CLIMATE SCOUT®

Commercial Buildings Operational Carbon Calculations

Carbon Emissions Calculator

The carbon tool in CLIMATESCOUT provides grid carbon intensity for all countries worldwide and allows us to determine the grid’s impact on operational carbon intensity.
How to use the Carbon Tool

Step 1: Find your Target EUI (Energy Use Intensity)

Use Energy Star’s Target finder to determine the Median EUI for the type and size of property in the location selected. Target Finder is EPA’s online calculator that helps architects, engineers, and property owners and managers assess the energy performance of commercial buildings (including multifamily) and existing buildings. If you have the EUI of your project and want to find your project’s Operational Carbon output, you can skip to Step 2.

Link: ENERGY STAR Portfolio ManagerTarget Finder

Step 2: Calculate your Impact

Using the information from Target Finder, the carbon calculator will estimate the carbon intensity (kgCO2e/m2yr ) and the total carbon emitted per year (kgCO2e/yr), assuming the building is all electric.

The total operational carbon calculated for a building or asset indicates its total impact on climate (kgCO2e/yr) and the annualized indicator of operational emissions by unit area per year (kgCO2e/m2yr) can be used to compare buildings or design options. It is based on what already exists for Energy (EUI).

Learn More

  • Definitions:
    • Grid Carbon Intensity – a measure of how clean the locaiton’s electricity is based on the fuel source, expressed as grams of CO2e needed to produce one kilowatt hour of electricity. Electricity generated with fossil fuels is carbon intensive, whereas renewable energy has low or zero carbon emissions.
    •  Site Energy Use intensity (EUI) – the amount of energy consumed at the building site annually, expressed as energy per square foot or square meter per year.
    • Operational Carbon – The carbon emissions associated with a building’s EUI
  • References:

Compare Grid Carbon Intensity