Using the Add Tool

Asset Footprint Data Upload

To enter asset environmental and carbon footprint data directly (without software integration), navigate to your Sustainability Module and the Assets tab.

Locate the asset you would like to enter data for and click on "add or edit data" in the far right column labeled "Footprint". The asset footprint page will open. Here you have a few different options for uploading data:

Types of data entry

1. Brightest default emissions factor, data entry

2. Custom emissions factor, data entry

3. Location and market-based Scope 2 emissions

4. Direct carbon data entry

5. Lock Footprint Emission Factors and Data

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Brightest default emissions factor, data entry

In the asset footprint page, select the category you would like to enter data for: invoices, electricity, heating, water, waste, refrigeration, fuel or materials.

1. Ensure the "Do you want to enter carbon directly?" feature is switched off.

2. Select the year for data entry at the top right corner with the year dropdown option.

3. Enter your data in the "Historical Data" box.

4. Select the metric unit, fill in the data amount and select the monthly period interval or start and end date of the invoice (if you enabled custom date range in your ESG & Sustainability Settings -> Data & Units).

5. Click "create or update" at the bottom of the page to save your data.

6. Once you refresh the page and return to your asset library, you will see the carbon calculation for the data you entered in the year you entered it.

Note, the data entry field categories vary depending on the type of asset.

Click on add or edit data in the footprint column to enter footprint data for an asset using the add tools.

To use Brightest default emissions factors, ensure the option "Manually calculate GHG" is switched off. Select the category for which you would like to enter data.

Enter data in the historical data box. Then click on create or update to save the data.

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Custom Emissions Factors, data entry

Use your custom emissions factors to calculate the carbon footprint of your assets.

First, navigate to your Sustainability Module and the Assets tab.

1. In your asset library, locate the asset you want add the carbon footprint data to.

2. Click on the “Add or Edit Data” text in the far right column labeled “Footprint”.

3. The footprint data page for that asset will appear. Enable the option “Do you want to enter carbon directly? ” so that it is switched off.

4. Select the category you want to add data e.g. electricity, heating, water etc.

5. Select your custom emissions factor for market and/or location based emissions from the dropdown menu in the field "[category name] emissions factor".

6. The dropdown menu will show the emissions factors created or added in your ESG & Sustainability settings. Select the emission factor you want to use. This emissions factor will be used for that year (depending on the category, it may be possible to select an emissions factor per data point or sub-category like fuel type)

7. Enter your data in the historical data box. Click "create" or "update" to save your data.

The first step to using custom emissions factors is to add the custom emissions factors to your emissions factors library in your account settings, ESG & Sustainability Settings.

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Location and Market-based Scope 2 Emissions

If your organization uses or generates clean electricity, or you have clean energy contracts for any of your assets, you can account for your location and market-based emissions in Brightest.

You will only see a difference in the location and market-based emissions totals if you've:

1. Set a clean power percentage within the asset information page.

   1. This option is best for assets that are generating their own electricity (ie. solar panels), or that have clean energy contracts that started after data collection began (Example: a rental agreement started on January 1, but didn't start using clean energy until April 1).

      1. If you need to update an asset's clean power percentage:

         1. Click on the name of the asset in the asset table

         2. Scroll down to the "Clean Power" field and enter the clean power percentage (ex. 100)

         3. Select the "Emission Categories" that are using clean power from the dropdown menu

         4. Select the "Clean Power Start Date." (Required)

         5. If this asset is no longer using clean power, you can select a "Clean Power End Date", otherwise leave this field blank.

         6. Click the "Save" button at the bottom of the page.

1. Set custom location- and/or market-based emissions factors

   1. This option is best for clean energy contracts or areas with 100% clean grids. You can create a "Zero Emissions" emissions factor in the Brightest library and assign it as needed within the asset footprint pages.

      1. Brightest's default emissions factors for electricity are based on the location of the asset. To set your own location or market emissions factors:

         1. Open the asset footprint page by clicking "Add" or "Edit Data" in the asset table

         2. Navigate to the "Electricity" tab

         3. To set a location-based emissions factor, use the "Electricity Emissions Factor" dropdown menu to select an emissions factor from your emissions factor library. To set a market-based emissions factor, use the "Electricity Emissions Factor for Market-Based Emissions" dropdown menu to select an emissions factor from your emissions factor library.

         4. Select "Update and Save" to save your selections

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Direct carbon data entry

If you have already calculated your carbon emissions, you can enter direct carbon data for your assets.

Note, if you decide to enter direct carbon data for an asset, only direct carbon data will be allowed to be entered for that asset.

For example, if you enter direct carbon data for Asset A for year 2022, you will only be able to enter direct carbon data for Asset A for year 2023 and any other year.

First, navigate to your Sustainability Module and Asset tab.

1. In your asset library, locate the asset you want add the carbon footprint.

2. Click on the “Add or Edit Data” text in the far right column labeled “Footprint”.

3. The footprint data page for that asset will appear. Enable the option “Do you want to enter carbon directly?” so it is switched on.

4. Click on the gray "add data" button to enter direct carbon data in metric tons of CO2e.

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Lock Footprint Data and Emissions Factors

To assist with data quality and accuracy, you can lock asset footprint data and emissions factors to prevent further editing. Once locked, only Administrators and Managers will be able to unlock the data to edit.

To lock emissions factors:

1. Navigate to the relevant footprint tab (electricity, heating, etc.)

2. Make sure your chosen emissions factor is selected from the dropdown menu

3. Click the icon next to the emissions factor dropdown menu.
4. Select "Save and Update Data"

To lock footprint data:

1. Navigate to the relevant footprint tab (electricity, heating, etc.)

2. Either select the icon next to each of the lines of data that you would like to lock, or select the "Lock All" button to lock all of the data entries in that tab (for the selected year).
3. Select "Save and Update Data"

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