Designers use the EcoCalculator for a quick snapshot of building footprint. This simple tool is equipped with pre-defined building assemblies that have already been assessed in the Athena Impact Estimator for Buildings.

For projects that fit with the EcoCalculator’s built-in library of assemblies, this tool gives designers the power of the Impact Estimator in less time. The EcoCalculator is available in a residential version and a commercial version. It is customized for various North American regions. The commercial version is additionally customized for high-rise and low-rise.

How it Works
The EcoCalculator is a structured Excel spreadsheet workbook, with worksheet tabs for various categories of structural assemblies (columns and beams, floors, etc.). On each worksheet, find the specific assemblies in your building project and simply enter the total square footage of each.

Results are instantly displayed for embodied fossil energy use and several impact measures including global warming potential, acidification potential, eutrophication potential, and smog potential.

EcoCalculator results take into account all life cycle stages: resource extraction and processing; product manufacturing; on-site construction of assemblies; all related transportation; maintenance and replacement cycles over an assumed building service life of 60 years; and the demolition and transportation of non-metal materials to landfill.