Blueprint for a Green Campus (2000 Edition)

Creating a Climate-Friendly Campus

The Vision

CU commits to meet the emissions reduction targets of the Kyoto Protocol which would reduce CU’s greenhouse gas emissions by seven percent below 1990 levels by 2010.

Global warming is caused by excess carbon dioxide and other "greenhouse" gases (such as methane, ozone, and CFCs). These gases absorb infrared radiation and re-radiate it, increasing the surface temperature of the planet. In 1988, the nations of the world appointed the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), consisting of more than 2000 leading experts from around the world, to assess the science and economics of climate change. In a landmark 1995 report, the IPCC concluded that "the balance of evidence suggests a discernible human influence on global climate."

The evidence continues to accumulate. The planet's 12 warmest years on record have all occurred since 1980, and the 1990s as a whole have been the warmest decade in an estimated 1200 years. 1998 broke the previous record set in 1997, and 1999 has just exceeded the 1998 records.

In 1997, more than 150 nations adopted the Kyoto Protocol. Industrialized nations agreed make legally binding reductions of varying amounts in their emissions of six greenhouse gases -- carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride. The United States pledged to reduce its emissions of these gases by 7 percent from 1990 levels by the year 2010.

The United States Senate, however, has not ratified the agreement. In response, many institutions and corporations have committed to meeting or exceeding the Kyoto Protocol emission targets on their own. For example, the Dupont Corporation has a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from their global operations (on a carbon-equivalent basis) by 45 percent by the year 2000. Tufts University has committed to meet the goal of a seven percent reduction in emissions by 2010.

We propose that the University of Colorado at Boulder take up this challenge, and join these institutions in committing to abide by the emissions reductions goals set for the United States. Given the enormous concentration of research in the atmospheric sciences at CU and the federal labs in Boulder, it would be very appropriate for CU to make this commitment.

Master Plan Language

The new master plan for CU Boulder that was adopted by the Board of Regents in February 2000 recognizes the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving energy efficiency. The following language addresses this:

CU-Boulder should endeavor to minimize pollutants that degrade air quality and/or that contribute to worldwide environmental concerns such as the "greenhouse effect." (Section IV.D.1)
Upgrade institutional fleet vehicles with new cleaner-burning diesel buses and (where feasible) with vehicles using innovative technologies for propulsion such as electric and hybrid-electric. (Section IV.D.1)
Conserve energy to mitigate environmental impacts and to reduce costs. (Section IV.D.7)
Environmental impacts associated with the acquisition, production, and distribution of campus utilities should be minimized. (Section IV.F.2)

Current and Planned Initiatives

The design standards for new buildings include low-wattage lighting systems, envelope insulation, high-performance glazing systems, efficient cooling systems featuring evaporative cooling where appropriate, and microprocessor-based temperature controls.

Over the years, a number of significant buildings on campus have been retrofitted to bring them up to a similar standard. The Boulder campus administration also annually re-invests a portion of the associated utility savings annually back into campus buildings for a variety of purposes including piping insulation, high-efficiency motors, heat recovery systems, and window films.

In 1992, the campus built a high efficiency natural gas co-generation plant to produce both electricity and heat. Despite these efforts, campus energy use and associated emissions is growing rapidly. The current peak demand on the co-generation facility, including the East Campus, is about 18 megawatts. Within ten years, peak demand is projected at up to 29 megawatts.

One current project is to determine the feasibility of retrofitting virtually every General Fund-supported building on campus with high efficiency lighting systems. Options for funding such an undertaking, which could take several years to implement, include partnering with a third-party entity such as an energy service company (ESCO).

The Recreation Center is instituting a new energy conservation project in partnership with Long and Associates, a private energy services contractor in Englewood. Upgrades, retrofits and modifications in lighting systems, ice rink and pool facilities, water meters, fan controls and utility tracking systems are expected to yield energy savings of more than $40,000 annually. Work is scheduled to begin right away and will take two months to complete. The $304,703 project, which included a technical energy audit, was funded with a 10-year loan from the University Treasurer's Office.

Additional Steps Needed to Achieve the Goal

CU could adopt stronger energy standards for new construction and renovation projects. Many of these steps will have a positive payback. Areas to consider include high performance windows, solar design, daylighting, efficient heating and cooling systems, and building orientation.

CU could begin purchasing renewable electricity such as WindSource, the wind-generated electricity offered by Public Service Company of Colorado. The purchase of the output of one wind turbine, at an annual cost increment of approximately $50,000, would produce 2 million kWh of electricity and would save an estimated 1,400 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, 14,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide emissions and 10,000 pounds of nitrogen oxide emissions annually if compared to the same amount of electricity produced by burning fossil fuels.

Passenger vehicle hybrids that get 60 to 70 miles per gallon are now available, and hybrid electric buses are now in use on one route in Denver. As CU replaces existing vehicles, both small passenger vehicles and buses, the purchase of hybrid electric vehicles would significantly cut carbon dioxide emissions.

Since mobile sources are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, taking steps to cap traffic growth will also have a major impact (See transportation section).

Measurement

To measure this, we need to conduct an emissions inventory and track emissions over time.

Student Support

Last fall the Environmental Center conducted a scientific survey of student attitudes on the environment. Two of the questions addressed campus energy use. Students overwhelmingly support the purchase of wind-generated power at CU, even if it means an increase in student fees. By more than a two to one margin, respondents said they would support a fee increase of $1.00 or more per semester. (Sixty percent supported and twenty-eight percent opposed paying more than $1.00 extra). Half of those surveyed said that they would pay an extra $3.00 or more for clean energy. Some 88 percent of those surveyed said CU should invest in energy efficiency throughout campus to delay the possible need for a new power plant, while just six percent of respondents said that the university should construct a new power plant rather than invest in energy efficiency.

References

Houghton et al, Climate Change 1995, Cambridge University Press, 1995

Pew Center for Climate Change, www.pewclimate.org

Tufts University Climate Initiative, www.tufts.edu/tie/tci.html

Tulane Office of Environmental Affairs, http://www.tulane.edu/~eaffairs/energybib.html

What's New?

ENVS 4100: Campus Carbon Neutral Class