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Carbon Data Services: Monitor, report and optimise against your Scope 2 emissions using granular data
About
Most companies miscalculate their emissions from electricity consumption by an average of 30%... Risking greenwashing, litigation and bad press. This happens because corporations multiply their annual electricity consumption by an annual average emission factor - a measure of the carbon intensity of the electricity grid - to calculate their emissions from electricity consumption. This approach ignores temporal and locational variation in carbon intensity, as well as the time of a corporation's electricity consumption which can have substantial impact on relative carbon emissions. Granular carbon data - measuring emissions using hourly and location specific data - can be used to monitor site specific emissions at the time electricity was consumed. Giving consumers true carbon transparency and reducing the risk of accidental greenwashing. On top of that, granular carbon data provides 1000s of actionable insights - highlighting opportunities to cut carbon by avoiding consuming power at times of higher grid-carbon. It’s compatible with all major reporting frameworks, and is even recommended best practice in the UK Streamlined Energy and Carbon Act.
Key Benefits
Granular carbon data can be used to monitor site specific emissions, half hourly, every day of the year. This approach uses emissions factors specific to the time and location of power consumption. Creating 1000s of actionable insights and opportunities to cut carbon, whilst reducing the risk of accidental greenwashing. It’s compatible with all major reporting frameworks, and is even recommended best practice in the UK Streamlined Energy and Carbon Act.
Applications
Use Case 1: Granular Accounting & GHG Reporting Report Green House Gas emissions using local emission factors linked to the time of power consumption. The GHG Corporate Standard for Scope 2 and UK Streamlined Energy and Carbon Act (SECR) recommends linking time-of-day energy use to the emission factors of the local grid during those times. Use Case 2: Carbon-Aware Energy Use Load shift electricity consumption (sometimes by just a few minutes) to align electricity consumption patterns with periods of low grid carbon. A minimal shift in electricity demand can dramatically reduce carbon emissions, either through load shifting consumption or by displacing grid electricity with batteries or on-site generation. Use Case 3: Targeted Investment in Low carbon technologies Target investment of low carbon initiatives to maximise the carbon avoidance of each investment. Depending on the fuel mix of the local grid and a corporate’s consumption patterns the choice of low carbon technology (e.g. PV vs. wind turbine) can result in up to a 5 fold increase in carbon abatement. Identifying the highest carbon regions helps corporations with distributed assets identify the locations where investment in energy efficiency and renewable technologies will result in the highest carbon savings. Use Case 4: Low (zero?) carbon electric vehicles Monitoring the carbon intensity of electric vehicle charge points allows EV drives to choose the time and location of charging in order to minimise the carbon emissions associated with the electricity they use to charge. On some days it might even be possible to run an EV with truly carbon-free power.