Analyze Your System Model

Time to review: 2-3 minutes

View emission breakdowns.

Accessing Visualization Tools

Available Views

• Sankey - Carbon flow diagram showing emission pathways
• Bar Chart - Ranked contributors to total emissions

Quick Actions Reference

Sankey Diagram View

The Sankey diagram visualizes carbon flows through your model, showing how emissions travel from inputs through processes to final outputs.

Understanding the Sankey Diagram

Visual Elements

The Sankey uses three visual components:

Flow width indicates emission magnitude - wider flows = higher emissions

Switching Between Sources and Sinks

Options:

• ✓ Sources (default) - Shows emission generation
• Sinks - Shows carbon removal

Why separate views:

• Carbon flows in opposite directions (emission vs. sequestration)
• Prevents visual overlap and confusion
• Allows focused analysis of each aspect
• Clarifies accounting methodology

💡 Pro tip:

1. Review Sources first to identify emission hotspots
2. Switch to Sinks to find offset opportunities
3. Compare magnitudes to understand net carbon position

Important: Sources and Sinks cannot be displayed simultaneously in the same Sankey diagram.

Sources View (Default)

Shows emissions generated by the model:

What you see:

• Blue input flows representing emission sources
• Process units showing transformation steps
• Output products on the right side
• Flow size proportional to CO₂e emissions

Example from Concrete Slab Construction:

• Electricity (light blue) → Site Preparation → Prepared Site
• Steel Rebar (large blue flow) → Reinforcement Installation → Installed Reinforcement
• Ready-Mix Concrete (large blue flow) → Concrete Pouring → Poured Concrete
• Electricity (small flows) → Various processes

💡 Reading the diagram:

• Larger flows indicate higher-emission inputs
• Multiple processes show model complexity
• Final outputs (right side) show product destinations

Sinks View

Shows carbon removed or sequestered by the model:

To switch to Sinks view:

1. Look for the dropdown menu above the diagram
2. Click to expand (shows "✓ Sources" with "Sinks" below)
3. Select "Sinks"

What changes:

• Flow colors shift to show carbon removal
• Only processes with carbon sinks display flows
• Diagram simplifies to show sequestration pathways
• Flow sizes represent carbon removed (kg CO₂e)

Example from Concrete Slab Construction:

• Electricity (light blue) → Site Preparation (shows minimal sink activity)
• Most processes show no sink flows (indicated by empty/light gray areas)
• Installed Reinforcement → Shows significant carbon sequestration (large teal flow)
• Final outputs reflect net carbon removal benefits

Why Sinks are separate:

• Sources and Sinks flow in opposite directions (emission vs. removal)
• Combining would create visual confusion
• Separate views clarify carbon accounting methodology
• Allows focused analysis of emissions vs. removal strategies

Sankey Diagram Controls

Zoom and Navigation

Located in bottom-right corner:

💡 Tip: Zoom in to read small process labels or analyze minor flows

Interpreting Flow Patterns

Bottleneck Identification

Wide flows entering processes = High-emission inputs

• Steel Rebar → Reinforcement Installation (largest blue flow)
• Ready-Mix Concrete → Concrete Pouring (second largest flow)

Action: Focus reduction efforts on these major contributors

Process Complexity

Multiple converging flows = Complex processes with many inputs

• Concrete Pouring receives Ready-Mix Concrete + Electricity
• Shows interdependency of materials and energy

Action: Consider process efficiency improvements

Parallel Pathways

Multiple processes operating simultaneously:

• Site Preparation happens while Reinforcement Installation proceeds
• Shows model parallelization

Action: Optimize scheduling to reduce peak emissions

Bar Chart View

The Bar Chart ranks contributors by emission magnitude, making it easy to identify hotspots.

Understanding the Bar Chart

Column Definitions

Reading the Visualizations

Horizontal Bars

Bar length = Contribution magnitude

• Longer bars = Higher emissions or greater carbon removal
• Percentage shows relative contribution to total

Color coding:

• Blue bars = Sources (emissions)
• Green bars = Sinks (carbon removal)
• Orange/empty = Credits (when applied)

Example Rankings:

Top Sources (Emissions):

1. Steel Rebar → Reinforcement Installation
   • 288.00 kg CO₂e (51.15%)
   • Largest emission contributor
2. Ready-Mix Concrete → Concrete Pouring
   • 247.50 kg CO₂e (43.96%)
   • Second largest contributor
3. Electricity → Site Preparation
   • 27.09 kg CO₂e (4.81%)
   • Minor but consistent contributor
4. Electricity → Concrete Pouring
   • 0.2375 kg CO₂e (0.04%)
   • Negligible impact
5. Electricity → Reinforcement Installation
   • 0.19 kg CO₂e (0.03%)
   • Minimal contribution

Sink Analysis (Bar Chart)

When viewing sinks in the bar chart:

Example from the data:

• Electricity → Site Preparation
  • Sink: 783.66 kg CO₂e (100%)
  • Shows complete carbon offset for this process
  • Likely due to renewable energy credits or avoided emissions

Why only one sink shows:

• Most processes in this example generate net emissions
• Only Site Preparation electricity has associated carbon removal
• Demonstrates selective application of green energy

Using Bar Chart for Decision-Making

Identify Top 3 Contributors

The 80/20 Rule: Top 2-3 contributors typically represent 80%+ of emissions

From the example:

• Steel Rebar (51.15%) + Ready-Mix Concrete (43.96%) = 95.11% of emissions
• Focus reduction efforts here for maximum impact

Scope Distribution Analysis

All contributors show Scope 3:

• Indicates upstream supply chain emissions dominate
• Direct process emissions (Scope 1) are minimal
• Purchased energy (Scope 2) is negligible

Action: Engage suppliers to reduce embodied carbon in materials

Minor Contributors

Contributors < 1% of total:

• Electricity inputs (0.04%, 0.03%)
• May not warrant immediate attention
• Focus on major sources first

Comparing Sources vs. Sinks

In Sankey Diagrams

Sources view:

• Shows complete emission pathways
• Identifies where carbon enters the model
• Helps trace emissions to origin

Sinks view:

• Shows carbon removal pathways
• Highlights offset opportunities
• Demonstrates environmental benefits

💡 Tip: Review both views to understand net carbon position

In Bar Charts

Simultaneous display:

• Sources and Sinks appear in same table
• Side-by-side comparison of generation vs. removal
• Percentage helps prioritize actions

Key insight from example:

• Source: 288.00 kg (51.15%) from Steel Rebar
• Sink: 783.66 kg (100%) from Site Preparation electricity
• Net effect depends on full model calculation

Interactive Features

Hover Details (Sankey)

Mouse over elements to see:

• Exact emission values (kg CO₂e)
• Contributor names
• Process connections
• Flow magnitudes

💡 Tip: Hover to verify visual interpretations with precise data

Visualization Best Practices

When to Use Sankey

Best for:

• Understanding model structure and flow logic
• Identifying process relationships
• Communicating with stakeholders visually
• Presenting complete life cycle flows
• Finding process bottlenecks

Example use case:

• "Show management where emissions originate and flow through our model"

When to Use Bar Chart

Best for:

• Quick identification of top contributors
• Prioritizing reduction efforts
• Data-driven decision making
• Comparing contributor magnitudes
• Detailed numerical analysis

Example use case:

• "Which 3 inputs should we focus on to reduce 80% of emissions?"

Common Patterns and What They Mean

Dominant Single Contributor

Pattern: One bar represents >50% of emissions

• Example: Steel Rebar at 51.15%
• Meaning: Single-material dependency
• Action: Investigate lower-carbon steel alternatives or reduce quantities

Balanced Distribution

Pattern: Multiple contributors at 20-30% each

• Meaning: Model complexity with no clear hotspot
• Action: Holistic approach needed; optimize multiple areas

Long Tail of Small Contributors

Pattern: Many inputs each <5%

• Example: Multiple electricity entries at <1%
• Meaning: Process energy efficiency already optimized
• Action: Focus on material selection instead

Exporting Visualizations

Use download buttons. You can choose different formats:

💡 Tip: Include both Sources and Sinks Sankey views in reports to show complete carbon story

Troubleshooting Visualizations

Sankey diagram not displaying:

• Verify model has "Ready" status
• Check that all processes have connections
• Ensure inputs have emission data assigned
• Refresh browser

Bar Chart shows unexpected rankings:

• Verify Entry mode data is correct
• Check conversion factors are applied properly
• Review allocation rules in Properties
• Confirm emission sources are appropriate

Empty Sinks view:

• Normal if model has no carbon removal processes
• Check if renewable energy or credits are assigned
• Verify sink data in Entry mode
• Some models legitimately have zero sinks

Zoom controls not working:

• Try browser refresh
• Clear cache
• Check browser compatibility
• Use keyboard shortcuts: Ctrl/Cmd + scroll

Quick Reference: Visualization Actions

Next Steps After Analysis

Your results are calculated. Now you can:

1. Update data → Switch to Builder mode for refined inputs
2. Register system → Move to immutuble state for next steps
3. Generate CAPs → Publish products for sharing
4. Create reports → Use visualization tools for stakeholders

Troubleshooting

No results showing:

• Check system model status is "Ready"
• Ensure all inputs have data in Builder mode
• Verify calculations completed successfully
• Refresh page

Unexpected values:

• Review Builder mode data for errors
• Check conversion factors are correct
• Verify emission sources are appropriate
• Validate allocation rules in Properties

Can't publish product:

• Ensure you have Admin or Editor role
• Check model is in "Ready" status
• Verify all required data is complete
• Contact support if issue persists

Related: Add Data to Your System | System Status Indicators | Generate CAPs

Last updated: September 2026