Category - Measuring & Auditing

Every journey toward net zero begins with understanding where you are today. For a senior living community, this means taking stock of the greenhouse gas emissions that come from daily operations such as heating and cooling buildings, transportation, dining services, and waste. Together, these sources make up your community’s carbon footprint. Calculating a carbon footprint...

Scope 1 Emissions An obvious contribution that a community makes to atmospheric GHG emissions is through its on-site burning of fossil fuels. That might be the use of natural gas or propane for heat, or gasoline or diesel for community vehicles. It might include cooking or heating the swimming pool. Whatever the specific use, GHG...

Introduction: How to Measure Your Community’s Carbon Footprint There are three main ways your community can estimate its carbon footprint, ranging from simple to professional: If your community is just getting started, starting with the simple spreadsheet approach can be a smart and practical choice, especially if awareness or interest in carbon emissions is still...

Using Utility Bills and a Spreadsheet to Calculate Your Carbon Footprint Your community’s carbon footprint is a measure of the amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) you are contributing to the atmosphere. It is important to calculate your carbon footprint, because that is how you will be able to know (and to prove to others) that...

Energy Star Portfolio Manager Many communities start with carbon footprint calculations by using a simple spreadsheet. For Scope 1 calculations, all you need is utility-bill information and some standard figures (which Google will find for you) for the CO₂e produced by burning each type of fuel. Using a spreadsheet to calculate Scope 2 emissions from...

An energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) audit identifies key sources of energy consumption and emissions, helping your community determine where improvements will have the greatest impact. Common areas reviewed include heating, cooling, lighting, appliances, vehicles, and electricity use. SSAFE offers an audit request template to help you get started. Earlier in this guide, we introduced...

Renewable Energy Certificates and Carbon Offsets Some communities explore options such as Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) or carbon offsets as part of their net-zero planning. Both mechanisms can play a role, but they are complex and often temporary solutions. Rather than going into detail here, we provide a fuller discussion of RECs, offsets, and their...

As your community begins to calculate its carbon footprint, conduct audits, and track energy performance, you will likely encounter certain technical terms. These terms often appear in audit reports, software tools such as Portfolio Manager, and conversations with consultants. Having a working knowledge of them will help you interpret results and communicate more effectively with...