Analysis of energy use intensity and greenhouse gas emissions for universities in Taiwan

Abstract

Abstract This study investigated the energy consumption at 30 national universities, 9 national universities of science and technology, 17 private universities, and 16 private universities of science and technology in Taiwan from 2015 to 2017. Energy use intensity at the four types of universities was 85.3–93.2, 81.1–88.8, 81.3–85.6, and 56.5–57.5 kWh/m2/year, respectively. Energy use per person at the four types of universities was 2509–2912, 2292–2560, 1323–1405, and 915–1090 kWh/person/year, respectively. The amount of greenhouse gas emitted per student from the four types of universities was 1518, 1350, 760, and 557 kg-CO2e/person/year. The energy use intensity and energy use per person of the first three schools exhibited an increasing trend across the study period. The annual growth rate averaged 2.6%–7.7% with standard deviation gradually growing. In terms of the structural composition of the universities' energy consumption, 92% of the energy was electricity, and the remainder was fuel and gas. Therefore, universities should focus on electricity for energy conservation. Public universities feature lower student–teacher ratios and higher-quality facilities, such as learning environment. In addition, they charge lower tuition fees and are therefore more attractive to students, but their energy use intensity is higher. This study constructed three multiple-regression models to calculate universities’ total greenhouse gas emissions, greenhouse gas emissions/unit area, and greenhouse gas emissions/person. The adjusted R2 ranged from 0.302 to 0.948, indicating a relationship that cannot be overlooked statistically. Subsequently, standardised statistical models were established that universities could use to determine their nationwide rankings for greenhouse gas emission and intensity. The findings of this study can guide the public sector in formulating energy conservation and carbon reduction strategies and benchmarks for universities.