev kinetic energy harnessing
ReRev devices can be installed on elliptical workout machines to convert the counter-productive heat
energy from exercise machines and send the voltage directly back into the utility grid. This harnessing of
kinetic energy from students’ workouts does not necessarily have the greatest emission prevention
impact but has great value for its novelty, visibility and education potential. Installing ReRev devices on
the Wise Center’s elliptical machines could provide enough voltage at least to power a TV screen
displaying information about the real-time power production of exercisers as well as other awareness and
education information about sustainability initiatives on campus.
Data Assumptions:
Upfront Costs: $12,400
Drawn from ReRev quote for Wise Center’s nine elliptical machines. See
Appendix__ for full quote.
34
http://alternativefuels.about.com/od/hybridreviews/fr/2007civichybrid_2.htm
Annual Savings: $64.80
Assume generation of 4.5 kWh/day from all nine ReRev devices for the 240
days of the academic year. Assume a cost of electricity at $0.06/kWh
Renewable energy credits (RECs)
Allegheny College currently purchases wind renewable energy credits to offset the environmental impact
of 15% of its total electricity consumption. While the College will prioritize the reduction of greenhouse
gas emissions through the use of retrofits, behavioral modifications, education, and exploring the
purchase of less coal-intensive electricity sources, ultimately we will need to resort to increasing our
purchase of RECs to offset our remaining electricity related emissions. The scenario explored above
indicates a 50% reduction of electricity consumption from the 2007 baseline of our greenhouse gas
inventory. To offset this remaining electricity consumption we would need to increase our current REC
purchase by four times. However, exploring other REC providers and contracting for bulk purchases of
RECs in multi-year contracts can drastically reduce the price of this action.
Data Assumptions:
Annual Costs: $38,858.84
Assume electricity consumption in 2015 is 8,831,555 kWh after the
implementation and success of other mitigation strategies. Assume REC price of
$0.0044/kWh in 2015.35 This cost includes the purchase of 1,950,000 kWh worth of
RECs we currently purchase using updated the 2015 pricing.
Carbon offsets
Carbon offsets are considered a last strategy for neutralizing the remaining greenhouse gas emissions
from campus operations. While RECs neutralize the impact of our remaining electricity consumption,
carbon offsets neutralize the impacts of our natural gas consumption, waste production, etc. When
Allegheny College chooses to purchase carbon offsets to take the final step towards neutrality, we must be
mindful of the Voluntary Carbon Offset Protocol set forth by the American College & University
Presidents Climate Commitment.
Data Assumptions:
Annual Costs: $66,638
Assume average carbon offset price of $10/short ton36 or about
$11/MTCO2e. Assume 6058 MTCO2e remaining in 2020 after mitigation efforts.
35
36
http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/servicerpt/prps/rps.html
http://www.cleanair-coolplanet.org/ConsumersGuidetoCarbonOffsets.pdf
Educational, Research & Community Outreach Efforts
Allegheny College has a rich history of integrating sustainability initiatives into the curriculum as well as
the community as part of our emphasis on developing values, ethics, and the whole person as a life-long
learner and citizen. In fact, many of our past success stories have their roots in class and independent
student research, as well as extra-curricular student activism and community outreach. Work is
underway to develop Allegheny’s most recent Strategic Plan, which is expected to explore and
recommend ways to more smoothly and effectively integrate personal, social, and environmental
responsibility into the curricular and co-curricular programs, as well as the culture of Allegheny College.
It is recommended that the Educational, Research & Community Outreach Efforts component of the
Climate Action Plan be revisited upon the release of the Strategic Plan. While sustainability was
specifically considered in sub-committee meetings and the subsequent recommendations to the Strategic
Plan authors, it would be wise to forestall developing specific strategies for the Climate Action Plan until
the context of the Strategic Plan is understood.
Financing
While the details of financing our Climate Action Plan’s recommended mitigation strategies requires a
more in-depth, strategic and expert discussion, Allegheny College has many options available to facilitate
the implementation of immediate and future actions. The first source of financing is simply to make
more sustainable choices about each expense in our annual operating budgets, in other words, to make
more sustainable choices with the money we already have allotted for expenses. Outside of our typical
budgets, the scenario of fifteen mitigation strategies above suggests a total capital cost (excluding annual
costs of each strategy) of $35,394,468 with $30 million of this as a rough estimate of the cost of
geothermal retrofits campus wide. The cost of RECs and carbon offsets to completely reach climate
neutrality would require an estimated additional $33,456 annually.
Clinton Climate Initiative
In a partnership with the Clinton Climate Initiative, Allegheny College secured funding for energy
efficiency retrofits in 2007. These funds are currently being used to implement the retrofits identified in
our 2008 energy audit. The Sustainability Coordinator, with the support of the Physical Plant, is tasked
with monitoring the energy savings associated with each retrofit so that these funds may be reinvested in
further efficiency projects.
Allegheny Student Government (ASG) Green Revolving Fund
Our students also recognize the need to financially support sustainability initiatives. In 2009, the
Allegheny Student Government took the initiative to establish the ASG Green Revolving Fund. ASG
envisions these funds will be used to finance projects identified, researched, and championed by
students. ASG also intends to track the savings associated with each project for reinvestment in the
Fund. The Fund was established using budgetary surplus, however Senators are also beginning
discussions regarding the establishment of a student green fee to further support this Green Revolving
Fund and its subsequent projects.
Development
The Allegheny College Office of Development has long been a strong partner in the identification and
application for grant funding as well as donor support. Focused discussion of how best to maximize
grant opportunities and facilitate donor support of sustainability initiatives is needed now that the scope
of our climate neutrality work has been outlined.
Strategic Plan
Finally, the soon to be released Strategic Plan is a potential source of funding for sustainability initiatives.
It is recommended that a strong financing and reinvestment plan is developed once it is clear if and how
the Strategic Plan may affect the funding of climate neutrality steps.
Implementation and Tracking Progress
While much discussion, research and data analysis helped inform the selection of mitigation strategies
proposed and compared above, this list and discussion should by no means be considered a final product.
It is recommended that a committee be immediately convened to dig deeper into the details and financial
aspects of each of the above strategies among others to create a more specific plan and calendar of action
within the context of our ultimate commitment of climate neutrality by the year 2020. This committee
should elaborate upon the first release of the Climate Action Plan and establish more complete and
binding interim goals by the beginning of the 2010/2011 academic year at the latest. However, steps
should be continued to implement mitigation strategies in the meantime as detailed in our energy audit
and in the goals of the Office of Sustainability.
The Sustainability Coordinator will be responsible for updating Allegheny College’s greenhouse gas
inventory every other year as detailed in the Presidents Climate Commitment, beginning with an updated
inventory in 2009. In addition, the Sustainability Coordinator will be responsible for monitoring and
updating the campus community about our annual progress towards neutrality and whether we are
keeping pace with our goals in an annual review of mitigation successes and progress towards climate
neutrality. However, the Sustainability Coordinator should be supported by a campus wide committee to
help make decisions about mitigation strategy implementation, financing and achieving each interim
target. It is essential that a broad range of campus individuals be included in this conversation and
process to ensure the best integration and strongest collaborations. Initially, this committee should meet
monthly to elaborate and finalize the Climate Action Plan details, and then meet at least three times a
year to monitor progress and address any obstacles along the path. Reversing greenhouse gas emissions
trends will be complex, will require dedication and continuous efforts, and will demand the best thinking,
most engaged action and unified support of the entire Allegheny community.