UNIVERSIDADE PAULISTA – UNIP - Advances In Cleaner Production

Abstract
This study applies emergy accounting to assess the course of Engineering offered in an
educational building at Paulista University - UNIP. Emergy is the solar available energy
used up directly or indirectly to obtain a product or service, including contributions of
nature and the economy. The study shows the characteristics of the facilities needed for
the operation of an engineering course and the information provided to students, in
order to provide information that can be used for comparison between different courses
or to the implementation of new courses. A detailed assessment that includes
conventional analysis (built area, number of books and staff) is complemented by the
inclusion of environmental aspects (use of sunlight, water, etc.). The use of indicators
provides information on the quantity and distribution of the emergy investment in
(renewable and non renewable resources) to mantain an engineering school and to
graduate an engineer. The importance of practical classes is also evaluated. The
building studied is located within the Indianapolis campus of the University Paulista
(UNIP). The total emergy of the building (installation and use) is 1.65 x 10 18 sej / year,
and the concrete has the most significant value in the total emergy of the building
(52%). The second largest contribution is due to the large investment in equipment for
the proper operation of the course (22%). The total emergy of the UNIP’s Engineering
course is 6.31 x 10 19 sej. The emergy of the infrastructure contributes with 11% to the
engineer formation, and the emergy of information with 89%. The engineer transformity
is 8.7 times that of the students entering the University. This study compares the results
of the engineering course (Engineering and Technology) with a course in Health
Sciences (Pharmacy) and a course in Social Science (Management). The transformity
the pharmacist is 4.5 times that of high school students, and the transformity of the
administrator is 1.9 times higher.
Keywords: environmental accounting; emergy; University; information.
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