CO₂NSERVATION METER Methodology
How CO₂ emissions saved are measured

The Carrier CO₂NSERVATION Meter calculates avoided greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as a result of the installation of high efficiency Carrier air conditioning, heating and refrigeration systems by customers around the world since 2000 and from UTC Climate, Controls & Security's energy services business, NORESCO, since 2008. Buildings in the United States alone consume approximately 40 percent of all energy, and within buildings, heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems account for approximately 35 percent of energy use. UTC Climate, Controls & Security has consistently invested in energy efficient technologies and solutions to assist its customers in lowering that energy demand and the associated greenhouse gas emissions. To illustrate the avoided GHG emissions associated with energy efficient products in use and to emphasize the impact of choosing more efficient products, UTC Climate, Controls & Security developed the Carrier CO₂NSERVATION Meter.  The model compares the projected GHG emissions from select Carrier products to emissions from comparable baseline products, with the difference representing the avoided emissions. The meter also incorporates energy savings as measured from energy service contracts. The model demonstrates the power of choosing high efficiency solutions.

Scope

The Carrier CO₂NSERVATION Meter includes products from Carrier's global portfolio. Only Carrier products are used in the model, including the comparison baseline products. The meter does not capture all Carrier products, but only those with accurate historical sales figures and equivalent baseline products. The products included represent the majority of the products in Carrier's portfolio. We use 2000-2011 global sales data to estimate the total products in use. If sales data is not available dating back to 2000, we used the year with the most accurate figures as the starting year. GHG emissions from refrigerant leak rates are accounted for Carrier Commercial Refrigeration products only. The Carrier CO₂NSERVATION also includes avoided GHG emissions that result from UTC Climate, Controls & Security's energy services business, NORESCO.

For the majority of its products, UTC Climate, Controls & Security chose to set baseline performance against industry and government standards. As these standards change, UTC Climate, Controls & Security has adjusted the baseline performance to meet the established standard for that year. In this way, UTC Climate, Controls & Security is continuously holding its product performance accountable to the highest energy efficiency standards. Measured against a constant 2000 baseline, the CO2e avoided would be approximately one-third more.

Third Party Audit

In order to validate the CO₂NSERVATION Meter's methodology, assumptions, and data, UTC Climate, Controls & Security hired TIAX LLC to conduct an audit of the model. TIAX LLC has expertise in HVAC and energy analysis and consults for both the private and public sectors. Examples of past projects include the California Clean Fuels Market Assessment and the Full Fuel Cycle Assessment: Well to Wheels Energy Inputs, Emissions and Water Impacts study, performed for the California Energy Commission and the Global Comparative Analysis of HFC and Alternative Technologies for Refrigeration, Air Conditioning, Foam, Solvent, Aerosol Propellant, and Fire Protection Applications, performed for the Alliance for Responsible Atmospheric Policy.

The letters signed and dated on November 9, 2010, April 5, 2011, and March 15, 2012 by John Dieckmann of TIAX, LLC are documentation of their findings.