Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 66.39
Liaison Shane Stennes
Submission Date Dec. 15, 2015
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
OP-1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.02 / 10.00 August Horner
Sustainability Student Asst
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution's GHG emissions inventory include all Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions?:
Yes

Does the institution's GHG emissions inventory include all Scope 3 GHG emissions from any of the following categories?:
Yes or No
Business travel No
Commuting Yes
Purchased goods and services No
Capital goods No
Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 No
Waste generated in operations No

Does the institution's GHG emissions inventory include Scope 3 emissions from other categories?:
Yes

A brief description of the methodology and/or tool used to complete the GHG emissions inventory:

Campuscarbon.com was used to collect and calculate all carbon 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?:
No

A brief description of the internal and/or external verification process:
---

Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions::
Performance Year Baseline Year
Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion 149,167 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 186,447 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity 267,622 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 288,041 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Scope 2 GHG emissions from other sources 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Figures needed to determine total carbon offsets::
Performance Year Baseline Year
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
Third-party verified carbon offsets purchased 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

A brief description of the institution-catalyzed carbon offsets program:
---

A brief description of the carbon sequestration program and reporting protocol used:
---

A brief description of the composting and carbon storage program:
---

A brief description of the purchased carbon offsets, including third party verifier(s) and contract timeframes:
---

Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”::
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of residential students 6,975 6,577
Number of residential employees 18 18
Number of in-patient hospital beds 1,932 1,932
Full-time equivalent enrollment 45,291.65 44,394.24
Full-time equivalent of employees 18,475 17,053
Full-time equivalent of distance education students 596 88

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Year July 1, 2014 June 30, 2015
Baseline Year July 1, 2007 June 30, 2008

A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted:

To keep consistent to the rest of the reports baseline years.


Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
23,384,200 Square feet

Floor area of energy intensive building space, performance year:
Floor Area
Laboratory space 1,994,998 Square feet
Healthcare space 421,064 Square feet
Other energy intensive space 3,261,599 Square feet

Scope 3 GHG emissions, performance year::
Emissions
Business travel 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Commuting 38,984.28 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Purchased goods and services 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Capital goods 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Waste generated in operations 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Other categories (please specify below) 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

A brief description of the sources included in Scope 3 GHG emissions from "other categories":

Student and Faculty commuting were taken into consideration for FY13.


A copy of the most recent GHG emissions inventory:
---

The website URL where the GHG emissions inventory is posted:
A brief description of the institution’s GHG emissions reduction initiatives, including efforts made during the previous three years:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities completed installation of a 38.4 kilowatt solar array on the roof of the University Office Plaza Building (2221 University Avenue) in March 2012. The campus’s second solar array will help reduce CO2 emissions, provide research opportunities and promote clean energy technology, research and development. It is expected to generate 3.8% of the building’s electricity (approximately 45,800 kilowatt hours per year) and reduce emissions by 38 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year.

The panels are equipped with technology that allows for remote monitoring of individual panel performance. In addition, a meteorological station was installed on the roof to provide information about weather and its impacts on the solar array. Data from these systems will aid campus research and be made public on a website in the future.

Solar Array Weather Instruments
Meteorological Station
The University is a partner in the Energy Innovation Corridor (EIC) which showcases energy efficiency, renewable energy, transportation and smart technology along the 11 mile area surrounding the planned Central Corridor Light Rail. Funding for the $292,500 system came through the City of Minneapolis as part of a $1.35 million grant awarded to the EIC from the Minnesota Department of Commerce’s Office of Energy Security. Rebates from Xcel Energy are also helping with installation costs. This new addition to the EIC promotes the latest cutting-edge solar technology. The panels installed are among the most efficient, producing more power per panel than most other solar panels available on the market today.

The solar array is another example of the University’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In January 2012 the Twin Cities campus released its second climate action plan. The plan identifies steps the Twin Cities campus will take during the next 10 years to cut its greenhouse gas emissions nearly in half. To realize this target, the campus is continuing its aggressive effort to reduce campus energy use through programs like the It All Adds Up conservation campaign and Energy Management’s building recommissioning program.

Collectively, It All Adds Up and building recommissioning have helped the University reduce annual energy use, avoid over $7 million in additional utility costs, and release 50,000 fewer tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. The campus’s climate action plan also calls for a switch to more efficient and lower emissions sources of energy production, like the combined heat and power (CHP) facility under construction on the Minneapolis campus. This facility will more efficiently create steam and electricity for campus use and result in fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

More information on the CHP and the University’s climate action plan is available online at http://govrelations.umn.edu/capital/power-plant.html and http://z.umn.edu/cap.


The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities completed installation of a 38.4 kilowatt solar array on the roof of the University Office Plaza Building (2221 University Avenue) in March 2012. The campus’s second solar array will help reduce CO2 emissions, provide research opportunities and promote clean energy technology, research and development. It is expected to generate 3.8% of the building’s electricity (approximately 45,800 kilowatt hours per year) and reduce emissions by 38 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year.

The panels are equipped with technology that allows for remote monitoring of individual panel performance. In addition, a meteorological station was installed on the roof to provide information about weather and its impacts on the solar array. Data from these systems will aid campus research and be made public on a website in the future.

Solar Array Weather Instruments
Meteorological Station
The University is a partner in the Energy Innovation Corridor (EIC) which showcases energy efficiency, renewable energy, transportation and smart technology along the 11 mile area surrounding the planned Central Corridor Light Rail. Funding for the $292,500 system came through the City of Minneapolis as part of a $1.35 million grant awarded to the EIC from the Minnesota Department of Commerce’s Office of Energy Security. Rebates from Xcel Energy are also helping with installation costs. This new addition to the EIC promotes the latest cutting-edge solar technology. The panels installed are among the most efficient, producing more power per panel than most other solar panels available on the market today.

The solar array is another example of the University’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In January 2012 the Twin Cities campus released its second climate action plan. The plan identifies steps the Twin Cities campus will take during the next 10 years to cut its greenhouse gas emissions nearly in half. To realize this target, the campus is continuing its aggressive effort to reduce campus energy use through programs like the It All Adds Up conservation campaign and Energy Management’s building recommissioning program.

Collectively, It All Adds Up and building recommissioning have helped the University reduce annual energy use, avoid over $7 million in additional utility costs, and release 50,000 fewer tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. The campus’s climate action plan also calls for a switch to more efficient and lower emissions sources of energy production, like the combined heat and power (CHP) facility under construction on the Minneapolis campus. This facility will more efficiently create steam and electricity for campus use and result in fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

More information on the CHP and the University’s climate action plan is available online at http://govrelations.umn.edu/capital/power-plant.html and http://z.umn.edu/cap.

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.