What is the Climate Calculator?

The GreenPoint Rated Climate Calculator is a groundbreaking tool that measures the reduced impact of green homes on the environment. While there are already a number of lifestyle-based carbon calculators that estimate an individual´s or a household´s carbon footprint, none of them measures the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions avoided by building greener homes.

The GreenPoint Rated Climate Calculator, an online tool housed within the new GreenPoint Rated Tracking System provides this information in a way that´s systematic, credible and backed by third-party verification.

How does the Climate Calculator help me?

Whether you are a builder, developer, designer, policymaker or climate action planner, the GreenPoint Rated Climate Calculator offers a range of reporting benefits. You can:

• Estimate GHG emissions avoided for new construction single family and multifamily projects in a jurisdiction.

• Provide feedback on the effects of CEQA, green building ordinances or C&D recycling policies.

• Measure a project´s "scopes of emissions" for Climate Action Plans, carbon trading markets, or other uses.

• Demonstrate a building´s verified climate benefits such as reduced water use to homeowners and buyers through a new GreenPoint Rated consumer label.

• Distinguish your product from competitors who build conventional homes with higher waste, utility bills and GHG emissions.

How does the Climate Calculator work?

As part of the GreenPoint Rating process, Raters submit project data to the GreenPoint Rated Tracking System. The integrated Climate Calculator then generates data on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions avoided for each of the green building practices used in the particular project.

Estimated emissions measured in carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e) are calculated for the project´s planned green building measures, and then again for the final verified project. Additional quantifications include non-CO2 savings like gallons of water, tons of waste, kilowatt-hours of electricity, and therms of natural gas.

For more information on the development and assumptions behind the Climate Calculator, see GreenPoint Rated Climate Calculator Report.

• The GreePoint Rated Climate Calculator is only available for Single Family New Home versions 3.7 and 4.2 and Multifamily version 1.9 and higher.

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