| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 75.14 |
| Liaison | Kylee Singh |
| Submission Date | July 10, 2023 |
California Polytechnic State University
OP-2: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
5.72 / 8.00 |
Edgar
Palacios Energy and Sustainability Analyst Facilities Management and Development |
Gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion | 11,732 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 11,685.10 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources | 2,750 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 3,283 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported electricity | 1,668 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 7,072.88 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported thermal energy | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Total | 16,150 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 22,040.98 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Figures needed to determine net carbon sinks:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Third-party verified carbon offsets purchased | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Institution-catalyzed carbon offsets generated | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Carbon storage from on-site composting | 1,900 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Carbon storage from non-additional sequestration | 579 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Carbon sold or transferred | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Net carbon sinks | 1,900 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
A brief description of the carbon sinks, including vendor, project source, verification program and contract timeframes (as applicable):
Carbon Storage from non-additional sequestration: Cal Poly has two carbon farming plans the university is working to implement.
Swanton Pacific Carbon Farm Plan- The Center for Sustainability, together with the Carbon Cycle Institute, the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County, and Swanton Pacific Ranch (SPR), has developed a Carbon Farm Plan for the organically managed acreage at SPR. The data and carbon sequestration calculations can be found in the finished SPR Carbon Farm Plan here: http://cfs.calpoly.edu/carbon_farm_plan Existing projects are estimated at 579 tons/ year of question.
Cal Poly Ranches Carbon Farming Plan- Prepared by the Coastal San Luis Resource Conservation District, this plan specifies strategies to reduce carbon on roughly 4,000 acres of Cal Poly owned and managed rangelands. As of 2023, roughly 579 tons of carbon have been sequestered due to numerous projects which have been implemented. This plan can be found here: https://storage.googleapis.com/coastalrcd-org/uploads/2021/08/138c1ddf-cp-ranches-carbon-farm-plan.pdf
Carbon Storage from on-site composting- In order to calculate carbon storage from the Cal Poly's on-site composting facility we consulted with Jeff Creque, Director of Rangeland and Agroecosystem Management, Carbon Cycle Institute (www.carboncycle.org/about-cci/team/) he shared his method for calculation but ultimately said it is best to assume a 1 to 1 ratio, for every ton of compost produced you can assume a ton of CO2 stored.
Annually, Cal Poly produces 3500 yards of finished composted that is either sold, or most liekyl used on campus. 3500 yards* (1200lbs/yd) *(1ton/2204 lbs) * (1ton compost/ 1 ton of CO2) = 1,900 tons of finished composting resulting in 1,900 tons of CO2 sequestered from on-campus composting.
Adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Adjusted net GHG emissions | 14,250 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 22,040.98 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Start date | July 1, 2021 | July 1, 1990 |
| End date | June 30, 2022 | June 30, 1991 |
A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted:
California implemented the legally binding Global Warming Solutions Act (AB32) in 2006, which commits the state to reducing its emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, and by an additional 80 percent by 2050. Given that the performance year typically submitted is adjusted to the academic fiscal year then it is appropriate to adjust the baseline to FY 1990-1991.
Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 8,500 | 2,775 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 18 | 9 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 14 | 1 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 20,892 | 15,899 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 2,325 | 1,884 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 0 | 0 |
| Weighted Campus Users | 19,556.25 | 14,034.25 |
Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user | 0.73 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 1.57 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Percentage reduction in adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user from baseline:
Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
Floor area of energy intensive building space, performance year:
| Floor area | |
| Laboratory space | 85,034 Square feet |
| Healthcare space | 9,110 Square feet |
| Other energy intensive space | 67,195 Square feet |
EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions per unit of EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
A brief description of the institution’s GHG emissions reduction initiatives:
Cal Poly continues to make progress on its goal of carbon neutrality by 2050, reducing total greenhouse gas emissions by 35 percent over compared to 1990 baseline emissions, despite roughly doubling the square-footage of campus.
The goal to reduce emissions to pre-1990 levels by 2020 was met five years ahead of the state mandate, despite ~100 percent growth in building square footage and on-campus housing since that time. Much of this progress has to do with greater renewable energy generation across the state from solar and wind, leading to PG&E’s electricity mix being 91% GHG-free. In addition, with completion of Cal Poly’s 4.5 MW Gold Tree Solar Farm in May of 2018, and the YTT 431 kW solar array in 2021, nearly 30% of Cal Poly’s total electricity needs are now being met by on-site solar generation, with more solar projects in development.
Natural gas (methane) consumption and commuter transportation together make up roughly 80% of Cal Poly’s remaining emissions, with agricultural operations, electricity, waste, fleet fuels and water use making up the remainder. Thus, the greatest challenge Cal Poly faces on its path to carbon neutrality is transforming the way commuters get to campus, and how campus generates heat for spacing and water heating.
For transportation, Parking Services (TAPS) has implemented numerous initiatives to reduce emissions from commuting, including free bus passes, development of an on-campus circulator shuttle, prohibition of cars for freshmen living on campus, continual addition of bike racks (and lockers), and expansion of ZipCar for on-campus students and vanpool programs for employees. TAPS has also installed 36 level II electric vehicle car charging stations at 3 different parking garages/ lots, with more planned. The 2022 campus Transportation Survey found that while the number of electric vehicle miles traveled (VMTs) is increasing, it also found the length of travel for staff/ faculty increasing. This reflects the high cost of housing in San Luis Obispo, and the fact that many faculty/ staff live increasingly far away from campus and are commuting in father distances. On-campus housing for both faculty/ staff and students is in development and remains one of the biggest strategies to reduce commuter emissions.
For natural gas consumption, Cal Poly is working to build all-electric new buildings and also looking for retrofit opportunities where converting gas equipment to electric heat pump technology is cost-effective and feasible. Cal Poly’s 2019 Utility Master Plan identified that the main campus central plant is a good candidate for heat recovery chiller technology whereby the waste heat from the chiller, which is normally rejected to the atmosphere via cooling towers, can be transferred to the campus boiler plant/ heating loop. This could lead to a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from natural gas on campus and is one of the primary projects as part of a ~$200 million DEEP energy project that is currently being developed.
As of June 2023, Cal Poly was in the process of finalizing its 2nd Climate Action Plan.
Website URL where information about the institution's GHG emissions is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.