Data Collection Methods for Categories of Emissions, Choice of Calculator,
Data Requirements, and Objectives
By Katie Masucci kmasucci@austincollege.edu
This manual describes the methods used in collecting and entering the data required by
the Clean Air Cool Planet Campus Carbon Calculator™, Version 6.9, for the FY 2012 (July 1,
2011 – June 30, 2012) greenhouse gas emissions inventory.
The Clean Air Cool Planet’s (CACP) Campus Carbon Calculator™, Version 6.9, was
used for the FY 2012 emissions inventory. The CACP Calculator is endorsed by the ACUPCC,
and facilitates comparison with other campuses that have used it.
The benefits of the CACP calculator include the ability of the user to enter categories of
emissions in their original measurement units. For example, purchased electricity is entered in
kWh, while natural gas is entered in MMBtu, etc. The calculator then converts these measures
and others into their respective Global Warming Potentials (MT-eCO2), measurements of the
extent to which a particular greenhouse gas (CO2, CH4, etc.) contributes to anthropogenic climate
change.
Once calculations are complete, the CACP calculator enables users to view all emissions
by source as equivalent to CO2, CH4, or N2O in kg or MMBtu. Users may also choose to view
all categories of emissions in metric tons of CO2 equivalent (MT-eCO2). This is so that all
emissions can be aggregated and viewed as a single total amount instead of in measures of
different greenhouse gases, each of which has a different global warming potential. The CACP
calculator requires minimal input and no manual conversions; data are simply entered into a
series of “Input” worksheets, and the calculator makes all the necessary conversions and
calculations. Note that greenhouse gas inventories are not comprehensive; while they account
for the major categories of the College’s emissions, it would be nearly impossible to track down
each and every last emission in a given period of time.
Though the calculator’s interface looks complex, its required data inputs are simple given
Austin College’s infrastructure and small campus. A table at the end of this document shows the
data that were entered into the calculator as well the staff member(s) who supplied the data.
Some calculator inputs required more advanced procedures other than correspondence with a
staff member(s). These procedures are explained below.
Institutional Data
Fiscal
Year
Full-Time
Students
Part-Time
Students
Residential
Students
FY 2011
FY 2012
FY 2013
1,306
1,338
1,253
8
15
7
N/A
1,030
N/A
Summer
School
Students
100
106
58
With the exception of residential student information, these data were provided via the
submission of a Data Request Form on the Registrar’s Office webpage.
Gail Gentry of
Institutional Research supplied the information via e-mail upon receipt of the Data Request
Form. Michael Deen of Student Life provided residential student information. Note that all
student data correspond to the fall semester of a given fiscal year; for example, the fall semester
of 2011 was used for FY 2012 reporting purposes.
Fiscal Year
FY 2011
FY 2012
Full-Time
Faculty
106
107
Part-Time
Faculty
18
22
Full-Time Staff
Part-Time Staff
182
178
4
8
The Human Resources Office provided all information regarding faculty and staff; Keith Larey
supplied the data above via e-mail.
Fiscal Year
FY 2011
Operating
Budget
(Total
Expenditures)
$40,037,560
Energy
Budget
(Including
Water)
$1,889,254
Energy
Budget
(Excluding
Water)
$1,643,189
FY 2012
$39,966,810
$1,839,630
$1,529,047
Physical Size
of Campus
Buildings
Physical Size
of Research
Space
803,474
Square Feet
803,474
Square Feet
21,000
Square Feet
21,000
Square Feet
Sheryl Bradshaw of the Business Office provided all budget information via e-mail.
Water expenditures are frequently included in energy budget reporting, however, the CACP
calculator specifically requests that water expenditures not be included in energy budget
reporting. Thus, Sheryl Bradshaw also included the value of the College’s water expenditures
for FY 2011 and FY 2012 so that they could be deducted from the energy budget for reporting
purposes. Heidi Ellis of the Business Office provided all endowment information via e-mail.
Fiscal Year
FY 2012
FY 2013
Austin College Endowment
(Value at June 30 – FY End Date)
$119,456,571
$124,800,382
John Jennings maintains a master spreadsheet of the physical size of all campus facilities.
At the time that the FY 2012 report was completed (November, 2013 – January, 2014), the total
campus size was: 974,054 square feet. This includes three facilities that officially came “online”
in FY 2014: the IDEA Center (103,000 square feet), The Flats (31,480 square feet), and The
Village (36,100 square feet). Thus the total campus size as reported for FY 2012 was: 803,474
square feet, which is equivalent to the current total at the time of publication minus the three new
facilities. Note that Jennings’ master spreadsheet was revised in July, 2011, to reflect more upto-date and precise building information; thus, total campus size data reporting prior to FY 2012
(i.e. FY 2008 and FY 2010) may not have been accurate. The size of research space has
remained consistent with previous reports; follow-up with Dr. Steve Goldsmith, Dean of Science
Division, for future reports.
Gasoline Fleet
This section includes gasoline consumed by Physical Plant vehicles, Campus Police
vehicles, Biology Dept. vans, and other College-owned vehicles. Methods of data collection for
all of the above vehicles are as follows:
-
The College has a gasoline pump located at the Physical Plant that is used by Collegeowned vehicles operated by Physical Plant staff, Vice President Heidi Ellis, and the
Athletics Dept. (they operate a “Gator” during outdoor athletics events). The Physical
Plant’s FY 2012 purchased fuel log (gallons of unleaded and diesel fuel) was collected
from the Physical Plant Office Manager, Linda Welch. While Ellis sometimes purchases
fuel off-campus, she uses the College’s pump most often, according to the FY 2010
report.
Fiscal Year
FY 2012
-
Gallons of Regular
Gasoline
3,232.9
Gallons of Diesel
1,151.2
The FY 2012 purchased fuel log for the Campus Police Dept. was collected from Campus
Police Office Coordinator, Becky Roberts, via e-mail. Becky Roberts wrote that the
dramatic difference between the two periods was the trade of a Ford Explorer for a Ford
Taurus, which is more efficient.
Fiscal Year
FY 2012
FY 2013
-
Gallons of Regular
Gasoline
248.081
67.754
Logbooks are kept in both vans owned and operated by the Biology Dept. These were
used to calculate the total miles traveled in each van during FY 2012. Every time a van is
used, a log entry is made, which consists of: Date, Driver Name, Destination/Reason for
Travel, Beginning Odometer, End Odometer, Total Miles Traveled. Beginning with the
first trip of FY 2012 and ending with the last trip in FY 2012, total miles traveled were
summed for each van. Then, the website www.fueleconomy.gov was used to determine
the combined estimated MPG of each van:
o 1996 Dodge: 13 MPG
Total Miles Traveled: 1,308 Miles
Estimated Fuel Consumption: 100.615 Gallons
o 1997 Ford: 14 MPG
Total Miles Traveled: 3,785 Miles
Estimated Fuel Consumption: 270.357 Gallons
Finally, total miles traveled divided by fuel economy yielded the estimated total fuel
purchase (gallons) for each van. Biology Dept. Support Associate, Caleb Smith, offered
to keep track of all receipts for gas purchases for future reporting purposes. Thus,
receipts can be used to simply sum gallons of gasoline purchased for the FY 2014 report
and beyond.
-
For other College-owned vehicles (primarily those operated by Institutional Enrollment
and Institutional Advancement personnel), mileage data were acquired from the Human
Resources Office. Total miles traveled, total business miles, and total personal miles are
accumulated on a calendar year-basis (Dec. 1 – Nov. 30). Thus, data for calendar years
2011 and 2012 were averaged, since both calendar years made up nearly equal parts of
FY 2012:
o Dec. 1, 2010 – Nov. 30, 2011

Total: 200,084 Miles

Business: 122,070 Miles

Personal: 78,014 Miles
o Dec. 1, 2011 – Nov. 30, 2012

Total: 223,446 Miles

Business: 136,323 Miles

Personal: 87,123 Miles
o Averages Used for FY 2012 Reporting

Total: 211,765 Miles

Business: 129,197 Miles

Personal: 82,569 Miles
In order to calculate total gallons of regular gasoline consumed by other College-owned
vehicles, the average FY 2012 business miles value (129,197 miles) was divided by the
average MPG of staff vehicles (21 MPG), as calculated via the commuting survey (see
Commuting section below), which yielded an estimated value of gallons of regular
gasoline consumed (6,152 gallons).
Refrigerants, Chemicals, and Fertilizer
Jade Rutledge (2009) determined that these emissions sources were de minimus, or
insignificant to the campus’s total emissions; these sources accounted for 1% or less of the
College’s total emissions during FY 2008. The ACUPCC does not require that such minimal
categories be tallied for each consecutive inventory. However, since the data for FY 2010 and
FY 2012 were readily available, new data were incorporated into both reports, which was
beneficial; emissions from refrigerants and chemicals we found to account for more than 1% of
the College’s total emissions for FY 2010 and FY 2012.
Fiscal
Year
FY 2011
FY 2012
FY 2012
FY 2013
HFC-134a (lbs.)
HFC-404a
(lbs.)
N/A
25 lbs., 14 Oz.
25.875 lbs.
28 lbs., 9 Oz.
12 lbs., 2 Oz.
15 lbs., 7 Oz.
15.4375 lbs.
9 lbs., 9 Oz.
HCFC-22 (lbs.)
120 lbs., 15 Oz.
155 lbs., 13 Oz.
155.8125 lbs.
128 lbs., 13 Oz.
HFC-410a
(lbs.)
N/A
25 lbs., 14 Oz.
25.875 lbs.
28 lbs., 9 Oz.
Other
N/A
11 lbs., 2 Oz.
11.125 lbs.
14 lbs., 3 Oz.
The Physical Plant used two types of fertilizer during FY 2012: 10,000 lbs. of synthetic
fertilizer at 28% nitrogen and 2,450 lbs. of synthetic fertilizer at 17% nitrogen. Liquid organic
fertilizer had been used in addition to synthetic fertilizers during the previous reporting period,
though none was used during FY 2012.
The total amount (lbs.) of synthetic fertilizer was calculated, and as per Jade Rutledge’s
(2009) protocol, a weighted average was taken to determine the average concentration of
nitrogen for all of the synthetic fertilizer used during FY 2012:
+
10,000 lbs. @ 28% N
2,450 lbs. @ 17% N
12,450 lbs. @ ?? % N
Weighted Average:
(10,000 (.28) + 2,450 (.17)) / 12,450
(2,800 + 416.5) / 12,450
0.25835341  0.258
12,450 lbs @ 25.8% N in FY 2012
Purchased Electricity, Purchased Natural Gas, and Custom Fuel Mix
Total electricity consumption (all 14 campus meters) was obtained via Executive Director
of Facilities, John Jennings: 12,934,735 kWh. Total natural gas consumption was also obtained
via John Jennings: 45,379 MMBtu.
Custom fuel mix considers the sources of a campus’s purchased electricity; as per the
College’s contract with its electricity provider, 15% of the College’s purchased electricity is
generated by renewable sources. This is accounted for in the Green Power Certificates entry, as
the College purchases REC’s in addition to the 15% of purchased electricity in the contractual
agreement. In order to report this accurately, 15% of total purchased electricity kWh was
calculated (1,940,210 kWh) and added to the additional purchased REC’s (4,398,000 kWh); this
sum was rounded to the nearest thousand, as REC’s are measured by megawatts rather than by
kilowatts: 6,338,000 kWh of Green Power Certificates. In all, 49% of the College’s purchased
electricity was offset with a combination of REC’s from the contractual agreement and the
additional purchased REC’s (see Offsets and Renewable Energy Credits section below). Thus,
renewable sources were not entered on the custom fuel mix input page (in order to avoid doublecounting). The custom fuel mix for FY 2012 was reported as follows.
FY 2012 Purchased Electricity
Generation Source
Coal
Natural Gas
Nuclear
% of Total
37.65%
50.59%
11.76%
Entering a custom fuel mix is optional. Should an analyst choose to enter a custom fuel
mix, their NERC region within the calculator must be selected; Texas’s eGRID sub region is
called “ERCT.”
Commuting
The CACP calculator requires users to input various data regarding the commuting habits
of students, faculty, and staff. These data are used to compute emissions (MT-eCO2) due to
commuting. An online survey generated on www.surveymonkey.com was sent to students,
faculty, and staff via e-mail. Respondents were asked several simple questions about their
commuting habits, including the make, model, and year of vehicles regular commuters used to
commute to and from campus.
Responses were compiled, and the EPA Fuel Economy website, www.fueleconomy.gov,
was used to identify the fuel efficiency of each regular commuter’s vehicle (that is, only those
who answered “YES” to “Do you drive to campus on a REGULAR basis (3+ trips per week)?”
The combined (city & highway) MPG of each vehicle was averaged for student, faculty, and
staff vehicles, respectively.
This portion of the survey response analysis was somewhat subjective in that MPG for
each vehicle was referenced using limited information provided by survey respondents. For
example, if a respondent did not provide a particular model (i.e. Honda vs. Honda Civic), or if a
particular model listed multiple versions (i.e. manual vs. automatic, varied chassis sizes, etc.) the
MPG for each version was averaged.
-
If multiple versions of a particular model were listed on www.fueleconomy.gov the
vehicle was assumed to be automatic and to consume regular gasoline, unless noted by
the respondent or only option(s) available.
-
Likewise, variable gear ratio/continuously variable transmission was not assumed unless
noted by the respondent; however, if a manufacturer only produced a model with such
features, they were assumed.
-
Four-cylinder engines were assumed for small-to-midsize vehicles, while 6 or 8-cylinder
engines were assumed for trucks and SUV’s.
-
Vehicles listed with 2WD/FWD and 4WD/AWD options were assumed to be the
4WD/AWD variety.
-
Models with hybrid options were assumed not to be hybrids, unless specified by the
respondent.
-
The assumptions above were made only when the respondent did not provide detailed
vehicle information.
-
The website www.fueleconomy.gov does not list vehicles released prior to 1984. For
respondents’ vehicles with model years prior to 1984, MPG estimates from the EPA’s
1984 database were recorded.
-
If the respondent did not provide the vehicle’s model year, the MPG for the 2013 model
was recorded. This procedure was done in accordance with Jade Rutledge (2009) in
which the author used vehicle data from the year 2009 in cases where respondents did not
supply their vehicle’s model year.
-
If limited vehicle information was provided by a respondent (for example, only the model
year), the MPG was not recorded and, thus, was left out of average MPG calculations.
Based on FY 2012 data, the campus community, including students faculty, and staff,
consisted of approximately 1,670 individuals. A request to complete the survey was sent to all
members of the campus community. Based on information provided by 396 respondents, the
following statistics were entered into the CACP calculator’s commuting worksheet for students,
faculty, and staff, respectively: average automobile fuel efficiency (MPG), percent of people that
used a personal vehicle to travel to campus, percent of people that carpooled, average trips per
week, average weeks per year, and average miles per trip:
-
Students
o Avg. MPG: 23
o % Commuters: 20%
 Yielded by dividing Total “YES” Commuters by Total Student Responses:
45 / 224
 The calculator asks for the “total number of full-time equivalent (FTE)
students who commute.” Note that part-time students equal ½ FTE, so:
 (20%) (Full Time Students + ½ (Part-Time Students))
(.20) (1,338 + (.50) (15))
(.20) (1,338 + 7.5)
= 269 FTE Students Commute
o % Carpoolers: 8%
 Yielded by dividing Total “YES” Commuters who are also “YES”
Carpoolers by Total Student Responses: 18 / 224
o Avg. Round-Trips Per Week: 8
 The survey asks respondents to record their typical round-trips per week,
though the calculator asks for the average number of one-way trips per
week; thus, the average round-trips figure was multiplied by 2, which
yields 16 one-way trips per week.
o Avg. Weeks Per Year: 29
o Avg. Miles Per One-Way Trip: 4.94
-
Faculty
o Avg. MPG: 27
o % Commuters: 83%
 Yielded by dividing Total “YES” Commuters by Total Faculty Responses:
64 / 77
 The calculator asks for the “total number of full-time equivalent (FTE)
faculty who commute.” Note that part-time faculty equal ½ FTE, so:
 (83%) (Full Time Faculty + ½ (Part-Time Faculty))
(.83) (107 + (.50) (22))
(.83) (107 + 11)
= 98 FTE Faculty Commute
o % Carpoolers: 13%
 Yielded by dividing Total “YES” Commuters who are also “YES”
Carpoolers by Total Faculty Responses: 10 / 77
o Avg. Round-Trips Per Week: 6
 The survey asks respondents to record their typical round-trips per week,
though the calculator asks for the average number of one-way trips per
week; thus, the average round-trips figure was multiplied by 2, which
yields 12 one-way trips per week.
o Avg. Weeks Per Year: 40
o Avg. Miles Per One-Way Trip: 12.36
-
Staff
o Avg. MPG: 21
o % Commuters: 89%
 Yielded by dividing Total “YES” Commuters by Total Staff Responses:
85 / 95
 The calculator asks for the “total number of full-time equivalent (FTE)
staff who commute.” Note that part-time staff equal ½ FTE, so:
 (89%) (Full Time Staff + ½ (Part-Time Staff))
(.89) (178 + (.50) (8))
(.89) (178 + 4)
= 162 FTE Staff Commute
o % Carpoolers: 8%
 Yielded by dividing Total “YES” Commuters who are also “YES”
Carpoolers by Total Staff Responses: 8 / 95
o Avg. Round-Trips Per Week: 6
 The survey asks respondents to record their typical round-trips per week,
though the calculator asks for the average number of one-way trips per
week; thus, the average round-trips figure was multiplied by 2, which
yields 12 one-way trips per week.
o Avg. Weeks Per Year: 46
o Avg. Miles Per One-Way Trip: 10.77
Based on FY 2012 data, the following is a summary of survey responses including full-time
and part-time students, faculty, and staff:
-
Students: 224 Responses/1,353 Total = 17% of Students Responded
-
Faculty: 77 Responses/129 Total = 60% of Faculty Responded
-
Staff: 95 Responses/186 Staff = 51% of Staff Responded
-
Total: 396 Responses/1,668 Total = 24% of Campus Community Responded
Directly Financed Outsourced Travel
The air travel category in this section of the input worksheet is split into faculty/staff air
miles and student air miles. Graduate Assistant Cassie Ensminger, MAT `13, collected all air
travel data for FY 2012.
-
According to VP of Business Affairs Heidi Ellis, faculty/staff air travel data are not easy
to pull and/or tally from College records; a new tracking system is necessary. Ellis
suggested that all VP’s be given a form that allows them to easily record air travel
information (dates, destination(s), airports used, etc.) for faculty/staff within their
respective departments. Ellis suggested that the completion of such a form be mandated
by President Hass. As of the completion of this report, no such form had been completed
but would be in-time for the upcoming FY 2014 report. In the meantime, the value of
faculty/staff air miles reported for FY 2010, which was also largely based on estimation,
was used (see Katie Masucci (2011) for methods): 907,457 miles (Value A).
-
Student and staff air miles accrued for athletics events were provided by Cindy Mahana,
former Athletics Office Coordinator, who was later succeeded by Julie Travis. Directly
financed student air miles consist only of flights taken by athletic teams.
Fiscal Year
FY 2012
-
Sum of Miles
Traveled
11,430
Miles x Student
Participants
338,636
Miles x Staff
Participants
46,878 (Value B)
Based on the data above, total faculty/staff directly financed outsourced travel is equal to
the sum of Values A and B: 954,335 miles.
Bus Travel
Because this emissions source was determined to be de minimus by Jade Rutledge (2009),
FY 2008 bus travel data were used for the FY 2010 and FY 2012 inventories: 24,868 miles.
Personal Mileage Reimbursement
Likewise, Jade Rutledge (2009) determined that this emissions source was de minimus, or
largely insignificant in terms of the campus’s total emissions. However, since the data for FY
2010 were readily available, they were incorporated into the FY 2010 inventory. According to
VP of Business Affairs Heidi Ellis, these data are not easy to pull and/or tally from College
records; a new tracking system is necessary. Data on reimbursement for work-related travel in
personal vehicles were not available for the FY 2012 inventory; thus data from FY 2010 were
used: 97,694 miles. Should future analysts pursue up-to-date data, they’ll need to consider two
values: 1) when employees are reimbursed for miles and 2) when employees are reimbursed for
fuel purchases. Somehow, these two values – a value of miles and a value of dollars or gallons,
respectively – will have to be summed.
Study Abroad Air Travel
As noted, Graduate Assistant Cassie Ensminger, MAT `13, collected all air travel data for
FY 2012.
-
Ashlee Flinn and Valerie Roberts of the Center for Global Learning provided lists of
students who studied abroad and their respective destinations for FY 2012 (Summer
2011, Fall 2011, Spring 2012, and Summer 2012). The website www.terrapass.com was
used to calculate mileage from DFW International Airport to each student’s destination.
If only a destination nation was provided, the nation’s capital city was assumed as the
student’s destination (with the exception of Australia, for which Sydney was used twice –
see Summer 2011 and Summer 2012). For Summer 2011 and Summer 2012, mileage
was calculated for one-way trips only (unless otherwise noted), as only the departure or
return flight typically fell within FY 2012.
-
Ashlee Flinn also provided a spreadsheet of all off-campus January Term 2012 travel
courses. A similar protocol as that used to calculate total study abroad miles was used to
calculate total January Term 2010 miles. From the spreadsheet, round-trip miles to the
destination city/cities were multiplied by the number of travelers (students + faculty +
alumni) who participated in each trip.
-
Similarly, January Term 2012 CSOC and “Other” FY 2012 CSOC course miles were
added. A separate spreadsheet was obtained from Christina Robertson, Administrative
Assistant of Student Services/Student Affairs, which listed the destinations of students
who participated in CSOC courses.
-
Finally, Viki Reeder, Assistant Director of Career Services and Internship Coordinator,
provided a spreadsheet of travel information concerning FY 2012 GO (Global Outreach)
Fellows.
Below is a summary table of all Study Abroad miles traveled.
Program
Miles Traveled
Summer 2011 Study Abroad
59,187
Fall 2011 Study Abroad
369,522
Spring 2012 Study Abroad
450,389
Summer 2012 Study Abroad
29,325
January Term 2012 Travel Courses
1,930,894
January Term 2012 CSOC
57,264
"Other" FY 2012 CSOC
49,507
GO Fellows FY 2012
94,368
Total Study Abroad Miles for FY 2012
3,040,456
Solid Waste
The solid waste calculations included assumptions made when estimating weight. Trash
quantities were calculated from averages, since there are no meters on the equipment to measure
the actual tons of waste. Thus, an average weight of 90 lbs. per cubic yard of un-compacted solid
waste and 300 lbs. of solid waste per cubic yard of compacted waste was used to calculate trash
based on the size of our receptacles and the frequency of pickup (CURC Campus Refuse Profile,
1997: http://recyclemaniacs.org/sites/default/files/documents/Volume-weight-conversions.pdf);
note that this is the same source from which Jade Rutledge (2009) pulled a conversion factor
from volume to weight of solid waste.
The fullness of the receptacles is not known in detail; calculations are based on
information provided by John Jennings, who said that receptacles are full 95% of the time. A
sensitivity test was performed to determine the extent that the results differ depending on the
fullness of the receptacles. The 100% full figure was used in the final calculations: a
conservative overestimate considering Jennings’ statement.
Containers of Landfill-Bound Waste
Container Size (Cubic Yards)
Pick-Up Frequency (# / Week)
Estimated Pick-Ups / Year
Flats - 916 E. Brockett
8
3
156
Bryan Apts. - 1114 E. Brockett
6
3
156
Physical Plant - 603 N. Porter
30
1*
52
Physical Plant - 603 N. Porter *Compactor*
30
1*
52
WCC - 1301 E. Brockett
4
6
312
WCC - 1301 E. Brockett
4
6
312
Cubic Yards / Year
Conversion Factors*
Tons / Year
Flats - 916 E. Brockett
1248
Uncompacted: 90 Lbs. / CY
56.16
Bryan Apts. - 1114 E. Brockett
936
Uncompacted: 90 Lbs. / CY
42.12
Physical Plant - 603 N. Porter
1560
Uncompacted: 90 Lbs. / CY
70.20
Physical Plant - 603 N. Porter *Compactor*
1560
Compacted: 300 Lbs. / CY
234.00
WCC - 1301 E. Brockett
1248
Uncompacted: 90 Lbs. / CY
56.16
WCC - 1301 E. Brockett
1248
Uncompacted: 90 Lbs. / CY
56.16
Notes
Total Estimated Tons MSW / Year
514.80
1* - Pick-Ups occur "on-call," however,
100 % Full
Linda Welch estimated that pick-ups
Total Estimated Tons MSW / Year
actually occur once per week.
90 % Full
Conversion Factors* - These are found in
Total Estimated Tons MSW / Year
CURC's Campus Refuse Profile, 1997.
80 % Full
Containers of Landfill-Bound Waste
463.32
411.84
As noted by Jade Rutledge (2009), the methane gas (CH4) associated with landfilled
waste from Austin College (and other landfill users) is not recovered at the landfill site. Thus,
the measure of landfilled solid waste is entered into the calculator under the column titled, “No
CH4 recovery.”
Wastewater
This emissions source was determined to be de minimus by Jade Rutledge (2009); it was
not re-calculated for the FY 2010 report. However, it was re-calculated for the FY 2012 report
due to new data available via John Jennings. In FY 2012, the College purchased 1,923,990
gallons for domestic use as well as 1,897,200 gallons for irrigation use. Since the latter is used
on grounds and, thus, typically evaporates, it was not counted as “wastewater” for reporting
purposes; only water purchased for domestic use, which ultimately goes to the city treatment
facility, was counted as “wastewater” for reporting purposes.
Paper
According to Purchasing Representative Debra Reed, the College purchased 400 cases of
uncoated freesheet paper during FY 2012; each case weighs 52 lbs. The paper is composed of
20% post-consumer waste. Because there is no input column for 20% post-consumer waste in
the calculator, the paper data were entered in the following manner: 80% at “0% recycled” and
20% at “100% recycled.”
-
400 Cases @ 52 lbs. Each = 20,800 lbs. Total
-
80% of that is 16,640 lbs. – Enter as “0% Recycled”
-
20% of that is 4,160 lbs. – Enter as “100% Recycled”
Offsets and Renewable Energy Credits
The College purchased retail offsets for January Term air travel and renewable energy
credits for the college’s purchased electricity during FY 2012.
Offsets were purchased for the air travel of one international January Term 2012 course
(23 participants of Dede Hosek’s class paid $25 each for flights to and from Paris, France, with a
round-trip mileage of 9,866 miles). In order to incorporate the purchase of these offsets into the
emissions calculator, the total air miles traveled by all paid participants of the course were
calculated (23 x 9,866 = 226,918 miles offset). These air miles (and nothing else, except
alterations to the calculator) were entered into the “Study Abroad Air Miles” column of the
calculator’s “Input” page in order to determine the total MT-eCO2 that the offset air miles
accounted for (56.9 MT-eCO2). Then, the measure of offset MT-eCO2 was entered into the
“Offsets with Additionality” section of the “Input” page under the column “Retail Offsets (High
End).” Note that a clear definition of “high end” vs. “low end” retail offsets was not found; the
calculator yielded the same results when MT-eCO2 of offsets were entered into either “high end”
or “low end” retail offsets. Thus, January Term air travel offsets were entered in the “high end”
category.
REC's must be accounted for from two sources. 1) The College’s long-term electricity
contract includes RECs for 15% of its electricity consumption, and 2) the College buys
additional RECs to reach its annual target for electricity from green sources. Of the 6,338,000
kWh of total REC’s, 15% were included with the electricity contract and 34% were purchased
separately. Effectively, 49% of total purchased electricity was mitigated through the purchase of
REC’s.
The College specifies 100% wind power REC’s for the additional REC purchase but has
less control over the REC’s included with the electricity contract. Prior to this report, analysts
effectively entered the 15% included in the energy contract as 15% of the energy the College was
supplied having been generated by renewable sources (on the Custom Fuel Mix Input page). For
this report, all of the REC’s were entered into the calculator as REC’s (in the “Green Power
Certificates” column) as opposed to the previous procedure.
The REC vendor for the additional 34% was 3Degrees, and the Renewable Energy
Certificate Product Content Label lists "National" as the "Generation Location." These are U.S.
Wind Power REC's; the Applicable Standard is "Green-e Energy National Standard Version 2.2."
If exact sources of the REC’s for the contractual 15% renewable energy can be
determined, this document will be updated appropriately. It’s assumed that the REC’s included
in the electricity contract are Green-e-certified; this, too, will be confirmed if possible.
Alterations to the CACP Calculator
Three alterations were made to the calculator, as per Jade Rutledge’s (2009) procedure.
First, student, faculty, and staff personal vehicle mileage averages, which are given in the
calculator based on national vehicle mpg averages, were changed to represent the actual fuel
efficiency of the cars used by members of the campus community.
Second, because study abroad flights are largely international, the emissions calculator’s
coefficient for the kilograms of CO2 per mile of air travel was multiplied by 0.64 to reflect the
lower emissions per mile for longer, international flights, as opposed to higher emissions per
mile for shorter, domestic flights.
Since takeoff and landing cause the highest amount of
emissions per mile traveled, it was assumed that longer flights yield fewer emissions: the longer
the flight the smaller the proportion of emissions used in takeoff and landing. Thus, long flights
use fewer emissions proportionally during takeoff and landing than shorter flights. When the
calculator determines air travel emissions, it assumes short, domestic flights. Multiplying this
coefficient by 0.64, according to DEFRA (2008), corrects for this difference in efficiency of
domestic and international flights. This alteration applies only to study abroad flights; it was
assumed that all directly financed air travel flights were domestic, and the efficiency of these
flights was not adjusted.
Third, a radiative forcing index (RFI) is used in the calculator to account for the cirrus
clouds that form from the exhaust emitted by airplanes. Radiative forcing is any change in the
balance between radiation coming into the atmosphere and radiation going out. Positive radiative
forcing warms the surface of the earth, and negative radiative forcing cools it (Imperial College,
2005). According to Dr. David Baker (2011), these clouds can increase the earth’s average
surface temperature, contributing to global climate change. The default RFI for air travel in the
calculator is 2.7, which reflects 1992 IPCC measurements; another IPCC study indicated an RFI
of 1. Because various sources indicate that radiative forcing data are inconclusive, an estimated
RFI of 2 was used in the calculator based on the data available; this procedure is consistent with
procedures for the FY 2008 and FY 2010 inventories. If more conclusive data are released in the
near future, the RFI used in the calculator can be altered once again for specificity.
Summary of Emissions Data
Emissions Source
MT-eCO2
% of Total
On-Campus Stationary (Natural Gas)
2413.41
22.66%
Direct Transportation (Fleet Vehicles)
102.92
0.97%
Refrigerants/Chemicals
182.54
1.71%
Agriculture (Fertilizer Application)
13.47
0.13%
Purchased Electricity
6967.36
65.41%
Faculty/Staff Commuting
583.69
5.48%
Student Commuting
234.13
2.20%
Directly Financed Air Travel
505.11
4.74%
Other Directly Financed (Personal Mileage Reimbursement/Bus Miles)
46.70
0.44%
Study Abroad Air Travel
762.27
7.16%
Solid Waste
1595.88
14.98%
Wastewater
0.93
0.01%
Paper Purchasing
25.93
0.24%
Scope 2 T & D Losses
689.08
6.47%
Offsets (Additional)
-56.90
-0.53%
Offsets (Non-Additional)
-3413.99
-32.05%
Net Emissions (Subtract Offsets)
10652.52
100%
Emissions Category
MT-eCO2
% of Total
Total Scope 1
2712.33
19.20%
Total Scope 2
6967.36
49.33%
Total Scope 3
4443.72
31.46%
Total Emissions
14123.41
Net Emissions (Subtract Offsets)
10652.52
100%
Emissions sources highlighted in green were determined to be de minimus, as they accounted for
less than 1% of net emissions.
CACP Calculator Input Data and Sources of Data
Institutional Data
Budgets
Operating Budget
Energy Budget
Population Size
Full Time Students
Sources
Total expenditures for
fiscal year (dollars).
Monetary sum the school
spends on providing
energy (electricity and
natural gas) to oncampus buildings
(dollars).
Sheryl Bradshaw
Population of full time
students.
Registrar’s Office (Must
Complete Online Data
Request Form) – Gail
Gentry
Registrar’s Office (Must
Complete Online Data
Request Form) – Gail
Gentry
Registrar’s Office (Must
Complete Online Data
Request Form) – Gail
Gentry
Keith Larey & Melanie
Oelfke
Keith Larey & Melanie
Oelfke
Part-Time Students
Population of part-time
students.
Summer School
Students
Population of summer
school students.
Faculty
Faculty population.
Staff
Staff population.
Physical Size
Physical Size of
Campus Buildings
Physical Size of
Research Space
Scope 1 Emissions
Size of all on campus
buildings (ft2).
Size of research space
(ft2).
Fuels Used on Campus
Natural Gas
Gasoline Fleet
Sheryl Bradshaw
John Jennings – Keeps a
Master Spreadsheet
Steve Goldsmith & John
Jennings
Fuel used for heating, hot John Jennings
water, and cooking
(MMBtu).
Gasoline used for
- Linda Welch
college-owned vehicles
(Physical Plant
including physical plant,
Purchased Fuel)
police, biology vans, and
staff vehicles (gallons).
Personal miles put on
fleet vehicles not
included.
-
-
-
Keith Larey
(Business/Personal
Miles on College
Vehicles by
Calendar Year),
Caleb Smith
(Mileage of
Biology Vans)
Becky Roberts
(Campus Police
Purchased Fuel)
Refrigerants and Chemicals
Various Refrigerants
Refrigerants that escaped John Jennings
when maintaining
equipment (lbs).
Fertilizer
Amount of Fertilizer
Amount of Fertilizer
John Jennings
(lbs).
% Nitrogen
% nitrogen in fertilizer. If John Jennings
different % nitrogen for
different fertilizer types,
take weighted average of
% nitrogen.
Scope 2 Emissions
Purchased Electricity
Custom Fuel Mix
Amount of electricity and John Jennings
the fuel mix (coal,
natural gas, nuclear, and
renewable energy
sources) used by oncampus buildings (kWh).
Exact fuel mix of electric John Jennings & Peter
utility. % coal, natural
Schulze
gas, nuclear, renewable,
and purchased by
unknown grid sources.
Scope 3 Emissions
Commuting
Student Automobile
Fuel Efficiency
Commuting behavior was used to calculate gallons of
gasoline used by commuters per year.
Average mpg of student
Online Survey of Students
vehicles driven to
campus. Average from
car year, make and
model. EPA mpg
averages were used
% Students Drive
Personal Vehicle
% Students that Carpool
Student Trips per Week
Student Weeks per Year
Student Miles per Trip
Faculty Automobile
Fuel Efficiency
% Faculty Drive
Personal Vehicle
% Faculty that Carpool
Faculty Trips per Week
Faculty Weeks per Year
Faculty Miles per Trip
Staff Automobile Fuel
Efficiency
% Staff Drive Personal
(www.fueleconomy.gov).
% of students that drive
personal vehicles to
campus.
% of students that drive
personal vehicles that
carpool to campus.
Carpooling is defined as
two or more passengers.
Average trips per week
students commuted.
Average weeks per year
students commuted.
Average distance per
round trip that students
commuted (miles).
Average mpg of faculty
vehicles driven to
campus. Average from
car year, make and
model. EPA mpg
averages were used
(www.fueleconomy.gov).
% of faculty that drive
personal vehicles to
campus.
% of faculty that drive
personal vehicles that
carpool to campus.
Carpooling is defined as
two or more passengers.
Average trips per week
faculty commuted.
Average weeks per year
faculty commuted.
Average distance per
round trip that faculty
commuted (miles).
Average mpg of staff
vehicles driven to
campus. Average from
car year, make and
model. EPA mpg
averages were used
(www.fueleconomy.gov).
% of staff that drive
Online Survey of Students
Online Survey of Students
Online Survey of Students
Online Survey of Students
Online Survey of Students
Online Survey of Faculty
Online Survey of Faculty
Online Survey of Faculty
Online Survey of Faculty
Online Survey of Faculty
Online Survey of Faculty
Online Survey of Staff
Online Survey of Staff
Vehicle
personal vehicles to
campus.
% Staff that Carpool
% of staff that drive
personal vehicles that
carpool to campus.
Carpooling is defined as
two or more passengers.
Staff Trips per Week
Average trips per week
staff commuted.
Staff Weeks per Year
Average weeks per year
staff commuted.
Staff Miles per Trip
Average distance per
round trip that staff
commuted (miles).
Directly Financed Air Travel
Faculty/Staff Directly
Total distance of
Financed Air Travel
faculty/staff plane travel
that the school wholly or
partially finances in the
fiscal year (miles).
** Cassie Ensminger
collected coaching staff
air travel data.
Student Directly
Financed Air Travel
Total distance of student
plane travel that the
school wholly or partially
finances in the fiscal year
(miles). Only athletic
teams in this figure.
Other Directly Financed Travel
Bus Travel
Charter bus distance
from fiscal year (miles).
Only athletic teams in
this figure.
Mileage
Distance driven on
Reimbursements for
personal vehicles that the
Personal Vehicle Use
college reimbursed
(miles). The IRS mileage
rates were used to
calculate mileage (IRS
Standard Mileage Rates,
2008).
Online Survey of Staff
Online Survey of Staff
Online Survey of Staff
Online Survey of Staff
-
** New
Technique
Needed for
Faculty & Staff
Air Travel; Data
Not Readily
Available in
Business Office or
HR
- Julie Travis
(Coaching Staff
Air Travel)
Julie Travis (Student
Athletic Flights)
Julie Travis
** New Technique
Needed; Data Not
Readily Available in
Business Office or HR
Study Abroad Travel
Study Abroad Air
Travel
Waste
Solid Waste
Wastewater
Purchased Materials
Office Paper
Offsets
Offsets With
Additionality: High end
Retail Offsets
Total distance of
semester and yearlong
study abroad flights and
January term flights per
fiscal year (miles).
-
** Cassie Ensminger
collected all data.
-
Solid waste sent to the
landfill from Austin
College trash receptacles.
Measured in short tons
(2,000 lbs).
-
Water sent to the city
wastewater treatment
plant (gallons).
Valerie Roberts of
Center for Global
Learning
(Semester and
Year-Long Study
Abroad)
Margie Norman
(January Term,
CSOC, and NSOC)
John Jennings
(Number of
Receptacles and
Frequency of PickUp)
- Jade Rutledge (Use
Same Calculations
as FY 2008)
John Jennings
Amount of office paper
used per year (lbs).
Debra Reed
Purchased offsets for
January Term air miles;
enter only total offset
miles into “Study Abroad
Air Miles” to determine
total MT-eCO2 offset;
enter MT-eCO2 offset
into “High End Retail
Offsets” (Additionality).
January Term Air Travel
Miles from Valerie
Roberts & Margie
Norman; Discuss with
Peter Schulze
Summary of Alterations to the Calculator
Alteration to CACP
Calculator
Student, faculty, and staff
personal vehicle mileage
altered to represent
campus commuting
habits based on
survey results; vehicle
mileages averaged and
entered for FY 2010;
same procedure
used in Rutledge’s
FY 2008 inventory
Study abroad air miles
kg CO2/mile multiplied
by 0.64 to represent
smaller proportion of
emissions for long
(overseas) flights as
opposed to domestic
flights; take-off and
landing portions of
flights yield highest
emissions; directly
financed faculty/staff
air travel not multiplied
by 0.64; majority of these
flights assumed to be
domestic
Input Page on CACP
Calculator
Column(s) in CACP
Calculator
Input_Commuter
V, BG, CR
EF_CO2
BF
Note: must double-click into
equation and add “*0.64” to end
BN
kg CO2/mile for all air
miles multiplied by
2 (instead of 2.7) to
reflect best estimate of
radiative forcing index
(RFI)
EF_Transportation
Note: must double-click into
equation and delete “.7” from end
Calculator Data and Corresponding Input Page/Column(s)
Input Page
Input_InflAdj
CustFuelMix
Input_Commuter
Input
Data to Input
Operating budget
Energy budget
% Coal
% Natural Gas
% Nuclear
Students Commuters
Students One-Way
Trips / Week
Students Weeks / Year
Students Drive Alone
%
Students Carpool %
Students Drive Alone
Miles
Students Carpool Miles
Faculty Commuters
Faculty One-Way Trips
/ Week
Faculty Weeks / Year
Faculty Drive Alone %
Faculty Carpool %
Faculty Drive Alone
Miles
Faculty Carpool Miles
Staff Commuters
Staff One-Way Trips /
Week
Staff Weeks / Year
Staff Drive Alone %
Staff Carpool %
Staff Drive Alone
Miles
Staff Carpool Miles
Full-time students
Part-time students
Summerschool students
Faculty
Staff
Total building (sq. ft.)
Total research building
Column in
CACP
Calculator
C
E
E
F
I
C
D
F
I
J
Q
R
AN
AO
AQ
AT
AU
BB
BC
BY
BZ
CB
CE
CF
CM
CN
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
(sq. ft.)
Natural gas (MMBtu)
Gasoline fleet (gallons)
Diesel fleet (gallons)
HFC-134a (lbs.)
HFC-404a (lbs.)
HCFC-22 (lbs.)
Other refrigerants (lbs.)
Synthetic fertilizer
(lbs.)
% Nitrogen
Purchased electricity
(kWh)
Directly financed
faculty/staff air miles
Directly financed
student air miles
Directly financed bus
miles
Personal mileage
reimbursement
Study abroad air miles
Solid waste no CH4
recovery (short tons)
Wastewater aerobic
(gallons)
Paper 0% recycled
(lbs.)
Paper 100% recycled
(lbs.)
Offsets (high end retail
offsets with
additionality)
Green power
certificates (nonadditional)
AI
AV
AW
BF
BG
BH
BK
BL
BM
BX
CK
CL
CO
CQ
CR
CZ
DD
DG
DK
DN
DQ