Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
---|---|
Overall Score | 60.66 |
Liaison | Enid Cardinal |
Submission Date | March 30, 2018 |
Executive Letter | Download |
Rochester Institute of Technology
OP-1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Status | Score | Responsible Party |
---|---|---|
6.77 / 10.00 |
Enid
Cardinal Senior Sustainability Advisor to the President Office of the President |
Has the institution conducted a GHG emissions inventory that includes all Scope 1 and 2 emissions? :
Does the institution’s GHG emissions inventory include all, some or none of its Scope 3 GHG emissions from the following categories?:
All, Some, or None | |
Business travel | Some |
Commuting | All |
Purchased goods and services | None |
Capital goods | None |
Waste generated in operations | All |
Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 | All |
Other categories | None |
A copy of the most recent GHG emissions inventory:
A brief description of the methodology and/or tool used to complete the GHG emissions inventory, including how the institution accounted for each category of Scope 3 emissions reported above:
RIT uses the Campus Carbon Calculator to calculate its GHG emissions.
Has the GHG emissions inventory been validated internally by personnel who are independent of the GHG accounting and reporting process and/or verified by an independent, external third party?:
A brief description of the internal and/or external verification process:
RIT participated in Chevy's Campus Clean energy program. As part of the program our process and inventories were reviewed by VCS.
Documentation to support the internal and/or external verification process:
Does the institution wish to pursue Part 2 and Part 3 of this credit? (reductions in Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions):
Gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions:
Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion | 19,575.90 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 25,720.94 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources | 600.80 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 1,417.60 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity | 13,383.50 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 29,890.80 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from other sources | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Total | 33,560.20 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 57,029.34 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date | End Date | |
Performance Year | July 1, 2015 | June 30, 2016 |
Baseline Year | July 1, 2008 | June 30, 2009 |
A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted (e.g. in sustainability plans and policies or in the context of other reporting obligations):
Figures needed to determine total carbon offsets:
Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
Third-party verified carbon offsets purchased (exclude purchased RECs/GOs) | 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 sequestration due to land that the institution manages specifically for sequestration | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Carbon storage from on-site composting | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Carbon offsets included above for which the emissions reductions have been sold or transferred by the institution | 1,795 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Net carbon offsets | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
A brief description of the offsets in each category reported above, including vendor, project source, verification program and contract timeframes (as applicable):
RIT was a participant in Chevrolet’s Campus Clean Energy Campaign and sold a total of 7,588 MTCO2e reductions that occurred over a 3 year period beginning in 2012. Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) was used for this project.
Emissions reductions attributable to Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) or Guarantee of Origin (GO) purchases:
Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
Emissions reductions attributable to REC/GO purchases | 1,914.20 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
A brief description of the purchased RECs/GOs including vendor, project source and verification program:
Through RIT's electricity provider, Constellation NewEnergy, RIT purchases national Green-e certified wind REC's. It is specified in RIT's contract that we will purchase REC's for 15% of our electricity usage.
Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions:
Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions | 31,646 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 57,029.34 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
Number of students resident on-site | 7,194 | 8,263 |
Number of employees resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds | 0 | 0 |
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 13,906 | 12,493 |
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) | 3,488 | 3,231 |
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 123 | 219 |
Weighted campus users | 14,751.75 | 13,694.50 |
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 | 2.15 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 4.16 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 | 664,178 Square feet |
Healthcare space | 0 Square feet |
Other energy intensive space | 86,252 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:
Scope 3 GHG emissions, performance year:
Emissions | |
Business travel | 4,188.30 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Commuting | 16,638.20 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Purchased goods and services | --- |
Capital goods | --- |
Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 | 1,351.20 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Waste generated in operations | --- |
Other categories | --- |
A brief description of the institution’s GHG emissions reduction initiatives, including efforts made during the previous three years:
In 2015 RIT installed a 2 MW solar array on campus through a power purchasing agreement. The installation of a second 2 MW array is currently in process and should be operational summer of 2018. RIT has been inventorying the current CO2 sequestration of its soils and biomass in an effort to begin increasing sequestration on-campus through landuse changes.
In 2009 RIT completed a major heating and cooling plant renovation, Replacing building level heating and cooling units with two centralized high efficient plants supplying heat and AC to the majority of the buildings. This major infrastructure upgrade resulted in a significant reduction in GHG emissions.
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The numbers in the "Weighted Campus user section" are for FY16 (July 1, 2015-June 30, 2016), which was when most recent GHG inventory was completed. These numbers differ slightly from Credit IC-3. This is because IC-3 numbers are for FY17 (July 1, 2016- June 30, 2017). RIT will submit and updated GHG inventory to Second Nature this next academic year, for July 1, 2017- June 30, 2018.
The numbers in the "Weighted Campus user section" are for FY16 (July 1, 2015-June 30, 2016), which was when most recent GHG inventory was completed. These numbers differ slightly from Credit IC-3. This is because IC-3 numbers are for FY17 (July 1, 2016- June 30, 2017). RIT will submit and updated GHG inventory to Second Nature this next academic year, for July 1, 2017- June 30, 2018.
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.