Transcript UW Oshkosh Sustainability Update

Building Climate Action
Plans from Existing Plans,
Targets and Laws
Michael Lizotte
Director of Sustainability
AASHE Conference Denver
October 11, 2010
Alternate Unofficial Title:
How to produce a Climate Action Plan if you are
subject to a demanding government bureaucracy that
is cutting your budget and increasing enrollment, but
are lucky enough to have some staff, a solid
community-developed sustainability plan and
engineering studies laying out your technical options.
Take Home Message:
Inventory your challenges and strengths,
then lay out a planning strategy.
(= GHG Inventory precedes a CAP)
UW Oshkosh Snapshot
• State university
• Carnegie “Masters – Large”
• 3rd largest university in
Wisconsin (top 5% in USA)
• 13,600 students
(3,000 Resident)
• 1,500 Faculty and staff
• Crowded urban campus
– Half of area built or paved
Climate Action Plan -- Setting in October 2009
-- ACUPCC Deadline
-- Annual Greenhouse Gas Inventory
-- published for 2007
-- add 2008 and previous years
using Clean Air Cool Planet Calculator
-- Base on 2008 Campus Sustainability Plan
-- Represents Community Buy-in
-- Use results from 2008 Energy Independence
engineering study
-- Consider State Policies, Targets and Goals
2008 Campus Sustainability Plan Goals:
Relevance to Climate Action Planning
Sustainable Energy: 100% independent of fossil fuels for electricity,
heating and cooling.
Electricity: Reduce electricity consumption 20% from 2005 levels by 2012.
Heating: Reduce fossil fuel use by 50% from 2000 levels by 2012.
Facilities Planning, Renovation and Construction: Energy efficient and
sustainable design standards shall be utilized on all new construction and
applicable renovation projects … projects shall seek to meet or exceed a
LEED “Silver” level of sustainability.
Transportation: Reduce automobile trips to campus by 20% by 2012.
Assessment: Establish the means to assess campus sustainability and
provide information to students, staff and community.
2008 Energy Independence Study:
Relevance to Climate Action Planning
Electricity and Cooling: conservation projects cut 12%;
purchase green power for remainder
Heating: conservation projects cut 14%; substitute
biomass for 30% of fossil fuel use; add biomass-tosyngas production facility to replace remaining fossil fuels
(coal and natural gas).
State Policies, Targets and Goals :
Relevance to Climate Action Planning
Wisconsin Act 141 (2006): set energy standards for
equipment purchased and construction of state buildings;
goals for agencies to purchase 20% of electricity from
renewable energy sources by 2011.
Executive Order 145 (2006) goals for energy efficiency in
state-run buildings. State facilities should reduce energy use
per square foot of 20% by 2010; new facilities built 30% more
energy efficient than commercial code.
Energy Independence (2006): Governor selected UW
Oshkosh as one of 4 campuses to demonstrate energy
independence: replace fossil fuels for heating and electricity
with renewable energy sources by 2012.
Climate Action Plan – Initial and Emergent Guidelines
-- Keep It simple, short and readable
-- Focus on major emissions
>90% from Heating Plant + Electricity + Commuting
-- Carbon Neutrality Date
-- within a reasonable career horizon for
current administrators (2020’s?)
-- consider multiple scenarios
Scenario 1
2020
Metric Tons CO2 equivalent
C-Neutral by:
50,000
40,000
30,000
20,000
10,000
0
2000
2005
2010
Electricity
Commuting
TOTAL-REC
2015
2025
Metric Tons CO2 equivalent
Scenario 2
2020
2025
2020
2025
Heating
TOTAL
50,000
40,000
30,000
20,000
10,000
0
2000
2005
Electricity
Commuting
TOTAL-REC
2010
2015
Heating
TOTAL
Two Scenarios
Scenario 1: an extremely challenging schedule driven
primarily by the Governor’s Initiative.
Scenario 2: same approaches, on a less aggressive timeline.
Scenario 1 is the our current plan, recognizing that it is clearly
a stretch goal, especially with respect to the funding required.
Noted the ACUPCC direction that:
The plans are to be aspirational statements of intent rather
than binding commitments. It is expected that signatories will
adjust their plans over time in response to new information and
changing circumstances.
[ACUPCC Implementation Guide: Information and Resources for Participating
Institutions, version 1.1, 2009, page 24]
Questions?
Contact: Michael Lizotte, Director of Sustainability,
[email protected], 920-420-1732