Analyze Your System (Analyze Tab)

Time to review: 2-3 minutes

View calculation results, product carbon footprints, and emission breakdowns.

What is the Analyze Tab?

The Analyze tab displays the calculated results of your system after you've completed data entry. Here you'll see:

Product-level carbon footprints for all outputs
Emission breakdowns by source, sink, and credits
Visual analysis tools (Sankey diagrams, bar charts)
System performance metrics

✅ Requirement: Your system must have "Ready" status to see complete results.

Understanding the Results View

System Information Panel

At the top of the page, you'll see key system details:

System Name - Your system's identifier
System Run Start/End - The time period covered by calculations
System Run Duration - How long the system represents (days, hours, minutes)
Description - Your system's purpose and scope

Product Results Table

The main table shows carbon footprint calculations for each output product:

Column	What It Shows	Example
Product	Output name from your system	"Steel Offcuts", "Poured Concrete"
Quantity	Amount produced	2.00
Unit	Measurement unit	KG, m3, tonnes
Intensity (kg CO₂e)	Carbon per unit of product	4.61 kg CO₂e/m3
Net Emission (kg CO₂e)	Total emissions after sinks and credits	6.77 kg CO₂e
Sources (kg CO₂e)	Total emissions generated	202.69 kg CO₂e
Sinks (kg CO₂e)	Carbon removed or sequestered	195.92 kg CO₂e
Credits (kg CO₂e)	Offsets applied	0

Understanding Emissions Calculations

How Net Emissions Are Calculated

Net Emission = Sources - Sinks - Credits

Example from the table:

Poured Concrete (1.47 m3)
- Sources: 202.69 kg CO₂e (all emissions generated)
- Sinks: 195.92 kg CO₂e (carbon absorbed/removed)
- Credits: 0 kg CO₂e (no offsets applied)
- Net Emission: 6.77 kg CO₂e (final footprint)
- Intensity: 4.61 kg CO₂e/m3 (per unit)

Accessing Visualization Tools

Results Dropdown Menu

Click the "Results" dropdown in the top-right to access analysis views:

Available Views:

Results - Default table view (shown above)
Sankey - Carbon flow diagram showing emission pathways
Bar Chart - Ranked contributors to total emissions

Dropdown showing Results, Sankey, Bar Chart options

Product Actions Menu

Each product row has an actions menu (⋮) with options:

Preview

Opens a detailed view of the product's carbon footprint
Shows complete emission breakdown by scope and process
Useful for reviewing before publishing

Publish

Creates a Carbon Attested Product (CAP)
Makes the carbon footprint official and shareable
Moves to CAPs page for distribution

💡 Tip: Always preview results before publishing to verify accuracy.

When to Use Analyze Tab

Review after data entry:

Verify all calculations are correct
Check for unexpected emission values
Identify highest-impact products

Before generating CAPs:

Ensure results meet your quality standards
Validate emission intensities are reasonable
Review scope classifications

For reporting:

Extract carbon footprint data
Generate visual aids for presentations
Support sustainability disclosures

Interpreting Negative Intensities

Example: Steel Offcuts (-117.10 kg CO₂e/KG)

Negative carbon intensity indicates:

Product sequesters more carbon than it emits (sinks > sources)
Common for by-products that avoid primary production
Allocation credits from waste recovery
Carbon removal or recycling benefits

Why this happens:

Steel offcuts avoid virgin steel production
Recycling credits allocated to the by-product
System boundaries include avoided emissions

Common Result Patterns

High Sources, Low Net Emissions

Indicates significant sinks or credits applied
Check if allocation is appropriate
Verify sink/credit data is accurate

Similar Intensity Across Products

May indicate shared upstream processes
Check allocation methodology
Consider if products should have distinct profiles

Zero Credits Column

No carbon offsets have been applied
Credits are optional and added separately
Contact your admin to apply organizational credits

Quick Actions Reference

I want to...	Do this...
View detailed breakdown	Click product name or Preview
Create CAP	Click ⋮ menu → Publish
See emission flows	Results dropdown → Sankey
Identify hotspots	Results dropdown → Bar Chart
Check calculation basis	Review Sources, Sinks, Credits columns
Verify time period	Check System Run Start/End dates

Sankey Diagram View

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

Accessing Sankey View

Click the "Results" dropdown (top-right)
Select "Sankey"
The diagram displays your complete system flow

Understanding the Sankey Diagram

Visual Elements

The Sankey uses three visual components:

Element	Color	Represents
Input objects	Light blue	Materials and energy entering processes
Process units	Light gray boxes	Activities that transform inputs
Output/Intermediate objects	Dark blue/gray	Products and co-products

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:

Review Sources first to identify emission hotspots
Switch to Sinks to find offset opportunities
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 system:

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 system complexity
Final outputs (right side) show product destinations

Sinks View

Shows carbon removed or sequestered by the system:

To switch to Sinks view:

Look for the dropdown menu above the diagram
Click to expand (shows "✓ Sources" with "Sinks" below)
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:

Control	Function
+	Zoom in for detail
−	Zoom out for overview
⤢	Reset to default view

💡 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 system 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.

Accessing Bar Chart View

Click the "Results" dropdown (top-right)
Select "Bar Chart"
The table displays ranked contributors

Understanding the Bar Chart

Column Definitions

Column	What It Shows	Example
Contributor	Input or material name	"Steel Rebar", "Ready-Mix Concrete"
Process	Where the contributor is used	"Reinforcement Installation", "Concrete Pouring"
Scope	Emission scope classification	3 (upstream supply chain)
Source (kg CO₂e)	Emissions generated	288.00 kg CO₂e (51.15%)
Sink (kg CO₂e)	Carbon removed	783.66 kg CO₂e (100%)
Credit (kg CO₂e)	Offsets applied	- (none in this example)

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):

Steel Rebar → Reinforcement Installation
- 288.00 kg CO₂e (51.15%)
- Largest emission contributor
Ready-Mix Concrete → Concrete Pouring
- 247.50 kg CO₂e (43.96%)
- Second largest contributor
Electricity → Site Preparation
- 27.09 kg CO₂e (4.81%)
- Minor but consistent contributor
Electricity → Concrete Pouring
- 0.2375 kg CO₂e (0.04%)
- Negligible impact
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 system
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 system 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 system 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 system"

When to Use Bar Chart