Using SIMAP FAQs

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Where should I start?

First, you will need to set up your account and describe your institution. The steps are: 

• Start with the "1. Account" tab, which can be found in the top left of the screen. Click the "Institution" link on the left panel and enter information about your institution. Note that anything marked with * is mandatory.
• Enter any other relevant information on the "1. Account tab" under the following links found on the left panel: Goals, Programs/Initiatives, Budgets, Physical spaces, and Populations. Note that these other sections are not mandatory to calculate your footprint. However, data sets describing institution characteristics will be necessary to view normalizations on the results tab, such as the population and gross square footage.
• The "Notebook" link is a space where you can record notes about your data entry, next steps, or anything else you would like to record. 

After you have entered your institution information, you can begin entering your institution's inventory data under the '2. Data entry' tab. This section is organized by scope. We also have a training module on account set up and data entry on our training page. 

How do I import data?

You can import the current CCC Excel spreadsheet version 7.0 - 9.1. You can request to have your data from CarbonMAP emailed to you and then import the zip folder into SIMAP. The link to upload your spreadsheet can be found under the "Data Mgmt" tab in the left menu. This feature is available for Tier 1 and Tier 2 only. 

Can I import data from the CCC and CarbonMAP?

Yes, you can. Each import will have a prefix of CCC of CMAP in front of the data set. You may end up with duplicate values if you had data in both systems for the same fields. Make sure you check each data set you import to avoid double counting! This feature is available for Tier 1 and Tier 2 subscribers only. 

Can I keep using the CCC spreadsheet to calculate my footprint?

The Excel-based Campus Carbon Calculator (CCC) tool has been discontinued. UNHSI is no longer updating emission factors and methodology for the tool, which means that it no longer provides an accurate calculation of your emissions. UNHSI has also discontinued user support for the CCC. Please do not use older versions of the CCC to calculate your footprint.

For consistency and continued ease of data collection, we’ve made a workbook with the CCC “input worksheets” available for download for any users who would like to continue to track inventory input data in that format. You can import your data from the input data worksheets into SIMAP to calculate results based on the most accurate and up-to-date factors and methodologies available. There are two ways to enter your data: 1) You can manually copy over your data into SIMAP, or 2) you can upload your spreadsheet (either a previous versions of the CCC or the data tracking file) into SIMAP with a Tier 1 or Tier 2 account.

My data set has not imported correctly. Why?

The import keeps reading all the Input tabs until there are no more rows to read and these rows have years and columns where data is expected, so their values overwrite the ones above. If you have any extra information on any of the input sheets, this information may end up in your data set. Make sure you delete anything outside the table with your data. 

How do I enter inventory data into SIMAP?

All institution data entry takes place under the "2. Data entry" tab. The data entry categories are organized by scope in the left panel. Each link will take you to a page with two sections: A green button that says "Enter Data" and a summary of the data already entered. To enter a data point, please do the following: 

• Click the appropriate link in the left panel in the "Data entry" section.
• Click the green "Enter data" button
• Fill out the data entry form. Note that anything marked * is mandatory.
• Click the green "Add data" button to add that data point to your inventory.
• Continue this process until you have entered all data points for a given source. 

I want to add a chemical or refrigerant that is not on the drop down list. How do I do that?

Go to 2. Data Entry tab, then scroll down until you see Calculation Factors heading. Select Global Warming Potential from the list. Click on the green button that says Add Refrigerant of Chemical. Enter name and then the global warming potential of that item. You will be able to see it on the dropdown list in refrigerants or chemicals after you select Other ► then your new chemical should appear in the next dropdown picklist. 

Here are a couple of resources where you can look up global warming potentials. Be sure to select global warming potentials under whichever Annual Report version (4 or 5) you have selected on the Data Mgmt tab.

• Greenhouse Gas Protocol
• Climate Registry

How do I calculate the efficiency of a cogen plant?

You should start by asking the folks who run your plant. If they can’t or won’t answer, it’s fine to use default values.  GHG Protocol recommends a default thermal efficiency of 80% and default electric efficiency of 35%.  https://www.epa.gov/chp/methods-calculating-chp-efficiency

I want to add total mileage in the commuter section. How do I do that?

Process to enter total miles traveled into the commuter data entry field.

• Select the category: students/faculty/staff
• Enter number of commuters: 1*
• Enter number of trips: 1*
• Enter commuting weeks per date range: 1*
• Then enter 100% in automobile field and the total number of miles traveled for the year in the mileage field.  

*Notes: these values are there to allow the system to register a value and not to multiply it by the mileage. If you enter 0, it will not work.

• Enter the number of commuters, weeks, and the trips into the notes section to track the actual numbers and any other comments or information which may be relevant to the data.

Here are the calculations which are used in the platform. If you have carpool miles, you can divide them in half and add to the total automobile miles for the purpose of calculating the emissions.

Automobile Commuting

I would like to enter data on behalf of another institution and get results. How should I do it?

It is our recommendation that each institution sets up and pays for their own account and then adds users as needed to provide others (e.g. consultants, interns, etc.) the ability to input data, create reports, and provide recommendations on their course of action. This will enable each institution to keep their data in the same place, compare their results year over year and to track their progress in emission reductions. The institution will have control over their data should they choose to do something different in the future, minimizing the need to transfer account data between users.

How can I view my results?

The results dashboard (tab '3. Results' across the top) gives you the following options for viewing your data: 

• Footprints: Select the carbon and/or nitrogen boxes to indicate which graph(s) you would like to view.
• Report type: Your institution's footprint results can be shown as the total footprint, by scope, by category, by source, or by gas/pollutant.
• Graph type: You can view a line or bar graph.
• Normalization: The options selected above can then be normalized by a variety of metrics. Note that you will have needed to enter your institution's relevant information under the "1. Account" tab to use normalizations.
• Year range: Make sure the selected year range matches up with the data sets you entered. 

After selecting the above options, click "Calculate" to view your results. You will then see a carbon and/or nitrogen graph. The detailed results will be presented in tables below the graphs, organized by the report type you selected. 

You can also view the annual summary of your results under the Reports tab. This feature is available for Tier 1 and Tier 2 subscribers only. 

Why is my result different from CCC/CarbonMAP?

SIMAP has been updated with the most recent Emissions Factors data, as well as more recent calculation based on WRI recommendations. We will be posting all the calculations in the Reference section. You can also read What has changed from CCC and CarbonMAP to SIMAP page for additional information. 

How does my data get from SIMAP to the Second Nature reporting system?

SIMAP generates a report specific to Second Nature reporting under the Reports tab. After you use SIMAP to calculate your emissions data, you can go to the Second Nature reporting system and pull your data in from SIMAP. We call this the Second Nature API. This feature is available for Tier 1 and Tier 2 users only. See this document for detailed instructions on how to use the Second Nature API.  

A complete of the data points transferred via the API can be found in these instructions and on the reports tab when 'Second Nature' is selected from the reports drop-down. The data points transferred with the API include:

• Scope 1 emissions (stationary combustion, mobile combustion, fugitive emissions)
• Scope 2 emissions (purchased electricity, cooling, and steam)
• Some scope 3 emissions (commuting, air travel [including both directly financed and study abroad air travel])
• Total purchased electricity consumption and thermal energy consumption
• Renewable energy purchases and whether those credits were retained
• Gross square feet of building space
• Total student enrollment (FTE)

Please note that several data points that are entered into SIMAP and can also be entered in the Second Nature reporting system are not transferred via the API. Those data points include:

• Biogenic footprint
• Purchased and sold offsets
• Carbon sequestration
• Some demographic information (e.g., detailed populations, gross square footage)
• T&D losses from electricity (scope 3)

If you would like to report these data points in your Annual Progress Evaluation, then you will need to enter them again in Second Nature's reporting system.

For more information on reporting to Second Nature, please visit the Second Nature Reporting page. 

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