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Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project. Engineering 333: Advanced Thermal System Design. Biology 354: Investigations in Plant Ecology. Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project. Introduction. Brian Medema. Class Mandate. What would it take to make Calvin College Carbon Neutral?.

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Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

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  1. Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  2. Engineering 333: Advanced Thermal System Design Biology 354: Investigations in Plant Ecology Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  3. Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project Introduction Brian Medema

  4. Class Mandate What would it take to make Calvin College Carbon Neutral? Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  5. Outline • What is Carbon Neutrality? • What is Calvin’s current footprint? • What can we do to achieve Carbon Neutrality? • Present our plan to be Carbon Neutral in 11 years. Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  6. What is Carbon Neutrality? • Carbon footprint is a net term. • Footprint = emissions – sequestration • Reduce emissions or increase sequestration • Carbon Neutrality is when emissions are equal to sequestration • When the footprint = 0 Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  7. Why Carbon? • Carbon Dioxide is the primary Green House Gas (GHG) emitted. • All other GHGs can be thought of as equivalent to Carbon Dioxide. • 1 ton CH4 has equivalent global warming potential to 23 tons CO2 Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  8. Climate Change http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/images/greenhouse.GIF Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  9. Why Carbon Neutrality? • Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change • Fifth Report issued Nov 17th, 2007 • Climate change is unequivocal • Human activity has caused most of the warming in the last 50 years • From http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ipcc2007.html#cite1 Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  10. Effects of an Overall Warmer Earth • Loss of sea ice. • Rising sea levels. • Shrinking Coastlines. • Shifting vegetation zones. • Effects Developed and Developing Nations differently. Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  11. Global Warming – Global Effects http://www.index-china.com/index-english/china_map_index.htm http://www.sweetmarias.com/coffee.asia.india.html Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  12. American College and UniversityPresidents Climate Commitment • Signatories commit to: • Inventory their CO2 emissions • Set target date to become Carbon Neutral • Take immediate steps to reduce GHG emissions • Integrate sustainability into curriculum • Make action plan, inventory and progress reports publically available Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  13. American College and UniversityPresidents Climate Commitment • 448 college presidents have signed • At start of semester, less than 80 signatories http://www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org/ Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  14. Project Scope • Calvin College is responsible for: • All building operations (utilities) • Construction of new buildings • Food and Waste disposal • Daily commuter traffic • Service vehicle traffic • Calvin sponsored air travel • Not responsible for vacation travel Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  15. Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project Emissions Jessica Driesenga

  16. What is Calvin College’s “Carbon Footprint?” • Create an inventory of Emissions and Sequestration http://mingled.co.uk/designs/images/large-icons-carbonfootprint.gif Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  17. Emissions Summary Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  18. Emissions Breakdown (MTCE/yr) Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  19. Sequestration Breakdown Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  20. Comparison Carbon Sequestration (MTCE/yr) Carbon Emissions (MTCE/yr) Total Sequestration: 51 MTCE Total Emissions: 66,400 MTCE Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  21. Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project Emissions Reductions Dan VandenAkker

  22. Comparison Carbon Sequestration (MTCE/yr) Carbon Emissions (MTCE/yr) Total Sequestration: 51 MTCE Total Emissions: 66,400 MTCE Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  23. Carbon Reduction Options * Renewable Energy is not completely carbon free Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  24. Carbon Reduction Options • Green Energy Purchasing • Carbon Offset Purchasing • Conservation • Renewable Energy Production Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  25. Carbon Reduction Options • Green Energy Purchasing • Green energy has a 5¢/kW-hr surcharge. This is in addition to the 10¢/kW-hr fee. • To completely offset Calvin’s carbon footprint due to electricity usage would cost 1.1 million dollars. This is 1.2% of Calvin’s annual budget ($92 million). Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  26. Carbon Reduction Options • Carbon Offset Purchasing • EU is trading carbon offset credits at about 32.95 US$ per metric ton of CO2 • However, TerraPass.com sells carbon offsets for 11 US$ per metric ton of CO2 Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  27. Carbon Reduction Options • Conservation • Decreasing temperature in all buildings by 3 degrees Fahrenheit during the winter and 10 degrees during Christmas break would save about $172,000 and 3,555 MTCE (5.4% of total emissions) • Reduce electrical consumption • Turn off computers at night • Shut off lights when leaving a room Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  28. Carbon Reduction Options • Wind Turbine Installation • 800 kW of Power Capability • Estimated annual power production of 2053 MW-hr/yr • Unaided Payoff Period of 10.9 years • Net Present Value $820,000 Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  29. Neutrality Plan • Install 4 Wind Turbines • Offsets the emissions from energy purchasing and use. • Awareness • Implement options to minimize commuter traffic • Purchase Carbon Offset Credits to cover remaining emissions Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  30. Neutrality Plan 4 Wind Turbines This plan calls for a new wind turbine to be built every 5 years. The wind turbines will be paid off in 5 year periods using money saved from lower heating bills and a small amount of upfront capital. Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  31. Neutrality Plan Increase Awareness Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  32. Neutrality Plan Minimize Commuter Traffic Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  33. Neutrality Plan Carbon Offset Credits Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  34. Comparison Carbon Sequestration (MTCE/yr) Carbon Emissions (MTCE/yr) Total Sequestration: 51 MTCE Total Emissions: 51 MTCE Total Emissions: 66400 MTCE Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  35. Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project Financing Joe Englin

  36. Total Neutrality Costs • An upfront investment of $8,500,000 would be required to make Calvin College carbon neutral for 35 years. • This would be done primarily though the wind turbine project and carbon offset purchasing. Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  37. Implementation • Ideally, this plan would be implemented immediately, however $8,500,000 is a lot of money. • If we decide to implement the plan 10 years from now, we need to save $1,050,000 per year. • From that point on, we will have enough funding to stay carbon neutral for 35 years. Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  38. Community Values • We need to set an example for the community, even if it means spending more. • Examples of this would be dorm renovations and fully subsidizing the Rapid. • If we decided to push neutrality back one year, we could fund these projects.

  39. Sources of Funding • Increased Parking Fees – This will help reduce carbon emissions and generate funding. • Raise Tuition – In addition to the increased parking fees, a 1.16% tuition increase would be required to fund this project. • Government Grants. • Donations. Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  40. 46 Year Timeline Year 1: Increase tuition 1.16% Years 1-11: Save 82% of funds generated per year for carbon neutrality, spend 18% on green energy projects Year 11: Use the $8.5 million saved from years 1-11 to fund 35 years of carbon neutrality Years 11- 46: Deposit money saved into “Green Energy Account” and use it to fund other projects.

  41. 46 Years From Now • The wind turbine proposal will save Calvin a total of $15,800,000. • The money generated by the tuition increase could be saved and invested in new green energy technology Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  42. Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project Conclusion Brian Medema

  43. What We’ve Learned • How Calvin Functions • Physical infrastructure • Financial Decisions • Biologists and Engineers • Outdoors vs. Computer labs Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  44. What We’ve Learned • Carbon Emissions Trading Simulation • Studied our own emissions • Driving • Heating/Cooling • Watching TV • Using a computer • Machine Drying clothes • Reducing emissions is HARD! Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  45. Carbon Emissions Trading Simulation Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  46. Carbon Emissions Trading Simulation Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  47. Carbon Neutrality is Hard • Sequestration isn’t viable for us • Reduce emissions: • Consume less • Be more efficient with what we consume Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  48. Next Steps • Establish a Green Energy Fund • Tuition • Donations • Money from Energy Savings Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

  49. Next Steps • Implementation • Dorm Temperature drop • Increased Parking fees • Subsidize the Rapid for students • Calvin Rentable Bikes http://es.geocities.com/circulaenbici/ Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

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