1. Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

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

3. Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project
Introduction
Brian Medema

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

5. Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project
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. Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project
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. Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project
Climate Change
Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

9. Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project
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
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
Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

12. American College and University Presidents 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 University Presidents Climate Commitment
448 college presidents have signed
At start of semester, less than 80 signatories
Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

14. Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project
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
Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

17. Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project
Emissions Summary
Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

18. Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project
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
Cost
ratio
[MTCE/year]
[$]
[$/MTCE/year]
Monthly EV gift for students
1.25
$240,000.00
$17,454.55
Campus Safety in EVs
0.96
$80,000.00
$7,575.76
Calvin owned bikes
1.258
$3,000.00
$2,385.38
Adding Lake Dr. Bike lane and path
14.93
$21,000.00
$1,407.00
Full Rapid Subsidization
264
$94,492.00
$358.53
Renewable Energy Production
5548
$820,000.00
$76.00
Green Energy purchase*
-19571
$724,000.00
$37.00
Carbon Offset purchase ∞
$9.00
Temperature Drop
3555
($172, )
($48.00)
Daily commuter fees with increased rates
678
($83,000.00)
($122.58)
* 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 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. Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project
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. Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project
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. Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project
Neutrality Plan
Increase Awareness
Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

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

33. Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project
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: 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. Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project
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. Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project
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 : Deposit money saved into “Green Energy Account” and use it to fund other projects.

41. Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project
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

43. Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project
Conclusion
Brian Medema

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

45. Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project
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

46. Carbon Emissions Trading Simulation
Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

47. Carbon Emissions Trading Simulation
Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

48. 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

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

50. Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project
Next Steps
Implementation
Dorm Temperature drop
Increased Parking fees
Subsidize the Rapid for students
Calvin Rentable Bikes
Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

51. Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project
Next Steps
Public Awareness
Calvin Bikes
Bike lane on Lake Drive
Electric Vehicles for Campus Safety and other service vehicles
Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

52. Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project
Next Steps
Become Carbon Neutral
Administration’s support
Finalized plan
Installation of green power sources
Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

53. Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project
Acknowledgments
VP Henry DeVries
Mr. Paul Pennock
Professor Piers
Professor Dornbos
Professor Heun
Professor Warners
Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

54. Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project

55. Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project
Questions
Calvin College Carbon Neutrality Project