# Presentation: 342233

## Greenhouse Gas Inventorying and Mitigation at Penn State University

- Rob Neff
- Department of Geography
- Penn State University

## Introduction

- Research Context for Campus-Level Work
- Environmental Context for GHG Work
- GHG Inventory
- 1997
- 1990 & Current
- Mitigation
- Current Efforts
- Future Directions

## Research Context

- Center for Integrated Regional Assessment (CIRA) GHG Initiative
- Cross-scale GHG inventories and mitigation action plans
- Human-Environment Regional Observatories (HERO)
- Develop infrastructure
- Protocols
- Cross-site collaboration
- “Meta-Protocols”
- Collaboratory

## Penn State Environmental Context

- Environmental Stewardship
- The responsibility of Penn State to manage its operations with proper regard to environmental consequences and to the rights of others
- Moving toward environmentally sustainable behavior
- Current focus on no-regrets and/or low-cost

## Strategy Focus Areas

- Purchasing
- Conserve energy and water
- Minimize solid waste
- Minimize toxic material use and hazardous waste
- Planning and design
- Regulatory compliance

**Notes:**
We have seven main focus areas.  Will review progress in each one.
There are many people working on the strategy I will high light a few, but please understand that there are many more working every day on the strategy

## GHG Inventories

- 1997 inventory completed during GCLP project by Steve Lachman
- Approached by Office of Physical Plant to do 1990 and 2000
- Inform mitigation action plan
- Contextualize ongoing efforts to reduce emissions

## 1997 GHG Emissions

## 1997 Energy Emissions

## 1990 & Current Inventory

-  Q: Why do local Inventories?
-  A: To inform mitigation action plans
-  Three approaches:
- Geographically based
- Consumption based
- Agency based
- Agency based approach
- Informs mitigation action plans
- Requires very specific local data

## 1990 & Current Inventory

- Point Sources
- Buildings
- Other Facilities
- Energy Generation
- Transportation
- Previous inventory based on regional average commute
- Specific data available for all parking permit holders

## Mitigation Efforts

- Current Efforts
- Energy
- Transportation
- Future Directions

## Energy Mitigation Efforts

- Energy efficiency
- Buildings
- Recommissioning
- Total costs $780,000
- Annual savings $219,000
- Simple payback 3.61 years
- Commissioning new buildings
- ASHRAE Standards
- Water
- Water savings
- Also reduces sewage

## Energy Mitigation Efforts

- Green Energy
- 5% of electricity from wind power (through offsets)
- $0.014/kWh premium for wind power
- Annual purchased electric costs  $18,807,000
- Cost of wind power $246,400
- 1.3% of cost

## Energy Star Purchasing 

- Most electronic equipment is already energy star rated so there is no price differential
- Financial incentive
- Purchased 930 refrigerators/microwaves
- Low bid $344 cheaper but not Energy Star rated.
- Buying second bidder’s Energy Star rated equipment would save $6273 a year in electricity
- Bought the Energy Star product
- Computers
- More LCD Screens
- Activate Energy Star Features

## Energy Consumption

## Transportation Mitigation Efforts

- Bus Passes
- Must surrender parking pass
- Small number of one-day passes permitted
- Reduce demand for parking, minimize new lot construction
- Free Ridership
- Campus and Town Loops, Link Service
- Possibility of free ridership on entire system, but complicated

## Future Directions

- Develop mitigation action plan specifically for GHGs based on inventories
- Promote alternative energy sources
- New wind turbine development
- Fuel-cell development
- Buildings
- Must be cost-effective