SSM senior capstone project summaries

Assessing climate impacts of current energy usage and identifying potential renewable energy options for two facilities of the Concordia Language Villages. 

Using current energy consumption and energy cost data for camp facility operations, students will analyze the climate impacts and identify potential renewable energy strategies for two specific villages in northern Minnesota.

Assessing sustainable palm frond supply chain and life-cycle carbon impacts from a forest concession in the Maya Biosphere Reserve, Guatemala.

Using existing management data of wild-harvested palm fronds, students will characterize the existing supply chain from farm to consumer and calculate the associated carbon emissions and economic costs, including production, processing, and transportation from the Maya Reserve to US consumers.

Environmental and Economic Assessment of Building Materials Management Methods. 

In partnership with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, students will assess carbon emissions and economic impacts of different building material management methods for a UMN campus building. Methods may include preservation/renovation, deconstruction, or demolition. Students will analyze the financial costs, carbon costs/savings of materials lost/saved, and potential workforce opportunities for these management methods.

Assessment of the carbon footprint of aseptic and refrigerated plant-based beverages.

With Minnesota-based beverage and food manufacturing company SunOpta, students will calculate carbon footprint and energy consumption of the packaging, distribution, and retail of a shelf-stable aseptic plant-based beverage for comparison against a similar refrigerated product

Novel and Sustainable Technologies for Odor Control in a Sugar Beet Production System.

In partnership with the Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative, students will identify and analyze environmentally and economically sustainable options for minimizing odors related to (H₂S) emissions in the beet sugar production system.