Class Project ReportSustainable Air Quality, EECE 449/549, Spring 2008

Washington University, St. Loui, MO

Carbon Footprint of Danforth Campus Buildings

Instructors: Professor Rudolf B. Husar, Erin M. Robinson

For more details see the class wiki

Students:Devki DesaiMartin GroenewegenTyler NadingKate NelsonMatt SculnickAlyssa SmithVarun Yadav

Causality Framework for University Carbon Footprint

• People do activities, which need materials, materials need energy and energy produces carbon emission.

• Collecting data we can look at historical trends and using causality factors we can project different scenarios.

University Population

Activities (Expenditures)

Buildings Sq. Ft

Heating

Cooling Fuel Cons.

Fuel Cons.

C Emission

C Emission

Appliances Fuel Cons. C Emission

Energy

sionCarbonEmis

SqFt

Energy

esExpenditur

FtSq

Student

esExpenditurStudentsEmission

$

$#

Transportation

Causality Framework for University Carbon Footprint

• People do activities, which need materials, materials need energy and energy produces carbon emission.

• Collecting data we can look at historical trends and using causality factors we can project different scenarios.

University Population

Activities (Expenditures)

Buildings Sq. Ft Fuel Cons. C Emission

Fuel Cons. C Emission

Energy

sionCarbonEmis

SqFt

Energy

esExpenditur

FtSq

Student

esExpenditurStudentsEmission

$

$#

Transportation

Electr. Cons

Fuel Cons. C EmissionFuel Cons.

Danforth Campus Population

• The population is driven by student population • From 1990-2005 the population has fluctuated with one decade of decline and one decade of growth. • Overall there has been a 10% increase in student population

Danforth Campus Population

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030Year

# o

f P

eo

ple

(th

ou

san

ds)

# Students Faculty Staff Total Population

Energy

Carbon

SqFt

Energy

Expen

FtSq

Student

ExpenStudentsEmission

$

$#

University Expenditures

• Adjusted for inflation…• Expenditures include Instruction, Research, Academic, Student and Institutional support, Scholarships/Fellowships, Operation and

Maintenance of Physical Plant • University Expenditures increased by 70% between 1990-2005; Research expenditures increased by 100% over the same time period. • Measure of prosperity.

University Expendenditures

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030

Year

$ (m

illio

ns)

Operational Expendenditures ($) Research Expenditures ($)

University Expendenditures - Normailized, 1990

0.00

0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030

Year

Rat

io t

o 1

990

Operational Expenditures ($) Research Expenditures ($)

Energy

Carbon

SqFt

Energy

Expen

FtSq

Student

ExpenStudentsEmission

$

$#

University Expenditures per Student

• Since fluctuations in population are due to the student population magnitude and fluctuation, student pop. is used as a normalizer.

• $/Student have increased by over 50% between 1990-2005.

University Expendenditures per Student

0.00

10.00

20.00

30.00

40.00

50.00

60.00

70.00

80.00

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030

(Th

ou

san

ds

$)

Year

$/S

tud

ent

Operational $ per student Research $ per Student

University Expendenditures per Student - Normailized, 1990

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

2

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030

Year

Rat

io t

o 1

990

$ /P

erso

n

Research $ per Student Operational $ per Student

Energy

Carbon

SqFt

Energy

Expen

FtSq

Student

ExpenStudentsEmission

$

$#

Danforth Campus Size

• Total square feet for the Danforth Campus has increased by over 60%. Assigned research square footage doesn’t show a clear trend, however it is a small portion of the overall space.

• Total square feet /student increased by almost 50%.

Danforth Campus Square Footage per Student

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030

Year

Sq.

Ft./

Per

son

Square Foot per Student Research Sq Ft. per Student

Danforth Campus Square Footage

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030

Year

Sq.

Ft.

(mill

ions

)

Total Square Footage Research Square Footage

Energy

Carbon

SqFt

Energy

Expen

FtSq

Student

ExpenStudentsEmission

$

$#

Danforth Sq Ft per Total Expenditure

• Between 1990-2005 square feet/$ remained constant, decreasing less than 10%. This indicates that the campus size increased at the same rate that the expenditures did.

• The dramatic decrease of sq feet/$ before 1990 occurred because the expenditures increased at a faster rate than the campus size.

Danforth Campus Square Footage per $ - Normalized, 1990

0.00

0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

3.00

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030

Year

Ra

tio

to

19

90

Operational $ per total square foot

University Expendenditures

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030

Year

$ (m

illio

ns)

Operational Expendenditures ($) Research Expenditures ($)

Danforth Campus Square Footage

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030

Year

Sq

. Ft.

(m

illio

ns)

Total Square Footage Research Square Footage

Energy

Carbon

SqFt

Energy

Expen

FtSq

Student

ExpenStudentsEmission

$

$#

Danforth Campus Electric Energy Cons.

• The purchased electricity is about 1/3 of total expended energy need to produce that electricity. 10% is lost through line transmission. 2/3 of the energy produced is lost as heat (Waste Energy).

• For this analysis we will use the total produced energy (black line) when comparing electricity to other on campus energy sources. • Purchased electricity increased 90% between 1990-2005.

Danforth Campus Electric Energy Consumption

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030

Year

MM

BT

U (

hu

nd

red

s)

Purchased Electricity (mmbtu) -Danforth Tot Produced Electricity (mmbtu)-DanforthPurchased Elect. + Transmission (mmbtu)

WASTE Energy at Power Plant

Purchased Electricity

Energy

Carbon

SqFt

Energy

Expen

FtSq

Student

ExpenStudentsEmission

$

$#

Transmission Losses

Danforth Campus Stat. Sources

• Stationary sources are the on campus fuel used for heating and hot water generation. • Fuel used: coal, oil and natural gas. • The peak around 1990 may be from not apportioning coal used to the S40. At this time it was also energy

intensive to get steam to S40. In 1993 we switch to natural gas AND the S40 got it’s own steam plant.

Danforth Campus Stationary Sources

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030

Year

mm

btu

(th

ou

san

ds)

Tot Fuel Consumed on Campus (mmbtu) Coal Consumed on Campus (mmbtu)

Oil Consumed on Campus (mmbtu) Natural Gas Consumed on Campus (mmbtu)

Danforth Campus Stationary Sources- Normalized 1990

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030

Year

Rat

io to

199

0

Tot Fuel Consumed on Campus (mmbtu) Coal Consumed on Campus (mmbtu)Natural Gas Consumed on Campus (mmbtu)

Energy

Carbon

SqFt

Energy

Expen

FtSq

Student

ExpenStudentsEmission

$

$#

Danforth Energy Use Per Sq. Ft.

• Overall Energy Use has fluctuated over the 1990-2005 period• Electricity/sq. ft. has increased by more than 10% • On Campus fuel use shows fluctuation, but no increase.

Danforth Campus Energy Used per Sq.Ft. for Buildings

0

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25

0.3

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030

Year

mm

btu

/sq

.Ft.

Tot Fuel/Square Foot (mmbtu/sq. ft.) Total Produced Electricity per Square foot

Total Produced per Sq. Ft. mmbtu

Energy

Carbon

SqFt

Energy

Expen

FtSq

Student

ExpenStudentsEmission

$

$#

Danforth Campus Energy Used per Sq.Ft. for Buildings - Normalized to 1990

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030

Year

Rat

io t

o 1

990

Tot Fuel/Sq. Foot Electricity per Square foot Total Produced per Sq. Ft. mmbtu

Carbon Emission – University

• Cumulative plot of campus emissions. Electricity is the main component followed by on campus fuel usage and transportation. • Carbon Emissions for buildings have increased almost 60% from 1990 to 2005.

Energy

Carbon

SqFt

Energy

Expen

FtSq

Student

ExpenStudentsEmission

$

$#

Danforth Campus Carbon Emission, 1990-2007

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030Year

C T

on

nes

(th

ou

san

ds)

Electricity Fuel Transportation*

* Transportation data was only found for 2007. A 1% increase every year was assumed.

Carbon Emission SummaryCausality Drivers for Carbon Emission due to

All Energy Use on Danforth Campus

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030Year

Rat

io t

o 1

990

# Students Operational $ per StudentOperational $ per total square foot Total Produced mmbtuTotal Produced Emission

Energy

Carbon

SqFt

Energy

Expen

FtSq

Student

ExpenStudentsEmission

$

$#

Carbon Emission Summary

Energy

Carbon

SqFt

Energy

Expen

FtSq

Student

ExpenStudentsEmission

$

$#

Change in Causality Drivers from 1990-2005

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Causality Drivers

% C

ha

ng

e 1

99

0-2

00

5

# Students Operational $ per studenttotal Sq.ft per $ Total Produced per Sq. Ft. mmbtuTotal Produced Emission

Wash. U. Compared to Other Schools

• Wash. U. Transportation Emission estimate is a range. The lower bound is the carbon number for only those students, faculty and staff who purchased parking passes. The upper bound is the carbon number for all students, faculty and staff and assumes that they drive every day. Both numbers include the airline carbon.

• This only includes people with valid zip code given.

Transportation CO2 Emissions as a function of University PopulationU.S. University Campuses

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Total University Population, Thousands

Tra

ns

po

rta

tio

n E

mis

sio

ns

(m

T/y

r), T

ho

us

an

ds

Washington University - All Commute

Washington University - Permits Only

Wash. U. Compared to Other Schools

• For Wash. U. Emissions include on campus fuel burned, purchased electricity and transportation for faculty/staff/student commuting (permit/all) and air travel by study abroad and athletes

Campus-wide CO2 Emissions as a function of Building AreaU.S. University Campuses

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

Building Square Feet, Millions

CO

2 E

mis

sio

n, M

etri

c T

on

nes

/yr,

Th

ou

san

ds

Washington University