Method and system for tracking and reporting emissions

• US 7,853,436 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2009
• Issued: 12/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verisae (Fortive Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Verisae (Fortive Corp.)
• Inventors: McConnell, Robert S., Hepperla, Paul, Johnson, Daniel T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Raymond; Edward
• Application Number:
  US12/623,067
• Publication Number:
  US 20100070423A1
• Time in Patent Office: 389 Days
• Field of Search: 702/188, 702182-185, 705/412, 705/500
• 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 locations, wherein the plurality of assets comprises;

(1) at least one indirect emissions asset powered at least in part by at least one indirect emissions source;

(2) at least one direct emissions asset;

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

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

(c) 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; and

(ii) calculate and track a calculated greenhouse gas emissions amount relating to at least one of the indirect emissions assets based on the usage information and a factor associated with the at least one indirect emissions source; and

(d) 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 indirect emissions assets and at least one of the direct 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 greenhouse gas emissions amount for at least one of the plurality of locations based on the usage information relating to at least one of the indirect emissions assets and at least one of the direct emissions assets at the at least one of the plurality of locations.

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 at least one of the indirect emissions assets and at least one of the direct emissions assets.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising 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 or to allow for accessing, querying, downloading, and requesting information relating to any of the asset information, the usage information, and the carbon credit information.

6. 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 locations.

7. 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.

8. 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 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.

9. 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 the at least one emissions assets comprises at least one direct emissions asset; and

(ii) usage information relating to at least one of the 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 at least one actual emissions sensor being configured to transmit actual emissions information relating to the at least one direct emissions asset to the asset database; and

(d) 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.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one emissions asset comprises at least one indirect emissions asset powered at least in part by at least one indirect emissions source, wherein the emissions tracking software is further configured to calculate and track a calculated greenhouse gas emissions amount relating to at least one of the indirect emissions assets based on the usage information.

11. The system of claim 9, 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 a third party billing system via the computer network.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising billing software configured to reconcile and pay a utility bill based on the asset information and the billing information.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the asset database is further configured to store carbon credit information relating to at least one of the emissions assets.

14. The system of claim 13, 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.

15. 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

(1) at least one indirect emissions asset powered at least in part by at least one indirect emissions source;

(2) at least one direct emissions asset;

(ii) billing information relating to at least one of the plurality of assets;

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

(iv) carbon credit information relating to at least one of the indirect emissions assets and at least one of the direct 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

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

(ii) calculate and track a calculated greenhouse gas emissions amount relating to at least one of the indirect emissions assets based on the usage information and a factor associated with the at least one indirect emissions source; 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 direct emissions assets and at least one of the indirect emissions assets.

16. The system of claim 15, at least a portion of the billing information is received from a third party billing system via the computer network.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising a client processor in communication with the central processor, the client processor configured to allow for inputting any portion of the asset information, the billing information, the usage information, and the carbon credit information or to allow for accessing, querying, downloading, and requesting information relating to any of the asset information, the billing information, the usage information, and the carbon credit information.

18. The system of claim 15, 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.

19. The system of claim 15, 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 locations.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the carbon credit tracking software is configured to calculate and track the carbon credit information relating to the enterprise.