Online Calculation Tools
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 electricity bills is also relatively easy.
A spreadsheet is a great way to get started with carbon footprint calculations. But as you get deeper into the details, you may want to use a dedicated software package. The Department of Energy provides a free package called Portfolio Manager (PM).
💡 To help you use PM, SSAFE offers a Portfolio Manager 101 document that describes how to use the software for the special conditions of senior living communities.
SSAFE’s Portfolio Manager 101 document includes screenshots of the user interface involved in each step. PM is primarily based on utility-bill data, so you’ll need to get the usage information for each of the energy sources used by your community.
If you have separate usage information for each individual building on your campus, you can calculate building-by-building carbon footprints. Otherwise, you’ll need to aggregate all your buildings into a single “building type”.
The Portfolio Manager 101 document steps you through the process of deciding which of PM’s building types to select for your particular situation. It provides sample data for a fictitious senior living community for you to practice with.
The software also performs a GHG Emission Intensity and Energy Use Intensity (EUI) calculation that allows you to compare your usage with other communities. To use that particular calculation, you have to enter the square footage of your buildings—information which may be more difficult to accurately obtain. If you can get it, though, EUI is a useful way to see how your energy usage compares to that of your peers.
Limitations of Portfolio Manager
PM is not designed specifically for senior living communities, so you will have to determine how to apply its approach to your situation. The document described above will help with that.
Because PM focuses only on building energy use and covers only Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, it is often best considered a good first step. It allows your community to build familiarity with collecting utility data and calculating a basic carbon footprint. If your community later decides to pursue a more comprehensive analysis, the data you have already entered into Portfolio Manager can be downloaded and then uploaded into SIMAP. This makes it possible to start simple and gradually move toward a more detailed accounting of your community’s emissions.
SIMAP Tool
The Sustainability Indicator Management and Analysis Platform (SIMAP) is an online carbon and nitrogen accounting platform developed by the University of New Hampshire. It is widely used by colleges and universities, and while not designed specifically for senior living communities, it offers a powerful set of tools that can be adapted to our sector. Unlike simpler approaches, SIMAP covers all three scopes of emissions:
This makes SIMAP especially valuable for communities that want a comprehensive picture of their emissions. It uses nationally recognized emission factors and is updated regularly to stay aligned with best practices.
How it Works
- You create a campus profile and enter data such as utility bills, fuel use, resident and staff commuting, dining purchases, and waste.
- The tool automatically calculates your community’s carbon footprint in CO₂e and generates reports that show where your largest emissions come from.
- Results can be exported into tables and graphs, making it easier to share progress with administrators, residents, and prospective donors.
Benefits
- Accounts for Scope 3 emissions
- Provides standardized, peer-reviewed calculations for credibility.
- Offers benchmarking capabilities to track progress over time.
- Includes nitrogen accounting, useful for communities with large dining or landscaping operations.
Limitations
- SIMAP is not free; it requires an annual subscription, though pricing is scaled and often affordable for nonprofits.
- The system is complex, and you may need a resident volunteer or staff member with comfort in data entry and analysis.
- It is built for higher education, so you will need to adapt categories to fit a senior living context.
💡 If your community is ready to go beyond building energy use and tackle the full range of emissions sources, SIMAP provides one of the best available platforms.
