Schneider tool calculates carbon conservation

  • October 9, 2024
  • Steve Rogerson

Schneider Electric has created a building decarbonisation calculator, an online tool that lets building owners and operators quickly test and explore a range of energy and carbon conservation measures (ECCMs) using simulated data.

As pressure mounts to meet decarbonisation targets, this enables users to evaluate and prioritise retrofit scenarios, helping them navigate the complexities of balancing cumulative costs and emissions from now until 2050 to define the best path to net zero.

With a dataset of close to 500,000 building performance models that span various building types, sizes and geographies, the calculator helps users assess the carbon and financial return on investment of ECCMs and compare their decarbonisation pathways to New York City’s Local Law 97 fines or the Carbon Risk Real Estate Monitor (CRREM) pathway.

“As regulatory requirements tighten, especially in cities like New York and Boston as well as in countries like France and the UK, the building decarbonisation calculator is a powerful consultative tool that supports compliance with local mandates, while providing a clear path for operational improvements,” said Mike Kazmierczak, vice president at Schneider Electric. “This innovative digital tool is designed to assist building owners and operators in reducing emissions, improving energy efficiency and cutting operational costs, which will ultimately help owners accelerate action and increase the rate at which buildings are being retrofit.”

A recent analysis of a large office retrofit project in Boston used the calculator to estimate $3.7m in energy savings and $1m in avoided fines over the next decade, achieving a seven-year return on investment. The analysis included modern building management systems, power monitoring software, LED upgrades, power factor correction, and the integration of photovoltaic systems with battery energy storage and microgrid technology.

The calculator aids in scenario planning through:

  • Rapid assessments: The calculator’s pre-loaded modelled data let users quickly evaluate potential energy savings and emissions reductions. The estimates are based on standard methods for simulating results based on the building type and location.
  • RoI for upfront expenses: Assets within the tool can be evaluated across several retrofit scenarios that provide key metrics such as RoI with consideration for upfront investments required.
  • Support for regulatory compliance: Estimations for costs of non-compliance and RoI for compliance are compiled within the calculator starting with New York’s Local Law 97, enabling building owners to compare plans that align compliance with regulations for planning and budgeting purposes.
  • Prioritisation of retrofit actions: The tool highlights the impact of selected ECCMs, assisting users in prioritising their retrofit plans based on carbon and financial metrics. This includes running preset scenarios for light interventions, medium retrofits and deep renovations.
  • Scalable functionality: The tool is scalable, allowing for tailored scenarios that reflect retrofit opportunities of individual buildings or entire portfolios, complete with support across retail, hotels, hospitals and office buildings.

The calculator was built in collaboration with JLL (www.jll.co.uk), a commercial real estate and investment management company, and C.Scale (www.cscale.io), an outgrowth of San Francisco-based architectural firm EHDD (ehdd.com). JLL is supporting the calculator by performing building performance modelling, and C.Scale is working closely with Schneider Electric on machine-learning models to support climate action at speed and scale.

To learn more about how Schneider Electric enables smart-buildings, visit www.se.com/ww/en/insights/sustainabilities/decarbonization-campaign.