The Carbon Neutral Design Project | Society of Building Science Educators | American Institute of Architects

The Carbon Neutral Design Project:

Carbon Calculation Tools:

Survey of Carbon Calculators

Comparing Different Carbon Counting Tools

2. COMPARING DIFFERENT CARBON COUNTING TOOLS

The tools that were compared had to be free and easy to use so that they could be used in the initial phases of the architectural design process, while providing sufficient precision to provide some useful input to the designer. Fifty tools were analyzed and compared. Ten of these tools provided no useful information while forty provided useful results in at least one of these areas. Recommendations for tools in each of these areas are given.

The following table compares these 40 tools. In addition to an image of a representative input and output screen, the table provides: a) the URL address; b) the areas for which the tool calculates carbon emissions and the sub areas in each of these; c) the ease of use in a three point scale: easy, moderate, difficult ; d) the time to complete the information needed measured in a scale that goes from: less than 5 minutes, between 5 and 15 minutes and more than 15 minutes; e) the units used in the output ; and f) general comments.

EXAMPLE INPUT SCREEN	EXAMPLE OUTPUT SCREEN (if applicable)	COMMENTS
Act on CO2 calculator
		1) Web Address: http://campaigns.direct.gov.uk/actonco2/home.html 2) Calculates: home ( electricity, oil natural gas, propane, kerosene, wood stove) 3) Ease of use: easy 4) Time to complete: less than 5 minutes 5) Output (units): tonnes of CO2 6) Comments: UK based, covers all the standard appliances/equipment in a house
American Forests
		1) Web Address: http://www.americanforests.org/resources/ccc/ 2) Calculates: home ( electricity, oil natural gas, propane, kerosene, wood stove), waste (garbage, recycling) and transportation (auto, motorcycles, taxis, rail, subway, city buses, air miles) 3) Ease of use: easy 4) Time to complete: less than 5 minutes 5) Output (units): lbs of CO2 6) Comments: provides number of trees needed to offset emissions
Athena: EcoCalculator for Assemblies
		1) Web Address: http://www.athenasmi.org/tools/ecoCalculator/index.html 2) Calculates: construction 3) Ease of use: complex 4) Time to complete: 5 - 10 minutes 5) Output (units): tons of greenhouse gases 6) Comments: input requires number of square feet of materials used; region based, limited regions available
Be Green Now
		1) Web Address: http://www.begreennow.com/reduce-offset/carbon-calculator/ 2) Calculates: home ( electricity, natural gas,) and transportation (auto, air miles) 3) Ease of use: easy 4) Time to complete: less than 5 minutes 5) Output (units): tonnes of CO2 6) Comments: provide opportunity to buy carbon offsets
Berkekey Institute of the Environment
		1) Web Address: http://bie.berkeley.edu/calculator.swf 2) Calculates: home ( electricity, oil, natural gas, propane, kerosene, wood stove) and transportation (auto, motorcycles, taxis, rail, subway, city buses, air miles) 3) Ease of use: easy 4) Time to complete: less than 5 minutes 5) Output (units): lbs of CO2 6) Comments: provides number of trees needed to offset emissions
Best Foot Forward
		1) Web Address: http://www.bestfootforward.com/carbonlife.htm 2) Calculates: total usage based on usage relative to average user of car, travel, home size, number of people in home, renewable or non-renewable energy source, diet, and waste 3) Ease of use: easy 4) Time to complete: less than 5 minutes 5) Output (units): tonnes of CO2 6) Comments: provides number of earths needed to sustain your lifestyle
Bonneville Environmental Foundation
		1) Web Address: http://www.b-e-f.org/offsets/calculator/ 2) Calculates: home ( electricity, oil natural gas, propane,) and transportation (auto, rail, subway, city buses, air miles) 3) Ease of use: easy 4) Time to complete: less than 5 minutes 5) Output (units): lbs of CO2 6) Comments: can input averages or details; provides opportunity to buy carbon offsets
BP Calculator
		1) Web Address: http://www.bp.com/iframe.do?categoryId= 9023118&contentId=7045317 2) Calculates: home ( electricity, oil natural gas, propane, kerosene, wood stove) and transportation (auto, motorcycles, taxis, rail, subway, city buses, air miles) 3) Ease of use: easy 4) Time to complete: less than 5 minutes 5) Output (units): lbs of CO2 or kWh 6) Comments: provides option to specify energy efficient and renewable energy systems being used
Build Carbon Neutral Construction Calculator
		1) Web Address: http://buildcarbonneutral.org/ 2) Calculates: carbon output from construction 3) Ease of use: easy 4) Time to complete: less than 5 minutes 5) Output (units): metric tons of CO2 6) Comments: based on primary structural system, size, and location
California Carbon Calculator
		1) Web Address: www.coolcalifornia.org 2) Calculates: home ( electricity, oil natural gas, water and sewage), transportation (auto, public transportation, air miles), food (meat, fish, eggs, dairy, eating out, fruits/vegetables, bake products, and goods/services(clothing, furniture/appliances, other goods, services) 3) Ease of use: easy 4) Time to complete: less than 5 minutes 5) Output (units): tons of CO2 6) Comments: input based on dollars spent; provides number of acres of trees needed to offset emissions and the number of barrels of oil burned to create the same amount of emissions
Carbon Footprint
		1) Web Address: http://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx 2) Calculates: home ( electricity, oil natural gas, heating oil, coal, LPG, propane, wooden pellets), transportation (auto, motorbike, taxis, rail, subway, bus, coach, tram, tube air miles) and Secondary (food, fashion, packaging, furniture & electrical, recycling, recreation, car and finance) 3) Ease of use: easy 4) Time to complete: less than 5 minutes 5) Output (units): tonnes of CO2 6) Comments: allows input by gallons/ therms/ kWh; provides graphic showing size of footprint relative to country average and world average
Carbon Counter.org
	Does not calculate carbon emissions any more.	1) Web Address: http://www.carboncounter.org/ 2) Calculates: home ( electricity, oil natural gas, propane, kerosene, wood stove) and transportation (auto, motorcycles, taxis, rail, subway, city buses, air miles) 3) Ease of use: easy 4) Time to complete: less than 5 minutes 5) Output (units): lbs of CO2 6) Comments: provides number of trees needed to offset emissions
Carbon Fund
		1) Web Address: http://www.carbonfund.org/site/pages/carbon_calculators/ 2) Calculates: home ( electricity, oil natural gas,), transportation (auto, rail, city buses, air miles) and event/wedding(cars, flights, trains, hotel rooms, meals) 3) Ease of use: easy 4) Time to complete: less than 5 minutes 5) Output (units): tons of CO2 6) Comments: provides cost of offset
Center for Alternative Technologies
		1) Web Address: http://carbongym.cat.org.uk/ 2) Calculates: home ( electricity, oil natural gas, propane, kerosene, wood stove), transportation (auto, other, air miles) and food (packaged, organic) 3) Ease of use: easy 4) Time to complete: less than 5 minutes 5) Output (units): tonnes of CO2 6) Comments: provides direct and indirect emissions
Chuck Wright
		1) Web Address: http://www.chuck-wright.com/calculators/carbon.html 2) Calculates: home ( electricity, oil natural gas) and transportation (auto, air miles) 3) Ease of use: easy 4) Time to complete: less than 5 minutes 5) Output (units): lbs of CO2 6) Comments: breaks down emissions by years, hour and minute
City of Fair Oaks, CA - Water Use Calculator
		1) Web Address: http://fowd.com/program_watercalculator.html 2) Calculates: water (lawns, bathing, dishes, laundry) 3) Ease of use: easy 4) Time to complete: less than 5 minutes 5) Output (units): gallons of water 6) Comments: provides per capita and per household water usage per week, month and year
City of Tampa, FL - Water Use Calculator
		1) Web Address: http://www.tampagov.net/dept_Water/information_ resources/Saving_water/Water_use_calculator.asp 2) Calculates: water (lawns, bathing, dishes, laundry) 3) Ease of use: easy 4) Time to complete: less than 5 minutes 5) Output (units): gallons of water 6) Comments: provides per capita water usage per day, month and year
Clear Water
		1) Web Address: http://www.clearwater.org/carbon.html 2) Calculates: home ( electricity, oil natural gas, propane, kerosene, wood stove), transportation (auto, air miles), waste (paper, food) and food (commercial versus organic) 3) Ease of use: easy 4) Time to complete: less than 5 minutes 5) Output (units): lbs of CO2 6) Comments: provides acres of forest needed to offset emissions
Electric Power Pollution Calculator
		1) Web Address: http://infinitepower.org/calc_electric.htm 2) Calculates: home ( electricity, oil natural gas,) and transportation (auto, air miles) 3) Ease of use: easy 4) Time to complete: less than 5 minutes 5) Output (units): lbs of CO2 6) Comments: can choose alternative fuel sources for the electricity generation; also provides calculator showing all emissions for various fuel sources for generating electricity
Energy Star Home Yardstick
		1) Web Address: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction= HOME_ENERGY_YARDSTICK.showGetStarted 2) Calculates: home ( electricity, oil natural gas, propane, kerosene, wood stove) and transportation (auto, motorcycles, taxis, rail, subway, city buses, air miles) 3) Ease of use: easy 4) Time to complete: less than 5 minutes 5) Output (units): lbs of CO2 6) Comments: provides number of trees needed to offset emissions
Energy Star Home Yardstick Target Finder
		1) Web Address: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction= HOME_ENERGY_YARDSTICK.showGetStarted 2) Calculates: home ( electricity, oil natural gas, propane, kerosene) 3) Ease of use: easy 4) Time to complete: less than 5 minutes 5) Output (units): lbs of CO2 6) Comments: provides recommendations on how to reduce emissions
EPA Personal Emissions Calculator
		1) Web Address: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ ind_calculator.html 2) Calculates: home ( electricity, oil natural gas, propane, kerosene, wood stove), transportation (auto) and waste 3) Ease of use: easy 4) Time to complete: less than 5 minutes 5) Output (units): lbs of CO2 6) Comments: calculates emission reductions based on materials recycled
EPA Waste Reduction Model WARM
		1) Web Address: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/waste/ calculators/Warm_home.html 2) Calculates: waste 3) Ease of use: easy 4) Time to complete: 5-15 minutes 5) Output (units): metric tons of carbon equivalent (MTCE) or metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2Eq 6) Comments: includes many materials and a web based and excel based calculator
Global Environment Information Centre (GEIC) Calculator
		) Web Address: http://www.geic.or.jp/co2-cal/ 2) Calculates: electronics/electric appliances and transportation (auto) 3) Ease of use: easy 4) Time to complete: less than 5 minutes 5) Output (units): kg of CO2 6) Comments: provides total Japan emissions based on inputted usage
HEED
		1) Web Address: http://mackintosh.aud.ucla.edu/heed/ 2) Calculates: home ( electricity, natural gas) 3) Ease of use: Complex 4) Time to complete: 30 minutes for initial design, alternative designs 5 minutes 5) Output (units): lbs of CO2 6) Comments: provides 30 different charts/tables of temperatures, loads, energy usage and emissions
Home Energy Saver Calculator
		1) Web Address: http://hes.lbl.gov/hes/db/zip.shtml 2) Calculates: home ( electricity, oil natural gas, propane), and appliances 3) Ease of use: moderate 4) Time to complete: less than 15 minutes 5) Output (units): lbs of CO2 6) Comments: extensive list of choices for heating/cooling/lighting/appliances/insulation levels
Inconvenient Truth
		1) Web Address: http://www.climatecrisis.net/takeaction/ carboncalculator/ 2) Calculates: home ( electricity, oil, natural gas, propane) and transportation (auto, air miles) 3) Ease of use: easy 4) Time to complete: less than 5 minutes 5) Output (units): tons of CO2 6) Comments: based on $ spent, can specify the percentage of electricity that comes from renewable resources
Live Neutral
		1) Web Address: http://Liveneutral.org 2) Calculates: home ( electricity, natural gas) and transportation (auto, air miles) 3) Ease of use: easy 4) Time to complete: less than 5 minutes 5) Output (units): tons of CO2 6) Comments: provides opportunity to buy carbon offsets
Pacific Gas and Electric Carbon Calculator
		1) Web Address: http://www.pge.com/carbonfootprint/ 2) Calculates: home ( electricity, oil natural gas) and transportation (auto) 3) Ease of use: easy 4) Time to complete: less than 5 minutes 5) Output (units): lbs of CO2 6) Comments: provides state, national and global averages of CO2 emissions
Pure Trust
		) Web Address: http://www.puretrust.org.uk/Home/Personal/Calculator.asp 2) Calculates: home ( electricity, oil, natural gas, biomass, coal, LPG) and transportation (auto, motorcycles, air miles) 3) Ease of use: easy 4) Time to complete: less than 5 minutes 5) Output (units): tonnes of CO2 6) Comments: UK based, provides opportunity to purchase carbon offsets
Resurgence
		1) Web Address: www.resurgence.org/carboncalculator/ 2) Calculates: home ( electricity, oil, natural gas, coal, wood stove), transportation (auto, taxi, train, bus, air miles), leisure (activities use gas/diesel/kerosene) and industry(per capita portion of business) 3) Ease of use: easy 4) Time to complete: less than 5 minutes 5) Output (units): kg and tonnes of CO2 6) Comments: UK based; two versions –based on $ or based on bills
Safeclimate
		1) Web Address: www.safeclimate.net/calculator/index.php 2) Calculates: home ( electricity, oil, natural gas,) and transportation (auto, air miles) 3) Ease of use: easy 4) Time to complete: less than 5 minutes 5) Output (units): lbs of CO2 6) Comments: choice of countries; provides animation showing output relative to national average
TerraPass
		1) Web Address: http://www.terrapass.com/ 2) Calculates: home ( electricity, oil natural gas, propane,) and transportation (auto, air miles) 3) Ease of use: easy 4) Time to complete: less than 5 minutes 5) Output (units): lbs of CO2 6) Comments: provides opportunity to purchase carbon offsets and energy saving products
The Nature Conservancy's Carbon Footprint Calculator
		1) Web Address: http://www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/ calculator/ 2) Calculates: home, transportation (auto, air miles), food & diet and recycling & waste 3) Ease of use: easy 4) Time to complete: less than 5 minutes 5) Output (units): tons of CO2 6) Comments: provides graph comparing results to U.S. average
Water Conservation Calculator
		1) Web Address: http://www.csgnetwork.com/waterusagecalc.html 2) Calculates: water 3) Ease of use: easy 4) Time to complete: less than 5 minutes 5) Output (units): gallons of water used 6) Comments: provides water usage per day, month and year
Yahoo Green Calculator
		1) Web Address: http://green.yahoo.com/calculator/ 2) Calculates: home and transportation (auto, air miles) 3) Ease of use: easy 4) Time to complete: less than 5 minutes 5) Output (units): tons of CO2 6) Comments: provides opportunity to purchase carbon offsets
ZeroFootprint Earth Hour
		1) Web Address: http://www.zerofootprint.net/one_minute/earthhour 2) Calculates: home, diet, and transportation (auto, air miles) 3) Ease of use: easy 4) Time to complete: less than 5 minutes 5) Output (units): tons of CO2 6) Comments: allows you to choose country; more thorough calculator available by registering
ZeroFootprint Unilever Go Blue
		1) Web Address: http://zerofootprint.net/one_minute/unilever?language=en-C 2) Calculates: water 3) Ease of use: easy 4) Time to complete: less than 5 minutes 5) Output (units): gallons per year 6) Comments: allows you to choose country
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