Tufts University
OP-1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

New method: Tufts is transitioning to a more rigorous greenhouse gas emissions inventory process conducted by Sightlines. Sightlines' methodology is based on Clean-Air Cool Planet's Campus Carbon Calculator. FY14 emissions data calculated with this methodology is not yet available, so FY13 is used as the performance year. Old method: GHG emissions inventory is a simple spreadsheet gathering and aggregating information from Tufts' three campuses. Where possible, data is in fiscal year format to align with Tufts’ fiscal year (which runs from July 1 to June 30). Each campus has a Data Worksheet, a BTU worksheet, and an emissions worksheet. Emissions coefficients are from the U.S. Energy Information Administration: http://www.eia.gov/oiaf/1605/coefficients.html BTU conversions are from Energy Star's Thermal Conversation Factors: http://www.energystar.gov/ia/business/tools_resources/target_finder/help/Energy_Units_Conversion_Table.htm For degree days get Fiscal Year Heating Degree Day (FY HDD) and Cooling Degree Day (FY CDD). Taken from the National Climactic Data Center: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/documentlibrary/hcs/hcs.html

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Tufts developed a methodology for conducting a greenhouse gas emissions inventory for colleges and universities in 2002. Excerpted from a white paper on the topic: There are many reasons to embark upon the GHG inventory effort. Most obviously, it is a tool to assist in the systematic identification and recording of known and unknown sources of GHG emissions at an institution. An indirect benefit of conducting an inventory is the knowledge gained of the structure and operation of the institution, not only for GHG emissions but other emissions and environmental stressors. Second, the inventory will provide a benchmark against which improvements can be quantified. Essential to justifying the commitment of resources (i.e. spending money) is an estimation of the quantities of emission reduced related to a specific effort - how much will the effort reduce emissions in units of carbon equivalents and what will it cost? Quantifying the effectiveness of actions that reduce energy and material use and that lead to reductions of emissions will assist in the justification of resources. Third, the inventory will be a reference to communicate the most important, as well as the not so obvious, emission releases. Information gathered in the inventory will be used to generate charts and graphs that summarize the importance and status of the emissions reduction effort at your institution. Further, the inventory will assist in the identification of the aggregate impact of the many actions, small and large, that emit greenhouse gases. While the environmental impact of one light bulb, one meal or one photocopy is difficult to value, the cumulative effect of everyday actions creates a substantial ecological footprint. For example, in 1990 Tufts University, an academic institution of 8000 graduate and undergraduate students, served 5 million meals; made 14 million photocopies; used 65 tons of paper towels, consumed 110 million gallons of water and 23 million (kWh) of electricity; generated over 2000 tons of solid waste; and released more than 15,000 metric tones carbon equivalents (MTCE) of GHGs (Creighton 1996) (Gloria 2001). Each source of emission, identified collectively, communicates the importance of an institution's commitment to reduce its contribution to global climate change. More at: http://sustainability.tufts.edu/tufts-greenhouse-gas-emissions-inventory/

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FY12 Central Heating Plant, the largest heating plant on the Medford campus, began burning natural gas with #2 fuel as back-up. Tisch Library VAV boxes and controls were recommissioned. Public Safety lighting retrofitted to high efficiency fluorescent. Jackson Gym and Dance Lab HID lighting replaced with T5HO fluorescent lighting and fixture mounted occupancy sensors. Lane Hall ground source heat pump installed to condition a basement classroom. Boston Arnold 5 and 6 laboratory was renovated included demand control ventilation and new efficient lighting. FY13 Art Gallery lighting was converted from halogen to LED lighting. A new control system was installed to allow dimming as required for various exhibits. South Hall first floor common spaces converted to LED lighting. A new, high efficiency dishwashing machine was installed at Dewick Dining. It uses less water, less energy to heat the water, and exhausts less heat making the dish room a more comfortable environment for dish room workers. LEED Gold certified Biology Collaborative cluster was completed. This renovation included: Dedicated outdoor air system Chilled beams and radiant panels Demand control ventilation Heat recovery High efficiency chillers and boilers High efficiency lighting and lighting controls The TAB Data Center was renovated. New high efficiency ventilation, cooling and lighting were installed. Temperature set points were raised and light levels were lowered. During the same time period, the majority of physical servers were replaced by virtual servers allowing the retirement of less efficient computing equipment. The resultant energy savings was 23% over the two years of construction and server rearrangements. Tisch Athletics Center opened (Fall 2012) including many energy efficiency features: High-efficiency oil-free variable speed centrifugal water cooled 170 ton chiller High-efficiency heat recovery enthalpy wheel in air handling unit serving locker rooms Fully integrated building automation sequences to allow maximum operating efficiency All lighting fixtures use fluorescent, compact fluorescent, or Energy Star listed LEDs. Site lighting is LED. Daylight light harvesting at south facing windows, with roll down shades for early morning shading Occupancy sensors in all rooms Efficient machine-room-less elevator (uses 1/3 the energy of hydraulic elevators, uses no oil) Solar-control Low-E insulated glazing Integral sun-shading fins above and within large south facing windows FY14 Existing first generation LED parking garage lighting in Dowling Hall parking garage was replaced with new LED lighting with an energy payback of less than five years. Tufts Shared Services’ Utility Supply Center (USC) replaced two aged steam absorbers with two new high efficiency electric chillers. USC provides chilled water to two Tufts facilities in Boston – Dental School and Sackler Center. Cohen Auditorium HVAC and lighting was replaced with new high efficiency equipment. Tisch Library aged air handlers were replaced with new high efficiency air handlers in a complex phased project. Bathrooms in two residence halls, Wren and Haskell, were completely renovated including energy efficient lighting. Halligan Hall’s renovations included new windows and a new VRF system. An electric vehicle charging station was installed on the Medford campus. Pearson boiler controls were updated with modern control technology providing tighter control and increased combustion efficiency. FY15 (although this STARS submission is for FY14, this information was available at the time of submission so is included here) An ASHRAE Level 2 Audit was completed at the Jaharis Family Center for Biomedical and Nutrition Research. The next phase of the project is the implementation of the no-cost/low-cost energy efficiency measures to be completed in FY16. All post top lighting on the Medford/Somerville campus with the exception of a small number of newer fixtures have been retrofitted with LEDs. Sophia Gordon Hall hallway and common space lighting was replaced with new LED fixtures with integral motion sensors. Lights dim when hallways and common spaces are unoccupied. Public Safety’s 24x7 Communications Center’s lighting was replaced with LEDs and new controls allowing light level changes. The newly renovated Spicer Softball Field uses a solar powered scoreboard. A-19 LED lamps have been provided to residential students at the start of each academic year since 2012. 574 Boston Avenue renovation, completed in May 2015, is on target for LEED Gold certification. It features an improved building envelope with triple pane windows, highly efficient lighting and condensing boilers. Construction has started on a new energy plant for the Medford campus. It will replace a 60-year-old boiler plant and include 4 MW of cogeneration, centralized chilled water and new boilers. The plant is due to open in the summer of 2016. Also under construction is a new high-performance science and engineering complex (SEC). This 79,000 sf addition to an existing engineering building is designed to operate at 125 kBTU/sf and will employ cutting-edge energy efficiency technology. Construction is scheduled for completion by the summer of 2017.