Energy Working Group Progress Report-April 2007

From Common Energy UVic

Note: There is now an updated version of this progress report in the Going Beyond Climate-Neutral Progress Report - April 2007

This page is for drafting the Advance Summary / Progress Report April-2007 of the Energy Working Group.

This document is not intended as an immediately implementable plan. Instead, it is intended as a communication tool to show what we mean by beyond climate-neutral. It will be distributed to engage people in the more robust Common Ground process that will create an implementable plan by September, 2007.

The question posed to the Energy Working Group:

How can the University of Victoria radically reduce the impact of the region's energy usage?

Contents 1 Introduction - Towards a GHG-Neutral University of Victoria 2 Section I - Measurement 2.1 UVic GHG Inventory and Analysis 3 Section II - Management 3.1 Common Energy Carbon Trust (CECT) 3.1.1 Actions 3.1.2 Proposals 4 Section III - Projects 4.1 Actions 5 Proposals 6 References

[edit] Introduction - Towards a GHG-Neutral University of Victoria

Human induced climate change is the unintended consequence of the ways in which we harness and use energy; simply put, this consequence is one of the greatest threats posed to living systems and the economy. The burning of fossil fuels (petroleum products, coal, and natural gas) for human activity has led to a sharp rise in carbon dioxide (CO₂) and other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions since the beginning of the industrial age. The accumulation of the GHGs in the atmosphere has had an insulating effect on the planet, leading to an unprecedented rate of increase in average global temperature. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's 4th Assessment Report on the physical science basis for climate change, "[t]he atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide in 2005 exceeds by far the natural range over the last 650,000 years (180 to 300 ppm) as determined from ice cores."^[1]

In order to avoid what scientists call “dangerous climate change” major changes to our systemic use of energy will be required. According to the Pembina Institute’s report, The Case for Deep Rections: Canada’s Role in Preventing Dangerous Climate Change, “[t]here is now quite wide support, both in the scientific community and among governments, for defining “dangerous” climate change as a rise in the global average surface temperature of 2˚C above the pre-industrial level.” ^[2] Additionally, “[r]esearch shows that if we are serious about limiting global warming to no more than 2˚C above pre-industrial levels with a relatively high certainty, we need to adopt an objective of stabilizing atmospheric GHG concentrations at 400 parts per million (ppmv) of CO₂ equivalent (CO₂e).” ^[3]

Solving this complex problem will see human beings face the greatest challenge of the 21st century. Energy consumption is so well integrated into our everyday lives that we find it embodied in all of our goods and services. The cars we drive, the energy that powers and heats our homes, and the industries that manufacture our plastics and metals all depend on fossil fuels and produce significant emissions, and our consumption is on the rise. The University of Victoria is a major energy consumer, relying on a provincial generating plant system that is currently near capacity, and may not be able to reliably supply power to meet future demand. BC Hydro is presently examining the possibility of raising the system generation capacity through the addition of future fossil fuel power plants.

It is clear that our current energy system is altering the chemical composition of the atmosphere, and that this is affecting the climate in ways that could prove disastrous for the biosphere. Our energy usage paradigm must be changed. In this context, we ask the following question: How can the University of Victoria radically reduce the impact of the region's energy usage? Currently, the university's energy management plan has committed itself to a 10% reduction of energy consumption by 2010.^[4] This commitment represents a welcome beginning to concerted efforts to reduce the environmental impacts of the university's operations. However, the reduction is inadequate: according to the Pembina Institute, “[d]etailed trajectories of annual emissions over time, calculated to stabilize atmospheric concentrations at particular levels, suggest that to stabilize the atmospheric GHG concentration at 400 ppmv CO₂e, global GHG emissions must be limited to no more than about 15% above the 1990 level by 2020 and fall to at least 30–50% below the 1990 level by 2050. Global emission reduction trajectories can be allocated among industrialized and developing countries in accordance with widely accepted equity principles, especially polluter-pays, historical responsibility and ability-to-pay. Under these conditions, to stabilize the atmospheric GHG concentration at 400 ppmv CO₂e, industrialized countries must reduce emissions by 25–30% between 1990 and 2020 and by 85–90% between 1990 and 2050.” ^[5]

The Energy Working Group will propose a series of projects, proposals and actions that will cumulatively help the university achieve an energy consumption system with minimal environmental impact. Common Energy's goal is to move the University of Victoria beyond climate-neutral. A key step in achieving that goal is to have the university commit and plan to go CO₂e-neutral. The concept of CO₂e-neutrality involves two steps: increasing energy efficiency as much as possible, and then purchasing GHG offsets to bring the remaining CO₂e footprint to zero. Thus, the university would have neutral net CO₂e emissions.

This proposal sets an ambitious goal for the university community, and would make UVic a leader in responding to the climate crisis in Canada. The Energy Working Group's recommendations heed the maxim, "measure before manage": we need to know what our consumption patterns and totals are before we institute large-scale solutions. Our projects include a carbon audit, as well as efficiency plans that will help us takes the first steps toward CO₂e-neutrality. In order to address the second part of the GHG-neutral equation, CE proposes the development of a local greenhouse gas emissions reductions program known as the Common Energy Climate Trust, that will establish the financial mechanism necessary to attract investment in local CO₂e reductions projects. This local program would allow us to invest the funds spent on reductions right back into the university itself. Each proposal and associated project are explained in greater detail below.

[edit] Section I - Measurement

[edit] UVic GHG Inventory and Analysis

It is important to know the current levels of energy consumption before undertaking large actions to reduce them; indeed, a benchmark must be set, keeping in mind the adage "measure before you manage". CO₂e emissions caused by the daily operation of UVic are no doubt large; yet how large is not reliably known. An inventory is critical for evaluating the relative benefit of various actions to reduce the GHG footprint of the institution. The goal of this group is to provide that basis by establishing an accurate picture of overall GHG emissions on campus. By clearly identifying areas with the most potential for improvement, this study will be a vital component in Common Energy's quest to move UVic beyond climate-neutral.

Determining GHG emissions is done by determining the amount and types of energy flow in and out of campus, and is best accomplished by treating the entire campus as an open, thermodynamic system. By drawing an imaginary boundary around the university and by measuring all energy and mass flows through it, one can calculate total energy usage on campus and the associated CO₂e emissions.

The challenge is that UVic is responsible for GHG emissions that occur due to processes well outside the geographical boundary of the university, some of which are not immediately intuitive when assessing the overall impact of UVic. It is the job of this working group to identify these subtle areas, and where possible quantify the resultant emissions from such activities. The headings below provide an initial summary of C02e emission sources for those contained within UVic physical boundaries and those that may not be so obvious.

Heating and Electricity

The most easily identified and quantified GHG sources are those due to heating and electricity usage. Heating for all buildings is provided by natural gas combustion, whereas electricity is predominately from hydroelectricity (though at peak times of the year it will come from natural gas power plants). Historical trends and distribution on campus of heating and electricity usage is readily available from Facilities Management, whom are in full cooperation with this study, and will be presented in the report.

Water

Water usage on campus is tremendous, whether it be for building plumbing, irrigation, heat distribution, and other processes. Related emissions would be equally large, as each litre of water that is pumped into UVic must be first pumped out of the ground, and after being used at UVic must be pumped to an appropriate facility for treatment. Pumping requires electricity as does the water treatment facility to clean water. Even the cleaning agents used to make water drinkable were manufactured through energy intensive processes in factories, located perhaps on the other side of the world. Nonetheless, an accurate GHG footprint of UVic must include the associated emissions from all these processes. Though well outside the geographical boundary of UVic, such processes do not escape the boundaries of thermodynamics.

Transportation

Inevitably transportation must be addressed. UVic functions only by the proper delivery of faculty, staff, and students every day – most through public transit and private vehicles. A proper GHG emission study must be able to account for the number of vehicles passing the UVic boundary every day, and calculate their fuel usage. This would also include Facilities Management and Campus Security vehicles used exclusively on campus, as well as delivery vehicles supplying food, office supplies, construction equipment, mail, and a myriad of other materials. Flights made by professors and students as they travel to conferences, symposiums, or sabbaticals would be a critical component of transportation related GHG emissions.

Waste Streams

Waste stream emissions must too be identified. An obvious one would be sewage, where the energy used to both transport sewage to and treat in an appropriate facility will need to be quantified. The volume of garbage exiting the UVic boundary should be easily determined, as would the gasoline burned to transfer it to an appropriate waste facility. Methane released by garbage as it decomposes at its waste site will depend on several factors and will need to be estimated. Finally, though effective at reducing the volume of garbage at UVic, both recycled and compost waste streams require energy input in their transportation to and reformation in an appropriate facility.

Other Material Streams

Whether we are talking about food, paper, office supplies, office equipment, lab equipment, or construction materials – each has embedded energy content and each must be transported to campus. Significant GHG emissions result from both these and must be considered. A silicon chip used in a computer, for example, requires one of the highest energy input per mass of most manufactured goods. Paper use on campus also leaves a large ecological footprint, as the paper and pulp industry on Vancouver Island alone consumes roughly 25% of produced electricity. Moreover, the negated GHG absorbance from a felled tree used to make the paper would be substantial.

Deliverables

There are undoubtedly more contributing factors to the UVic GHG footprint excluded from the above summary, which only goes to show the daunting breadth this study could have. Each molecule of GHG emitted by UVic to the atmosphere will have a lengthy chain linking energy source to energy service. A thermal unit of energy used to heat the Engineering Office Wing, for example, leaves a trail of GHG emissions tracing back through the combustion of natural gas on campus to its transmission through pipelines, its refinement in facilities, to even its initial extraction from distant gas fields.

It is then the job of this working group to identify these chains and decide, given the time frame and budget, which are accurately quantifiable, which can be confidently estimated, and which are better left identified as areas where more study is needed. The clear differences between each of these types of measurements will be articulated in the report, and the error value in an overall GHG footprint will reflect this. Recommendations will be made on how to reduce the error in future studies.

Upon completion, the report will provide a reliable account of GHG emissions at UVic, broken into specific categories, some of which were mentioned just above. The report will make clear the areas where GHG emissions are most concentrated and most easily reduced, and then will propose actions on how to reduce them.

[edit] Section II - Management

[edit] Common Energy Carbon Trust (CECT)

Rationale

Working together with members of the Business and Economy Working Group group, the Energy Group proposes the formation of a local Carbon Trust, tentatively called the Common Energy Carbon Trust, as a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions both at the university and in the Capital Region. This proposal crosses the original working group boundaries.

To organize investment in the reduction of GHG emissions, CE will research and develop an independent, multistakeholder climate financing institution, with the working title Common Energy Climate Trust (CECT). CECT will be designed to facilitate and finance the highest possible amount of GHG emission reductions, providing the greatest local benefit. In order to develop this climate financing institution, CE will begin by researching known and effective financial mechanisms, such as micro financing and carbon offsets. CE will then take informed action based on the experience and resulting outcomes of these mechanisms. Through this we will develop a climate financing institution that is based on practical, real experience, while we remain creative in its organization and development.

Energy and Common Energy Climate Trust

The Energy working group's contribution to the operation and development of CECT will focus on seeking out and researching projects which require investments in order to reach their potential for reducing GHG emissions. This will begin with the research and eventual realization of the projects suggested by the Energy Working Group, such as the solar hot water project. As the opportunity presents itself, these initiatives will increasingly involve off-campus activities such as the investment in GHG reductions in housing or commercial developments.

The results of the UVic GHG inventory will provide information on where we can best decrease UVic's emissions, and will result in the development of a process to efficiently undertake such an assessment. The technical expertise developed herein will then be useful to determine how to best decrease GHG emissions in the Capital region.

The Energy Working Group's role in the development of CECT does not end with technical expertise and project selection. It will also include the development of informed policy that will guide CECT in decision making. It is essential that the CECT's portfolio represent a diverse array of projects, which will stimulate the economic development of a number of different technologies and types of building retrofits. The Energy Working Group will use its research capacity and the knowledge amassed through the development of its projects to guide the policy decisions regarding which projects warrant investment.

The development of a financial mechanism for the reduction of GHG emissions is essential in taking UVic beyond climate-neutral, and the participation of the Energy Working Group in this process is integral to the success of Common Energy Climate Trust.

[edit] Actions

1. Investigate proven models of governance and develop policy based on this research that will guide the organizational model for Common Energy Climate Trust.
2. Research successful and unsuccessful models to inform the development and implementation of the financial mechanism for GHG reductions.
3. Using the GHG inventory of UVic as a springboard, determine in which areas the most effective GHG reductions could take place. This will include listing and ranking each of the reductions, as well as estimating cost, impacts and total GHG reductions for each.
4. Work with CE's other Working Groups to best inform the selection of projects for CECT.

[edit] Proposals

1. Establish an Energy Advising sector of Common Energy Climate Trust with representatives from the university, business, and civil society. This will ensure that over the lifetime of the CECT a range of people with different perspectives will inform the decision-making process of the Trust with regards to energy issues. Other Working Groups will have the option to develop advising sectors within their own specialty, for example the Food Group may develop a sector whose goal is to guide project selection regarding food.
2. Partner with the university to develop and establish Common Energy Climate Trust as a whole. The cooperation and input of university staff, faculty and administration is essential to the success of CECT, and the Energy Working Group will contribute to the formation of the organization along with its commitments as advisors (see proposal 1).

[edit] Section III - Projects

This section outlines several large-scale projects the Energy Working Group proposes the university implement. These projects will need significant funding and implementation resources from the university. CE wishes to participate, however, and members with expertise can be enlisted as volunteers.

[edit] Actions

• Research the potential for algae to capture CO₂ from the air. Algae are photosynthetic organisms that use light energy to capture CO₂ from the air. Microscopic algae, or “micro-algae”, have the same photosynthetic processes as seaweed and plants but grow as single cell microbes or strings of microbes that can form large aggregates.

Dr. Francis Nano will initiate this project with the following objectives:

1. Establish a research team that will develop projects, seek research funding and start a training program for using algae for CO₂ capture.
2. Collect and test algal strains for optimal growth in B.C. environments.
3. Develop both open-air and closed photo-bioreactors for uses specific to B.C. sites

• • • CO₂ capture from methane burning at sewage treatment and land-fill sites
    • CO₂ capture at industrial sites
    • Carbon offset by mass cultivation of algae at remote sites

1. Test the feasibility of developing algal strains that can produce products with commercial promise, thus subsidizing algal CO₂ capture.

• • • Production of cellulose degrading enzymes for conversion of wood product waste material to alcohol
    • Production of bioplastics
    • Production of biodiesel

1. Develop open-air “race-track” style ponds.
2. Design bioreactors for optimal light capture and waste-heat transfer, CO₂ capture, and harvesting of algae and algal products.

[edit] Proposals

• Collaborate with the university to investigate the possibility of implementing a pilot solar water heating project on one of its buildings - A logical choice would be one of the residences on campus, since these buildings presumably use the most hot water. Common Energy members would assist in the technical specifications of the solar water heater unit, in commercial product research, and in the implementation, operation, and efficacy adjudication of the project.
• Collaborate with the university to develop a long-term fleet management strategy that continually reduces the amount of GHGs and pollution emitted by its vehicles. - The strategy can be three-pronged: (1) replacement vehicles should be either electric (ideal) or hybrid, (2) the total usage should be minimized, with the most efficient/clean vehicles being employed preferentially, and (3) diesel vehicles should be fueled by a biodiesel-diesel blend (discussed below). The overall strategy can be guided by transportation experts at IESVic, who can assist in the selection of suitable replacement vehicles. Relevant facilities management and campus security officials will be involved in developing the utilization strategy.
• Begin a collaboration between IESVic and UVic's Facilities Management to: (1) seek out a supplier of B20 biodiesel-blended fuel for its diesel fleet and (2) fund research into the effects of higher-percentage blends of biodiesel on vehicle performance and lifetime.

[edit] References

1. ↑ Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. IPCC Summary for Policymakers, February 2007, p. 2.
2. ↑ Bramley, Matthew. 2005. The Case For Deep Reductions: Canada’s Role in Preventing Dangerous Climate Change. Vancouver: The David Suzuki Foundation and the Pembina Institute, p. 7.
3. ↑ Bramley, Matthew. 2005. The Case For Deep Reductions: Canada’s Role in Preventing Dangerous Climate Change. Vancouver: The David Suzuki Foundation and the Pembina Institute, pp. 7-8.
4. ↑ University of Victoria. Sustainability Report: 2006, p. 10 http://web.uvic.ca/fmgt/pdf/SustainRpt_web.pdf
5. ↑ Bramley, Matthew. 2005. The Case For Deep Reductions: Canada’s Role in Preventing Dangerous Climate Change. Vancouver: The David Suzuki Foundation and the Pembina Institute, p. 8.