| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 69.13 |
| Liaison | Olivia Wiebe |
| Submission Date | Dec. 28, 2023 |
University of Idaho
OP-1: Emissions Inventory and Disclosure
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.94 / 3.00 |
Madison
Dougherty Sustainability Graduate Research Assistant College of Natural Resources |
Has the institution conducted a GHG emissions inventory within the previous three years that includes all Scope 1 and 2 emissions? :
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:
The Student Sustainability Cooperative and Facilities Management gathered the needed information and used Second Nature's Sustainability Indicator Management and Analysis Platform (SIMAP) to complete the 2020 GHG inventory. Additional tools used when more comprehensive tools were available, such as the EPA’s Waste Reduction Model (WARM) for solid waste emissions.
Methodology/tools used:
Scope 1: Data collected from bills to the university (natural gas and fuels) and relevant inventories (animal counts and HVAC refrigerants)
Scope 2: Data collected from utility provider bills to the university
Scope 3:
- Business travel: Air travel data is provided by the Accounts Payable Office.
-Commuting: Data is based on a 2018 commuter survey, fitted to population data.
-Waste: Data provided by Facilities includes landfilled waste after removing recyclable and compostable materials. EPA’s WARM calculator used.
-Food: Data collected by Sodexo in 2019 and fitted to population data for subsequent years.
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 GHG inventory verification process:
Documentation to support the GHG inventory verification process:
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions, performance year:
| Weight in MTCO2e | |
| Stationary combustion | 3,529 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Other sources (mobile combustion, process emissions, fugitive emissions) | 2,923 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Total gross Scope 1 GHG emissions, performance year:
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions, performance year (market-based):
| Weight in MTCO2e | |
| Imported electricity | 10,491 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Imported thermal energy | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Total gross Scope 2 GHG emissions, performance year:
Gross GHG emissions from biogenic sources, performance year:
Does the GHG emissions inventory include Scope 3 emissions from the following sources?:
| Yes or No | Weight in MTCO2e | |
| Business travel | Yes | 1,306 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Commuting | Yes | 1,056 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Purchased goods and services | No | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Capital goods | No | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 | Yes | 444 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Waste generated in operations | Yes | 164 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Other sources | Yes | 989 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Total Scope 3 GHG emissions, performance year:
A brief description of how the institution accounted for its Scope 3 emissions:
- Business travel: Air/vehicle travel data provided by the Accounts Payable Office.
-Commuting: Data is based on a 2018 commuter survey, fitted to population data.
-Waste: Data provided by Facilities includes landfilled waste after removing recyclable and compostable materials.
-Food: Data collected by Sodexo in 2019 and fitted to population data for subsequent years.
T&D losses: Estimated from the EPA’s eGRID program for the NWPP sub-region.
-Wastewater: Data on number of gallons pumped from wells tracked with appropriate treatment type from Moscow wastewater treatment plant.
Has the institution completed an inventory within the previous three years to quantify its air pollutant emissions?:
Annual weight of emissions for::
| Weight of Emissions | |
| Nitrogen oxides (NOx) | 43.36 Tons |
| Sulfur oxides (SOx) | 4.68 Tons |
| Carbon monoxide (CO) | 113.69 Tons |
| Particulate matter (PM) | 11.27 Tons |
| Ozone (O3) | 0 Tons |
| Lead (Pb) | 0 Tons |
| Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) | 3.30 Tons |
| Ozone-depleting compounds (ODCs) | 0 Tons |
| Other standard categories of air emissions identified in permits and/or regulations | 0 Tons |
Do the air pollutant emissions figures provided include the following sources?:
| Yes or No | |
| Major stationary sources | Yes |
| Area sources | No |
| Mobile sources | No |
| Commuting | No |
| Off-site electricity production | No |
A brief description of the methodology(ies) the institution used to complete its air emissions inventory:
To complete its air emissions inventory, the UI uses “Method 5” by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (IDEQ) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Particulate matter is withdrawn isokinetically from the source and collected on a glass fiber filter maintained at a temperature of 120 ±14 °C (248 ±25 °F) or such other temperature as specified by an applicable subpart of the standards or approved by the Administrator for a particular application. The PM mass, which includes any material that condenses at or above the filtration temperature, is determined gravimetrically after the removal of uncombined water.
For more information about the IDEQ/EPA Method 5 visit: https://www.epa.gov/emc/method-5-particulate-matter-pm
Method 5 is also described within the UI Bison Engineering Report, "Determination of Particulate Emissions from Stationary Sources (Methods 2 & 4 Inclusive). The objective of Method 5 is to determine the filterable particulate matter (PM) from a source. Method 5 is an isokinetic sampling method (i.e., the velocity of sample stream entering the nozzle is approximately equal to the velocity of the approaching sample stream) for determination of PM. The exhaust gas stream is sampled along a cross-section of the stack and PM is captured within the nozzle, probe, filter-bell and on the 0.3 micron pore size glass fiber filter. The filter is maintained at a temperature of 248°F±25°F followed by impingers maintained at a temperature below 64°F. Bison uses a Method 5 sampling train with a stainless steel probe liner and nozzles to gather the particulate sample. Method 5 incorporates Method 2 "velocity measurements" and Method 4 "moisture measurements." Field data, spreadsheet calculations, example calculations, and pitot tube, probe alignment and thermal indicator calibrations are included in the report appendices”.
*All quantities are calculated based on emission factors from University of Idaho's DEQ air quality permit and the 2022 emissions inventory report. Based on our permit, we annually inventory 5 emission parameters, PM10, SO2, NOx, CO, and VOCs. We monitor the emissions of 11 stationery sources: a wood fired boiler, 3 natural gas fired boilers, and 7 emergency generators.
*The particulate matter quantity (PM) only accounts for PM-10 emissions.
*The hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) quantity only accounts for VOCs
*For our air quality permit, we do not track lead, ozone, or ODCs.
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity (location-based):
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported thermal energy (location-based) :
Website URL where information about the institution’s emissions inventories is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Notes:
COVID-19 related budget restrictions led to the restructuring of sustainability staff in 2020. The remaining sustainability staff shifted focus to student engagement programming as a result of the restructuring, and relevant campus partners were reorganized in the concurrent utility concessionaire, leaving human resources unavailable to conduct GHG inventories in 2021 or 2022. A University Director of Sustainability was hired in the end of 2022, under whom an Office of Sustainability was founded in 2023. This team is currently working on the next Greenhouse Gas Inventory for 2024.
Air Pollutant Inventory:
The university measures air pollutant emissions as required by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality as a Tier 1 emitter. Air pollutant emissions from natural gas or vehicle use are not inventoried, only carbon.
For more information about the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality please visit: http://www.deq.idaho.gov/air-quality/
* Our performance year for this credit is 2022, which is different than our performance year in OP-2 - hence the discrepancy in volumes. We are currently in the process of collecting the data for our 2023 greenhouse gas emissions inventory, to be completed by UI graduate students by spring semester 2024.
Notes:
COVID-19 related budget restrictions led to the restructuring of sustainability staff in 2020. The remaining sustainability staff shifted focus to student engagement programming as a result of the restructuring, and relevant campus partners were reorganized in the concurrent utility concessionaire, leaving human resources unavailable to conduct GHG inventories in 2021 or 2022. A University Director of Sustainability was hired in the end of 2022, under whom an Office of Sustainability was founded in 2023. This team is currently working on the next Greenhouse Gas Inventory for 2024.
Air Pollutant Inventory:
The university measures air pollutant emissions as required by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality as a Tier 1 emitter. Air pollutant emissions from natural gas or vehicle use are not inventoried, only carbon.
For more information about the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality please visit: http://www.deq.idaho.gov/air-quality/
* Our performance year for this credit is 2022, which is different than our performance year in OP-2 - hence the discrepancy in volumes. We are currently in the process of collecting the data for our 2023 greenhouse gas emissions inventory, to be completed by UI graduate students by spring semester 2024.
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.