Electricity > Generated

You produce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from this activity if your organization has a generator on site as its main source of electricity. This is a Scope 1 (direct) emission.

Note: This activity doesn’t include renewable sources of electricity, such as solar panels.

Enter information about the electricity you generated into Climate Smart to calculate the emissions from your inventory period.

On this page:

• Examples of emission sources
• Prepare the data you need
  • Option 1: Actual consumption (most accurate)
  • Option 2: Estimate by cost (least accurate)
• Find your emissions data
• Enter data into your inventory

Examples of emission sources

Not sure if you should report this emissions source? You should consider tracking this activity in your inventory if your organization has a fuel-based generator that runs on:

• Natural gas
• Gasoline
• Diesel
• Propane

For example:

• A generator is the main source of your electricity (for example, fishing or tourist lodges on islands often use a generator)
• Your organization has a back-up generator when your main source of electricity fails

Prepare the data you need

To get your data ready for Climate Smart, choose one of the following options based on the information that’s available to you. This will be the method you use to calculate the GHGs emitted by your organization. 

Remember to collect information for the relevant inventory period.

Option 1: Actual consumption (most accurate)

You’ll get the most accurate results if you enter the actual amount of electricity you generated during the year. This means you’ll need to know:

• Amount of fuel used to power the generator (litres or gallons)
• Fuel type (for example, natural gas, diesel, or propane)

Option 2: Estimate by cost (least accurate) 

If you have receipts for the fuel you purchased to run the generators that created your electricity, you can estimate your average emissions based on:

• Cost of fuel for on-side generators during your inventory period

Find your emissions data

Not sure where to find the data you need? Try the following suggestions:

Ask your staff

Your staff might already have the information you need! Ask your accounting department, building operations team, or facilities management department about collecting data for your emissions inventory.

Enter data into your inventory

When you’re ready to track emissions from this activity, you can start entering the data you’ve collected into Climate Smart.

Add this activity to your inventory

Before you can enter information about your greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, you need to add this activity to your inventory. Learn how to add new activities to your inventory.

Add an entry to your inventory

To enter your information into Climate Smart and calculate your emissions, follow these steps:

1. Choose a calculation method based on the data you have:
   • If you’re entering the exact amount of fuel you purchased to generate electricity, select Actual Consumption and enter your information into Climate Smart.
   • If you’re estimating your emissions based on cost of fuel, select Estimate by Cost and enter your information into Climate Smart.
2. Enter the start and end dates of the activity you’re measuring. These dates will usually match your inventory period.
3. Enter the total cost (including taxes) for this entry. If you’re estimating the amount, select the checkbox next to Cost is estimate. Tell us if you paid in Canadian Dollars (CAD) or United States Dollars (USD) from Currency the drop-down list.
4. Under Description, enter information such as:
   • Fuel card number
   • Fuel provider name
5. In the Note box, enter optional information including any details that might be helpful for you (or your Climate Smart Advisor, if applicable) in the future.
6. When you’re done, click ADD ENTRY. Your entry will appear in the table below.