The rising cost of fossil fuels has been paralleled by an interest in maximizing efficiency and conservation at all levels (individual to corporate). Amidst this the burning of fossil fuels carries with it concerns regarding the contribution of the resulting emissions to climate change. This has generated interest in energy conservation and the use of renewable energy. In this time period Cedarville University has demonstrated a strong interest in managing its energy use (and associated greenhouse gas emissions) with emphasis on cost effectiveness. Thus, the objective of our study is to analyze Cedarville University’s energy use and carbon emissions from 2008 through the end of 2013.
We will collect data on all sources of energy use and related emissions including electricity consumption, natural gas for heating, commuting, gasoline consumption, trash output, water use, and paper use. These data will be organized into the Campus Carbon Calculator to determine how much each factor contributes toward the campus’ carbon footprint. We will use the data to analyze the efficiency of the campus’ energy use by investigating energy use and emissions per student and per square foot of building space over the last decade. These data will serve as an update to the energy audit completed in 2008. Furthermore this will serve as a baseline to compare the lasting impact of the campus efficiency upgrades as well as the 2 megawatt solar array installed in March 2013
