Method and system for tracking and reporting emissions

• US 7,440,871 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2007
• Issued: 10/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verisae (Fortive Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Verisae (Fortive Corp.)
• Inventors: Hepperla, Paul, McConnell, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Raymond; Edward
• Application Number:
  US11/744,713
• Publication Number:
  US 20070260405A1
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 702/188, 702182-185, 705/500, 705/412
• US Class Current: 702/188
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/84 Greenhouse gas [GHG] management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/845 Inventory and reporting systems for greenhouse gases [GHG]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/90 Financial instruments for climate change mitigation, e.g. environmental taxes, subsidies or financing

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods and systems of tracking enterprise gas emissions such as greenhouse gas emissions. The systems and methods relate to collecting or entering data relating to one or more emissions source of an enterprise or an enterprise location, calculating emissions totals, and, according to certain embodiments, generating emissions reports.

Claims

1. A network-based emissions tracking system for an enterprise, the system comprising:

(a) a central processor accessible on a computer network;

(b) an asset database in communication with the central processor, the asset database configured to store;

(i) asset information relating to a plurality of assets at a plurality of sites, wherein the plurality of assets comprises at least one emissions asset;

(ii) usage information relating to each of the at least one emissions assets; and

(iii) carbon credit information relating to each of the at least one emissions assets;

(c) a client processor in communication with the central processor, the client processor configured to allow for inputting any portion of the asset information, the usage information, and the carbon credit information;

(d) emissions tracking software associated with the central processor, the emissions tracking software configured to calculate and track a calculated greenhouse gas emissions amount relating to at least one of the at least one emissions assets based on the usage information relating to the at least one emissions asset; and

(e) carbon credit tracking software associated with the central processor, the carbon credit tracking software configured to calculate and track the carbon credit information relating to at least one of the at least one emissions assets.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the usage information comprises at least one of energy usage information from an energy meter, fuel consumption information, billing information, and energy consumption information.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the emissions tracking software is further configured to calculate a total calculated greenhouse gas emissions amount for at least one of the plurality of sites based on the usage information relating to each of the at least one emissions assets at the at least one of the plurality of sites.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the emissions tracking software is further configured to calculate a total calculated greenhouse gas emissions amount for the enterprise based on the usage information relating to each of the at least one emissions assets.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising report software associated with the central processor, the report software configured to generate reports relating to the calculated greenhouse gas emissions amount.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the client processor is further configured to allow for accessing, querying, downloading, and requesting information relating to any of the asset information, the usage information, and the carbon credit information.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the carbon credit tracking software is configured to calculate and track the carbon credit information relating to at least one of the plurality of sites.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the carbon credit tracking software is configured to calculate and track the carbon credit information relating to the enterprise.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one actual emissions sensor in communication with the central processor, wherein each of the at least one actual emissions sensors is operably associated with one of at least one direct emissions assets, the actual emissions sensor being configured to transmit actual emissions information relating to the at least one direct emissions asset to the central processor.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the emissions tracking software is further configured to calculate and track an actual greenhouse gas emissions amount relating to at least one of the direct emissions assets based on the actual emissions information.

11. A network-based emissions tracking system for an enterprise, the system comprising:

(a) a central processor accessible on a computer network;

(b) an asset database in communication with the central processor, the asset database configured to store;

(i) asset information relating to a plurality of assets at a plurality of sites, wherein the plurality of assets comprises at least one emissions asset, wherein at least one of the at least one emissions assets is a direct emissions asset; and

(ii) usage information relating to at least one of the at least one emissions assets;

(c) at least one actual emissions sensor in communication with the central processor, wherein each of the at least one actual emissions sensors is operably associated with one of the at least one direct emissions assets, the actual emissions sensor being configured to transmit actual emissions information relating to the at least one direct emissions asset to the asset database;

(d) a client processor in communication with the central processor, the client processor configured to allow for inputting to the asset database any portion of the asset information and the usage information; and

(e) emissions tracking software associated with the central processor, the emissions tracking software configured to;

(i) calculate and track an actual greenhouse gas emissions amount relating to at least one of the direct emissions assets based on the actual emissions information; and

(ii) calculate and track a calculated greenhouse gas emissions amount relating to at least one of the emissions assets based on the usage information.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the usage information comprises at least one of energy usage information from an energy meter, fuel consumption information, billing information, and energy consumption information.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the emissions tracking software is further configured to calculate the calculated greenhouse gas emissions amount relating to the at least one of the emissions assets based on the usage information by inputting the usage information and an emission factor into an equation.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising an electronic connection to a third party billing system, wherein the electronic connection is in communication with the central processor.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the usage information comprises billing information relating to at least one of the emissions assets, wherein at least a portion of the billing information is received from the third party billing system via the electronic connection.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the third party is an energy provider.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the energy provider is a utility.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the asset database is further configured to store billing information relating to each of the plurality of assets.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising billing software configured to reconcile and pay a utility bill based on the asset information and the billing information.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the asset database is further configured to store carbon credit information relating to at least one of the emissions assets.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising carbon credit tracking software associated with the central processor, the carbon credit tracking software configured to calculate and track the carbon credit information relating to at least one of the emissions assets.

22. The system of claim 11, further comprising predictive analysis software associated with the central processor, the predictive analysis software configured to provide an estimated impact of a change in at least one external parameter on emissions of at least one emissions asset.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the predictive analysis software is further configured to provide the estimated impact of the change in the at least one external parameter based on correlative analysis utilizing historical information.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the predictive analysis software is further configured to identify at least one operating adjustment to at least one of the emissions assets in response to the estimated impact of the change.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising an asset interface associated with at least one of the emissions assets, wherein the asset interface is in communication with the central processor, wherein the asset interface is configured to control at least a portion of the emissions asset.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising operating software associated with the central processor, the operating software configured to adjust operation of at least one of the emissions assets through the asset interface associated with the at least one emissions asset based on the at least one operating adjustment.

27. The system of claim 11, wherein the client processor is further configured to allow for accessing, querying, downloading, and requesting information relating to any of the asset information and the usage information.

28. A network-based emissions tracking system for an enterprise, the system comprising:

(a) a central processor accessible on a computer network;

(b) an asset database in communication with the central processor, the asset database configured to store;

(i) asset information relating to a plurality of assets at a plurality of sites, wherein the plurality of assets comprises at least one emissions asset;

(ii) billing information relating to each of the plurality of assets;

(iii) usage information relating to each of the at least one emissions assets; and

(iv) carbon credit information relating to each of the at least one emissions assets;

(c) billing software associated with the central processor, the billing software configured to reconcile and pay a utility bill based on the asset information and the billing information;

(d) emissions tracking software associated with the central processor, the emissions tracking software configured to calculate and track a greenhouse gas emissions amount relating to at least one of the at least one emissions assets based on the usage information relating to the at least one emissions asset; and

(e) carbon credit tracking software associated with the central processor, the carbon credit tracking software configured to calculate and track the carbon credit information relating to at least one of the at least one emissions assets.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein at least one of the at least one emissions assets is a direct emissions asset.

30. The system of claim 29, further comprising at least one actual emissions sensor in communication with the central processor, wherein each of the at least one actual emissions sensors is operably associated with one of the at least one direct emissions assets, the actual emissions sensor being configured to transmit actual emissions information relating to the at least one direct emissions asset to the central processor.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the emissions tracking software is further configured to calculate and track an actual greenhouse gas emissions amount relating to at least one of the direct emissions assets based on the actual emissions information.