When completing your environmental reporting, it can be confusing to enter energy data under several different questions. While much of the required information overlaps, each question serves a distinct purpose and delivers different insights.
This article clarifies the key metrics related to energy, electricity, and renewables.
Carbon Accounting
Scope 1: This section asks for data on the total volumes of fuels purchased, including both fossil fuels and renewable fuels. This information is used to calculate the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions directly associated with these fuels. Note that carbon-neutral energy generated on-site is not included in this category.
Scope 2: Here, you need to provide information on all purchased energy, usually through the electricity grid. This data helps calculate GHG emissions associated with this energy use. Again, on-site generated carbon-neutral energy is not counted in this category.
Sources of Energy Consumed
This question aims to understand your company's overall energy usage and progress in transitioning to renewables. It requires you to report all energy sources in terms of kilowatt-hours (kWh), including:
Fuels
Purchased energy
Home-generated renewables
The purpose is to calculate the percentage of your energy consumption that comes from renewable sources.
Sources of Electricity Consumed
This section focuses specifically on electricity consumption, separate from other fuels. You should report the kWh of:
Grid electricity purchased
On-site renewable electricity generated
This question helps track the ‘transition to renewables’ journey, focusing solely on electricity.
Sources of Energy Produced
For those generating electricity, either for personal use or for export, this question captures the total kWh of electricity generated on-site. This includes:
Energy from natural sources (e.g., solar panels, wind turbines)
It does not include energy generated from purchased fuels. This data highlights your organization's capability in producing renewable energy.
By understanding the distinctions between these metrics, you can accurately complete your environmental reporting and contribute valuable data to the broader goal of sustainability.