Comprehensive Carbon Footprint Analysis for Electrical Networks

Overview

ETAP's Sustainability Analysis module estimates the carbon footprint of electrical networks by tracking electricity generation from sources and consumption across network elements, such as loads and distribution systems, over time. The tool utilizes region-specific, time-varying emission factors from a dataset covering 172 balancing authorities worldwide, providing critical insights to improve accessibility. Custom values can also be entered to ensure flexibility in regions where data is unavailable. When performing a life-cycle assessment (LCA), these calculations enable users designing a new electrical network to estimate the following over the simulation time horizon (i.e., time domain analysis):

• Total Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions of the designed electrical network over time,
• GHG emissions from local generation and from electricity consumed from the local utility,
• GHG emissions resulting from SF6 leakage in certain electrical components,
• Contributions to GHG emissions from loads and electricity losses in each network component,
• Potential GHG emissions reductions relative to a baseline (set by the user or calculated from a reference electrical design, for example, a design without renewable energy sources),
• Potential GHG emissions reductions from local generation,
• Potential GHG emissions reductions from supplying renewable power to the local utility (used for phase D calculations, if applicable). For annual greenhouse gas emissions reporting, such as reporting aligned with the GHG Protocol, users can apply these calculations with on-site electricity metering and measurement data.

Key Features

• Enhance the accuracy of GHG emissions estimates for purchased electricity (Scope 2) and on-site electricity production (Scope 1, where applicable).
• Estimate GHG emission reductions from reinjecting renewable energy (RES) into the grid.
• Account for GHG emissions caused by SF6 leaks.
• Use time-varying average emission factors (1-hour intervals).
• Apply time-varying marginal emission factors (5-minute intervals).
• Perform Time-Domain Load Flow analysis with detailed source and load profiles.
• Access up-to-date emission factors for balancing authorities.
• Get a comprehensive summary of electrical network emissions.
• Compare emissions data from two separate studies.
• Utilize a fully customizable dashboard for insights and tracking.
• Generate pre-filled Word reports with ease.

Key Benefits

• Accelerate the detailed analysis of GHG emissions for your electrical system.
• Increase the granularity of your GHG emissions analysis, down to each network component.
• Transition from estimates based on annual grid averages to precise, time-specific emission data.
• Leverage your existing ETAP network to reduce modeling time and effort.
• Easily visualize and compare results against sustainability goals.
• Optimize decision-making with detailed, time-specific emissions data.
• Simplify reporting and tracking with customizable, pre-filled reports, streamlining the life-cycle assessment process.