Commercial Green Building News and Analysis!

OneCarbonWorld: A Better Carbon Calculator?

Question:


What is the best way for me to calculate my building's carbon footprint?

Answer:


Energy Star offers a free benchmarking tool called Target Finder that helps building owners, operators and architects, etc... set realistic reduced energy efficiency targets for their buildings. The tool may also be used to calculate a building's carbon footprint in Co2 emissions (tons/year) while calculating what the reduced emissions could be by more efficiently operating the building.

A new carbon footprint calculator can be found at OpenCarbonWorld.com. OpenCarbonWorld.com uses the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, a widely accepted standard developed by the World Resource Institute. This carbon footprint calculator requires much more detailed information that takes into account more data than the energy star tool including direct and indirect emissions and breaking out emissions from electricity, fuel, air conditioning, vehicular use. You may also specify the type of emissions that is likely as well as the fuel that is being used (LPG, gas oil, propane, etc...) The end result is a carbon plan summary which breaks out footprint, efficiency and offset options which can be used in helping to achieve your goals.

The Greenhouse Gas Protocol's Website also offers an extensive set of individual tools that may help quantify carbon output.

Comments

carbon calculators are

Wed, 10/01/2008 - 10:44 — roopa (not verified)

carbon calculators are everywhere and they can vary widely according to accuracy. Nature.org has a home carbon calculator which is good Carbon Calculator

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