Emissions factor
Renewable Energy Procurement & Carbon Offsetting, Guidance for net zero carbon buildings, published by the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) in March 2021, suggests that: ‘An emission factor gives the relationship between the amount of a pollutant produced and the amount of raw material processed or burnt.’
Zero carbon building, Performance standard, Version 2, Published by the Canada Green Building Council in March 2021, defines the emissions factor as: ‘A conversion factor that is used to estimate the emissions associated with a measurable activity, such as energy use for heating or cooling a building.’
It defines a location-based electricity grid emissions factor as: 'An emissions factor for an electricity grid that is based on the average emissions intensity of all types of generation within a defined locational boundary.'
And a marginal electricity grid emissions factor as: 'An emissions factor for an electricity grid that is based on the emissions intensity of the peaking (non-baseload) generation within a defined locational boundary.'
And residual mix emissions factor as: 'An emissions factor that has been adjusted to account for the retiring of contractual arrangements (such as RECs) within a defined geographic boundary.'
PAS 2080:2023 Carbon management in buildings and infrastructure, second edition, published by The British Standards Institution in March 2023, defines emissions factor as the: ‘…amount of greenhouse gases emitted, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) and relative to a unit of activity.’
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