ACUPCC Reporting System

2008 GHG Report for University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Submitted on October 15, 2008; last updated on November 26, 2008

Summary Statistics

Making fair comparisons between higher education institutions is always challenging due to the rich diversity of higher education. The unverified nature of the information in this database and unavailability of unbiased normalization metrics means such comparisons are even more difficult. Users should therefore approach direct institution to institution comparisons with caution and recognize that all comparisons between institutions are inherently biased.
Total Per Full-Time Enrollment Per 1000 Square Feet % Offset
Gross emissions (Scopes 1 + 2) 234,000 metric tons of CO2e 8.7 metric tons of CO2e 17.4 metric tons of CO2e 1.8%
Gross emissions (Scopes 1 + 2 + 3) 268,449 metric tons of CO2e 10 metric tons of CO2e 20 metric tons of CO2e 1.5%
Net emissions 264,320 metric tons of CO2e 9.9 metric tons of CO2e 19.7 metric tons of CO2e N/A

Emissions Inventory Methodology and Boundaries

Start date of the 12-month period covered in this report July 1, 2007
Consolidation methodology used to determine organizational boundaries Operational control approach
If any institution-owned, leased, or operated buildings or other holdings that should fall within the organizational boundaries are omitted, briefly explain why.

This inventory includes The University of Tennessee, Knoxville main campus and agricultural campus - both of which are under the jurisdiction of the university Chancellor's office. It does not include The College of Veterinary Medicine, the Space Institute in Tullahoma, the Health Science Center in Memphis, or the Institute of Agriculture.
Emissions calculation tool used Clean Air-Cool Planet
Please describe why this tool was selected.

The CA-CP Campus Carbon Calculator was selected because of its availability, user friendliness, and suitability for use by higher education institutions.
Please describe the source(s) of the emissions coefficients used.

The CA-CP Campus Carbon Calculator's default emissions coefficients were used for this inventory.
Which version of IPCC's list of global warming potentials did you use? Third Assessment Report
Who primarily conducted this emissions inventory? Student researcher(s)
Please describe the process of conducting the inventory.

Honors student Leslie Chinery completed an inventory of FY 1990-91 through FY 2006-07 emissions in 2007. Ms. Chinery has updated the original inventory with information from FY 2007-08. The original inventory took approximately 9 months and was supervised by Sarah Surak. The FY 2007-08 update took an additional two months was again supervised by Ms. Surak.
Please describe any emissions sources that were classified as de minimis and explain how a determination of the significance of these emissions was made.

None.
Please describe any data limitations related to this submission and any major assumptions made in response to these limitations.

ENERGY BUDGET: It is not possible to separate chilled water from general water usage on campus. So, chilled water expenditures are excluded from the energy budget.

UNIVERSITY FLEET: Gasoline consumption is tracked by money spent, not gallons used. Transportation services spent approximately $1 million for gasoline in FY 2007. Based on the average cost of gasoline for that year, it is estimated that 400,000 gallons of gasoline were consumed in FY 2007 and during each previous fiscal year.

FACULTY/STAFF BUSINESS AIR TRAVEL: University plane log (IRIS report) lists the destinations but not necessarily the origins of all UT air travel. Knoxville's airport (McGhee-Tyson) has direct flights to 19 cities. If a flight was listed for one of these cities, air travel distances were calculated from Knoxville to that city. Flights to other destinations were assumed to have been routed through the nearest hub airport - Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta. Accordingly, for these flights, air travel distances were calculated from Knoxville to Atlanta and then from Atlanta to the particular destination. Note that it is assumed in all cases that flights from Atlanta to the destination are direct.

COMMUTING: One round-trip to campus per day (two trips/day) assumed for students, summer school students, faculty and staff.

SOLID WASTE: Landfilled waste tonnage does not include construction waste, asbestos or fly ash. Data available back to FY 1992 - the year when state law required such accounting. Data for FY 1990 and 1991 were assumed to be the same as that estimated for FY 1992.

REFRIGERANTS: Data available back to FY 1997. Data for FY 1990-1996 were assumed to equal the average amount of each refrigerant purchased during FY 1997-2008. It is not possible to separate refrigerants used to refill leaks from refrigerants used for new units.

Emissions Data

Emissions from the following sources (in metric tons of CO2e)

Scope 1 Emissions
Stationary Combustion 59,299 metric tons of CO2e
Mobile Combustion 3,574 metric tons of CO2e
Process Emissions 0 metric tons of CO2e
Fugitive Emissions 3,527 metric tons of CO2e
Total Scope 1 emissions 66,400 metric tons of CO2e
Scope 2 Emissions
Purchased Electricity 167,600 metric tons of CO2e
Purchased Heating 0 metric tons of CO2e
Purchased Cooling 0 metric tons of CO2e
Purchased Steam 0 metric tons of CO2e
Total Scope 2 emissions 167,600 metric tons of CO2e
Scope 3 Emissions
Commuting 31,458 metric tons of CO2e
Air Travel 1,472 metric tons of CO2e
Solid Waste 1,519 metric tons of CO2e
Total Scope 3 emissions 34,449 metric tons of CO2e
Biogenic Emissions
Biogenic Emissions from Stationary Combustion No information provided.
Biogenic Emissions from Mobile Combustion No information provided.

Mitigation Data

Carbon Offsets
Carbon offsets purchased No information provided.
Offset verification program(s) No information provided.
Description of offsets purchased (including vendor, project source, etc.)

No information provided.
Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs)
Total RECs purchased 6,075,000 kWh
Percent of total electricity consumption mitigated through the purchase of RECs 2%
Emissions reductions due to the purchase of RECs 4,129 metric tons of CO2e
REC verification program(s) Green-e
Description of RECs purchased (including vendor, project source, etc.)

The Student Environmental Initiatives Fee funds the purchase of 3,000 blocks per month of green power from the Tennessee Valley Authority/Knoxville Utilities Board Green Power Switch Program. An additional 375 blocks of green power are purchased directly by the university. In total, these 3,375 blocks generate 506,250 kWh of green power per month (6,075,000 kWh per year).
Sequestration and Carbon Storage
Sequestration due to land owned by the institution No information provided.
Description of how sequestration was calculated

No information provided.

Carbon storage due to composting No information provided.

Normalization and Contextual Data

Building Space
Gross square feet of building space 13,437,633 sq ft
Net assignable square feet of laboratory space 648,673 sq ft
Net assignable square feet of health care space 8,803 sq ft
Net assignable square feet of residential space 1,930,594 sq ft
Population
Total Student Enrollment (FTE) 26,803
Residential Students 6,817
Full-time Commuter Students 16,552
Part-time Commuter Students 3,433
Non-Credit Students 623
Full-time Faculty 1,362
Part-time Faculty 277
Full-time Staff 4,459
Part-time Staff 893
Other Contextual Data
Endowment Size $954,000,000
Heating Degree Days No information provided.
Cooling Degree Days No information provided.
Please describe any circumstances specific to your institution that provide context for understanding your greenhouse gas emissions this year.

No information provided.

Supporting Documentation

Completed inventory narrative UT Knoxville FY2007-08 GHG Emissions Inventory Update
Download (UT Knoxville FY2007-08 GHG Emissions Inventory Update.pdf)
Completed inventory calculator Download (UT Knoxville FY2007-08 GHG Emissions Inventory Update.xls)

Auditing and Verification

These emissions data have not been audited, verified, or peer-reviewed.