A Project includes a baseline and one or more decarbonization scenarios.
A Baseline is a scenario for a project where no attempts have been made to reduce carbon emissions. To define a baseline, C.Scale makes a set of "business as usual" assumptions based on user inputs. When C.Scale's "business as usual" assumptions are not appropriate, they can be refined.
A Scenario is a set of strategies to lower a project's carbon emissions. Scenarios are constructed individually and compared against one another in the Compare Scenarios tab.
A Portfolio includes all active projects in your organization, allowing for an "apples to apples" comparison across the same scope categories and LCA stages.
A Static Collection is a manually curated list of projects.
A Dynamic Portfolio is criteria-based: created using a Primary Use Type filter, it automatically includes any new projects matching that filter.
A Basis of Design scenario is the scenario designated, for each project phase, as the reference for portfolio comparison and AIA DDx reporting.
EUI (Energy Use Intensity). Energy use by the building per unit area per year (in kBtu/sf/yr or kWh/m²/yr).
ECI (Embodied Carbon Intensity). Embodied carbon emissions from the building over the analysis period divided by building area, typically expressed in kgCO₂e/m².
Embodied Carbon Emissions. Cumulative emissions associated with building materials, their replacements, and landscape maintenance.
Refrigerant Emissions. Cumulative emissions associated with refrigerant use in building services.
Electricity Emissions. Cumulative emissions associated with energy use from the electrical grid.
On-Site Combustion. Cumulative emissions associated with onsite fossil fuel combustion.
Reduction from Baseline. Cumulative reduction in emissions of the current scenario as compared to the baseline.
Average Emission Rate (AER). Annual emission factors calculated by summing total generation of all resources in a given year on a MWh basis. Includes precombustion emissions from fossil gas leakage. Described in NREL's Cambium model as "AER Load: Combustion + Precombustion."
Long-Run Marginal Emission Rates (LRMER). Emission rates of the next unit of electricity considering the grid's structure as variable. Preferable to AER for buildings, which are long-lived assets with a marginal influence on grid evolution. Described in NREL's Cambium model as "LRMER: Combustion + Precombustion."
