Spatially and temporally sensitive consumption-based emission factors from mixed-use electrical grids for building electrical use

Standard methods to associate GHG emissions with electricity use are aggregated over broad space and timescales which lead to inaccurate estimates. This paper presents a methodology which accounts for both spatial and temporal sensitivity when calculating GHG emissions from electrical grid while also considering interregional transfers. The methodology presented is generalized enough for any electrical user to calculate their GHG emissions from electrical grid use for any mix-grid. The proposed methodology is demonstrated via a case study utilizing the province of Ontario, Canada and its electrical grid sub-regions using a real-world building load profile from 2016. The methodology was completed using open-source data published by the electrical system operator of the region. The case study found that the proposed methodology would potentially save the province of Ontario $13.3 M in over-taxation. Furthermore, it was shown for the case study building that a decrease of 44% in GHG emissions accounting from electrical use was observed compared to current conventional methodologies. This paper also provides emission factors for Ontario and its sub-regions for the year of 2016 to be used by policy-makers, energy auditors and/or building modellers.