How it works
Measure assigns an emission factor to an activity automatically when the activity carries the right information for its category. We call that information a determinant. For example, an electricity activity needs to know which country (and in some countries, which grid region) it is in. A stationary combustion activity needs to know which fuel it burns.
If an activity is missing a required determinant, Measure can't choose a factor, and the activity won't produce emissions until it's fixed or until an custom emission factor is uploaded.
Where determinants come from
A determinant can come from either of two places, and Measure treats them the same way:
A tag on the activity itself. Use this for details that differ from one activity to the next, such as fuel or vehicle type.
A trait on a tag the activity carries. Use this for details that are the same across a whole facility, such as country or grid region. Set them once on the facility and every activity there inherits them.
Set on the activity | Set as a facility trait |
fuel_code, fuel, vehicle_code, vehicle_year, material, disposal_method, leased_asset_activity_type, gas, naics_code | country, us_egrid, ca_province, au_state, chilled_water_system |
Determinants by category
An activity needs every determinant in at least one of the options listed for its category.
Category | What the activity needs |
s1.1 Stationary combustion |
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s1.2 Mobile combustion |
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s1.3 Fugitive emissions |
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s1.4 Process emissions |
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s2.1 Electricity |
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s2.2 Chilled water |
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s2.3 District heat and steam | Nothing. One factor applies to the whole category. |
s3.1 Purchased goods and services |
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s3.2 Capital goods |
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s3.4 Upstream transportation |
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s3.5 Waste |
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s3.6 Business travel |
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s3.8 Upstream leased assets |
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s3.9 Downstream transportation |
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s3.12 End-of-life treatment |
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s3.13 Downstream leased assets | Same as s3.8 |
Automatic factors are not yet available for categories s3.3, s3.7, s3.10, s3.11, s3.14 and s3.15. You can still create activities in these categories and supply your own emission factors.
Fugitive and process emissions work differently
For s1.3 and s1.4, Measure doesn't look up an emission factor. Instead, you record how much of a gas was released (usually with the mass_gas_emitted or mass_refrigerant_leaked resource), tag the activity with the gas, and Measure applies that gas's global warming potential (GWP). Use the gas's exact name as it appears in Measure, for example R-134a, SF6 or CO2.
Fuel and vehicle codes: be as specific as possible
fuel_code and vehicle_code are organized in a hierarchy, where longer codes are more specific:
02Fossil Fuel0210Propane021001Propane Gas021002Propane (Liquid)
Some emission factors exist only for the most specific codes, so a general code like 0210 can leave an activity without a factor. Always choose the most specific code that fits. Some common ones:
Fuel | fuel_code |
Natural Gas | 020104 |
Diesel | 020202 |
Motor Gasoline | 020502 |
Propane Gas | 021001 |
Propane (Liquid) | 021002 |
Prefer fuel_code over the older fuel tag, and set only one of the two on an activity.
Example
"Denver Office - Natural Gas" is in category s1.1. To get an emission factor, it needs fuel_code: 020104. Its facility tag carries country: US, but that isn't required for s1.1, so the fuel_code alone is enough.
"Denver Office - Electricity" is in category s2.1. Its facility tag carries country: US and us_egrid: RMPA, and the activity inherits both, so no tags need to be added to the activity itself.