Create calculation models
Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability
A calculation model in Microsoft Sustainability Manager is the logical representation of the emission or water calculation that runs the calculation methodology that brings activity data and emission factors together. This methodology calculates greenhouse gas emissions or water withdrawal and discharge volumes.
Microsoft Sustainability Manager includes several calculation models:
Note
Multi-select option set fields aren't supported within calculations in Sustainability Manager.
Review existing calculation models
In Sustainability Manager on the left navigation pane, select Calculations, select Models, and then select the tab for the type of calculation models you want to view, such as Carbon activities.
Select a model. The logical representation of the model displays, and a side pane shows more details.
Each model includes process steps, including the following examples:
- Source process block that describes the model
- Calculation step that calculates consumption factors
- Greenhouse gas or water reporting step that does the calculation to derive the greenhouse gas or water transaction metric as output
Add a calculation model
On the top menu, select + New. If Copilot in Microsoft Sustainability Manager is activated in your environment, you can either select Create with model builder or create a calculation model with Copilot.
On the New calculation model page, a source process block appears. On the right pane, enter information in all required fields. The required information includes selecting the module, which indicates whether you're creating a carbon activity or water calculation model.
To add a new process block, select the plus sign (+). You can select multiple actions, depending on your selection for the module option in the source block.
If you select Carbon activities as the module, your available actions include:
- Estimation factor
- Condition
- Calculation
- Report
- Report gas
If you select Water as the module, your available actions include:
- Estimation factor
- Condition
- Calculation
- Report water
For each process step that you want to add, select the plus sign (+) under the last process step that was added. The following process steps are available:
Condition – This step enables an if/then condition that determines when the calculation model is used, the calculation is processed, and any actions that follow are reported.
Calculation – This step prepares a variable output that can be consumed in the report step. It's an extra calculation that is done before the greenhouse gas or water reporting calculation, such as the creation of a custom factor or a consumption factor. After you select this process step, follow these steps:
In the Category name and Description fields, provide detailed information for future reference.
Select a field for the incoming quantity unit. Select the corresponding unit.
Select the operator and input value. If you want to do a within unit group conversion (such as ton to lb), the input value should be 1.
Enter the unit to assign to output variable.
Enter a name for the output variable.
Note
For most streamlined calculations, create separate steps for unit conversions and arithmetic calculations.
Variable naming best practice: Don't use math functions such as "-" or "*" in variable names, because they're more difficult to use in Power Fx.
Report – This step does the calculation by using either an emission factor or a product carbon footprint (PCF) value. To run a report, follow these steps:
In the Emission report value field, select a value. This value is the input for the calculation. It's typically a quantity or a value that was calculated in the previous process step.
Select Unit if the unit is unknown or multiple units are required.
For some scope 3 activities (including categories 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, and 12), you can select a basis for calculation that indicates whether the calculation uses a factor or a PCF value.
For factor-based calculations: In the Calculation library field, select a library (such as EPA). The selected library should be linked to your emission factors and factor mappings. In the Emission factor field, select the emission factor. If you're using factor mappings, you can link this emission factor to an entity of reference data, such as facility. Alternatively, you can directly select the emission factor in the drop-down list.
For PCF-based calculations: The model uses the information on the product footprint linked to each input activity. The calculation multiplies the report value by the value in the selected PCF value column, divided by the Quantity represented value (also in the Product footprint table). The node also performs a unit conversion according to the Unit specified in the Product footprint table. The Is biogenic checkbox determines whether the output emission is marked as biogenic.
The Exit model on Success checkbox in report nodes controls the generation of emission records based on conditions set in calculations. Check this box when you want a calculation to generate only one emission record upon successfully meeting a condition in any report node. Leaving it unchecked creates emission records for every report node, potentially resulting in multiple records from one calculation.
Report gas – This step calculates a specific gas. Use this step when you want to calculate a specific global warming potential (GWP) value. To run a report, follow these steps:
In the Emission report value field, select a value. This value is the input for the calculation. It's typically a quantity or a value that was calculated in the previous process step.
Select Unit if the unit is unknown or multiple units are required.
Select a specific greenhouse gas. To complete the calculation for multiple different greenhouse gases, select the general greenhouse gas.
This step enables the carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) to be calculated from a quantity of a specific greenhouse gas, such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). You can use this step in fugitive emission calculations.
Report water – This step calculates the value for a specific water transaction type. To run a report, follow these steps:
- In the Report value field, select a value. This value is the input for the calculation. It's typically a quantity or a value that was calculated in the previous process step.
- Select Unit if the unit is unknown or multiple units are required.
- Select a specific transaction type to indicate the water transaction type for which the calculation was performed and needs to be reported.
Estimation factor – This step converts proxy data to activity data by using the estimation factors. For example, the estimation factor step can be used to convert hotel night stays to natural gas or electricity, or to convert square footage of leased real estate to electricity or water use. After you select this process step, follow these steps:
Enter the category name and a description. Enter information that is relevant to the process and methods that are used.
For the estimation value, select the quantity data that is being used for proxy data, and select the unit.
Select the estimation factor library.
Select the estimation factor. You can select either a specific factor or, if you're using factor mappings, a reference data category.
Enter a name for the output variable. This variable can be used in other steps, such as the report step, to bring the new calculated value into the corresponding step.
Variable naming best practice: Don't use math functions such as "-" or "*" in variable names because they're more difficult to use in Power Fx.
Edit a calculation model
Select a calculation model.
Follow one of these steps:
- To edit an existing process step, select it. Editable fields are shown in the pane on the right.
- To add a process step, select the plus sign (+) under the last process step that was added. The following process steps are available: Condition, Calculation, and Report. For information about these process steps, go to Add a calculation model in this article.
- To remove a process step, use the ellipsis (...) in the right corner of the process step.
Create or edit a calculation model with Power Fx
For custom calculations that go beyond a standard Quantity x Emission factor (EF) format, you can use Excel Power Fx directly in the calculation model.
Select a calculation model.
Follow one of these steps:
- To edit an existing process step, select it. Editable fields are shown in the pane on the right.
- To add a process step, select the plus sign (+) under the last process step that was added.
In the Condition, Calculation, or Report process step, follow these steps:
- Under the name, select Power Fx Experience.
- Enter your custom function by using a low-code programming language. For more information about how to write in Power Fx, see Microsoft Power Fx overview.
- Select the unit, calculation library, and emission factor.
- Save your changes, and close the page.
