Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
96 <br /> . . . . . . . . . . <br /> limits and from people who recreate and work in Orange County; the community inventory <br /> is inclusive of all towns within the County. Required sectors for community GHG inventories <br /> are: 1) community building energy use from kilowatt hours and natural gas therms usage, <br /> and other significant energy sources 2)transportation emissions from vehicle miles traveled <br /> in the County, 3)solid waste disposed, 4)wastewater and water electricity used and gallons <br /> consumed. In contrast, the County operations inventory encompasses emissions resulting <br /> from Orange County operations and facilities,making it a subset of the community inventory. <br /> Although County emissions represent a small fraction of the emissions inventory, managing <br /> them is vital, given the government's ability to influence and lead by example to combat <br /> climate change.The County operations inventory includes emissions from County buildings, <br /> County vehicle fleets,employee commutes,and water consumption.8 <br /> CALCULATING EMISSIONS <br /> GREENHOUSE GASSES <br /> Local governments are expected to evaluate emissions of the six internationally <br /> recognized greenhouse gasses(GHG) under the Kyoto Protocol,9 namely Carbon dioxide <br /> (CO2),Methane(CH4),Nitrous oxide(N20),Hydrofluorocarbons(HFCs),Perfluorocarbons <br /> (PFCs), and Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). Each of these greenhouse gasses is reported <br /> and converted into metric tons (MT), differentiated by their respective Global Warming <br /> Potential (GWP). The GWP of each is benchmarked on Carbon dioxide's potential, which <br /> is set at 1, as it serves as the reference point for the other gasses. Methane,with a GWP of <br /> 28, is largely emitted from landfills, wastewater, and natural gas leakage. Nitrous Oxide, <br /> with a higher GWP of 265, is primarily associated with energy production and wastewater <br /> treatment. Hydrofluorocarbons, having a wide GWP range of 12-11,700, are mainly tied <br /> to refrigerant usage. Perfluorocarbons, with a GWP between 6,500-9,200, typically <br /> result from manufacturing and production processes. Sulfur Hexafluoride, possessing <br /> the highest GWP of 23,900, is principally connected with power transmission and <br /> distribution. This inventory primarily uses Carbon dioxide, Methane, and Nitrous Oxide10 <br /> to establish the carbon dioxide emission equivalents (CO2e)for all sectors analyzed." <br /> SECTOR ACTIVITY DATA AND EMISSIONS FACTORS <br /> The process of calculating Carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e) utilizes both activity <br /> data and emission factors. When activity data is multiplied by corresponding emission <br /> factors, the result is an amount of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions. By converting <br /> each sector's activity data into carbon dioxide equivalents, a comparative ratio for each <br /> sector can be established, enabling further analysis and facilitating decision-making <br /> about potential reduction strategies. <br /> 8 Data was not available for solid waste from County Operations to be differentiated from community <br /> waste,therefore all solid waste emissions are included only in the community inventory. <br /> 9 https://unfccc.int/resource/docs/convkp/kpeng.pdf <br /> 10 As referenced in the US Community Protocol the high GWP GHG's perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride <br /> are not required to complete an accurate inventory.The County reported no refrigerant loss,and therefore <br /> hydrofluorocarbons do not appear in the inventory.All other GHGs are measured and reported. <br /> 11 https://icleiusa.org/ghg-protocols <br /> 5 ORANGE COUNTY, NC • APPENDICES <br />