Right now, Carbon Signal uses a simple input spreadsheet to upload data to the platform. Our team of account managers can also assist in the onboarding process by organizing, cleaning, and uploading data onto the platform. We don't currently support live data connections but we're actively working with third-party API providers to integrate live utility data connections.

Carbon Signal calculates Scope 1, 2and Scope 3 (Category 13) emissions for commercial real estate owners. Our platform supports custom emissions factors that are characteristic of market-based emissions data. When uploading energy data, you can provide site-specific emissions factors (for example, those from your local utility), and Carbon Signal will use these values when calculating carbon emissions. If no custom emission factors are provided, the platform defaults to using national averages.

The platform keeps a record of model versions for each building. Any change to inputs creates a new model with a corresponding new model version. All model versions for a building are archived and can be accessed in the future. The model version history will provide details such as when the version was created, who edited the data, and what data they edited.  

Carbon Signal allows users to download their data in a well-structured format that can be used to build reports on other platforms. However, Carbon Signal currently doesn't have a report generation feature as it is not built to be a reporting or accounting tool. We are focused on providing the best decarbonization analytics capabilities on the market, as a layer of intelligence on top of ESG reporting and accounting activities.

Carbon Signal can facilitate setting energy and carbon reduction targets at both the building and portfolio level. Carbon Signal excels at setting targets that are realistic and based upon the actual reduction potential at the building (and accordingly, in aggregate at the portfolio) level. Our team of account managers can also assist with creating custom carbon reduction targets and integrate relevant targets that align with various Building Performance Standards, local regulations, and standard benchmarks.

Even with incomplete energy data in a building portfolio, our platform can provide detailed retrofit recommendations with associated energy savings and costs. Our proprietary gap-filling methodology allows for buildings with no energy or partial energy data to be analyzed.

Our team of account managers can assist with identifying buildings in your portfolio that are subject to a Building Performance Standard (BPS), based on location or other criteria. We can also help you evaluate alternative compliance payments that might be associated with Building Performance Standard (BPS) policies.

Yes, Carbon Signal generates savings estimates for various decarbonization interventions - from HVAC controls to lighting retrofits to electrification. To produce these estimates, the platform leverages complementary benefits of 2 techniques: the speed of AI and machine learning, and the accuracy of physics-based models. Our platform uses machine learning to quickly find all building performance characteristics that best explain observed patterns in monthly utility bills. The, the software searches through a range of parameters to identify sets of characteristics that yield a reasonable estimate of energy drivers and uses those characteristics to build a calibrated baseline energy model. We use this to run a physics-based model to simulate any number of what-if scenarios, offering high-confidence recommendations to improve building energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. Our use of physics-based models allow the platform to have global applicability and to be suitable for analysis of any building sector.

No. We can support any number of buildings in a portfolio.

Our platform provides cost estimates for different interventions based on $/sqft rules-of-thumb. If actual costs are known, users can override these defaults. The staff at Carbon Signal are experienced decarbonization consultants for the built environment and developed these rule-of-thumb costs based on numerous previous projects where costs were known or provided by cost estimators. Currently, the platform does not include any long-term cash flow analyses for costs, but this is something that our team of account managers can provide. We are also actively working on incorporating this as a feature on the platform itself.

Our team of account managers can provide analysis that includes the impact of applicable incentives in major priority markets.  

Carbon Signal is not designed to be an emissions tracking or carbon accounting tool, but it does allow users to identify which projects have been implemented. Based on this information, the models automatically recalibrate and the emissions reduction potential analysis adjusts accordingly. Our team of account managers can also help set up workflows, outside of Carbon Signal, to track energy and emissions over time using outputs from the software platform.    

Yes! Our team has extensive consulting experience, having worked on some of the most ambitious building projects around the world. Get in touch if there is a specific type of analysis that you need for your portfolio, or if you're looking for general portfolio advisory services.

Right now, the only integration we offer is through Energy Star Portfolio Manager as a mechanism to import utility data. However, we're currently exploring opportunities to connect to other data sources and analysis platforms. Get in touch if you have a specific request.

You can definitely use Carbon Signal to keep track of building energy and emissions data, but it's not built to be a reporting or accounting tool. We're focused on providing the best analytics capabilities on the market, as a layer of intelligence on top of ESG reporting and accounting activities.

For small portfolios (less than 100 buildings), we charge $250 per building per year to access all features on Carbon Signal. We also offer volume plans with gradually reducing fees for larger portfolios. If want to learn more about our pricing or discuss a custom pricing plan, contact info@carbonsignal.com.