Emissions sources overview

Emissions source

• An emissions source consists of a group of records detailing a shared origin and quantity of greenhouse gases.
• Assigning a type (commodity) to an emissions source and setting a scope category and factor to it will allow any child records to inherit these attributes. The defaults can be overridden when needed.
• In combination with the emissions source type (commodity) it defines the default scope category and factor for new records.
• You can also set emissions source defaults for all emissions sources of the same commodity. This can help you automate your process when adding new emissions sources.
• When you subscribe to UtilityManagement you can link to a UtilityManagement meter.
  • This generates emissions data from utility bills.
  • You can view emissions data for buildings and organizations in UtilityManagement.
• Can be grouped into collections.

Location-based vs Market-based emissions

The Emissions module offers two different methods to account for your carbon footprint. Your organization may want to see values for both methods.

It provides data from either perspective without double counting or needing to create multiple emissions sources.

Depending on your reporting or regulatory requirements you may choose to see values for both methods for a given emissions source.

Generally for location-based sources you can leverage EnergyCAP's library of eGRID factors and for market-based you can create custom factors if needed.

Location-based

Location-based emissions are calculated based on the average emission factors in a specific geographic area (for example, country, region, or city) where an organization is located.

This method is typically used when you don't have specific information on the energy sources purchased and it's based on the location of the energy consumption.

Market-based

Market-based emissions are calculated on the actual emissions from the energy you purchased, including energy contracts, renewable energy certificates (RECs), and power purchase agreements (PPAs).

This method takes into account specific details about the energy purchased, including the source of that energy (for example, renewable or non-renewable) and whether your organization has purchased energy from a specific provider with lower-carbon sources.

This methods is used when your organization has direct information about its energy purchases, including green energy contracts or RECs that allow your organization to account for the use of renewable energy and its associated emissions reductions.