Skip to main content

The Carbon Checker Extension

  • Updated
Product-availability---office-only.png

Version Updates

  • Carbon Checker (Finnish & Swedish): Updated to v1.0.22 on 10 October 2023

  • Carbon Checker - Germany (Ökobaudat): New version v1.0.3 (beta) on 26 February 2025

This article describes how to use the Carbon Checker Extension for Solibri Office. This sustainability extension is available for free in Solibri Solution Center, and there are three versions available: the Finnish, the Swedish and the German one and the Swedish one. The versions are connected with different databases (see more information below).

For more information on how to install an use an extension in Solibri, see Installing and Using an Extension in Solibri Office. For Solibri Office Lite subscription customers, the extension is available on the Extensions page under the File menu.

There's also a video tutorial available to help you to get started with the extension:

The article contains the following topics:

Tip

Interested in sustainable building and carbon neutrality? Have a look at our guidebook, which gives you practical insights for managing carbon footprints with BIM.

What Is the Carbon Checker Extension?

The Carbon Checker extension for Solibri Office helps your AEC design organization to quickly analyze the model’s carbon footprint by embedding generic emission factors into BIM objects in Solibri Office. Carbon Checker enables you to work with material information in Swedish, Finnish, German and English and create a bill of quantities together with carbon calculations per individual BIM object, yet structured per material, component type or technical discipline.

The extension comes with pre-loaded generic emission factors regarding above ground buildings from three databases. The Finnish version of the extension is connected with the Emissions Database for Construction by SYKE  (a Finnish database), the Swedish version to the Climate database by Boverket (a Swedish database) and the German version to the Ökobaudat Database (a German database).

There are six roles to choose from, depending on the location of the project and the language you want to work with. The emission factors vary between Sweden, Finland and Germany and, therefore, the location according to the project should be chosen respectively (SE/FI/GER). The language used for material descriptions can be English or the local languages (suomi/svenska/deutsch).

Carbon Checker is referencing the following database versions:

  • Emissions Database for Construction by SYKE

    • version “01.01.000”

    • date "2023-06-29T21:53:56.706Z"

  • Climate Database by Boverket

    • version ”02.04.000”

    • date "2023-01-24T07:29:04Z"

  • Ökobaudat Database

    • version ”2024-I”

The overall workflow for the extension is:

  1. Install the extension (either FI, SE, GER).

  2. Select a role.

  3. Open a model.

  4. Check the model for clashes, duplicates and material information.

  5. Complete the three classifications (classify the included/excluded components, define cavity ratios and do the material mapping ). Defining the cavity ratios is not mandatory, but we recommend it.

  6. Run information takeoff and report the results.

The extension includes the following resources:

Roles: 

The Finnish version of the extension includes the following roles:

  • Carbon Checker - Finnish Database - SYKE Construction - Terminology EN.xml: Information is based on the Finnish Database. All terms in the database are in English.

  • Carbon Checker - Finnish Database - SYKE Construction - Terminology FI.xml: Information is based on the Finnish Database. All terms in the database are in Finnish.

The Swedish version of the extension includes the following roles:

  • Carbon Checker - Swedish Database - Boverket- Terminology EN.xml: Information is based on the Swedish Database. All terms in the database are in English.

  • Carbon Checker - Swedish Database - Boverket - Terminology SE.xml: Information is based on the Swedish Database. All terms in the database are in Swedish.

The German version of the extension includes the following roles:

  • Carbon Checker - Oekobaudat - Englisch.xml: Information is based on the German Database. All terms in the database are in English.

  • Carbon Checker - Oekobaudat - German.xml: Information is based on the German Database. All terms in the database are in German.

Rulesets: 

The Finnish and Swedish version of the extensions include the following rulsets:

  • Duplicates.cset: The ruleset checks for hard clashes in the model. The rules included in the ruleset are:

    • Encapsulated Inside of Other Object 

    • Duplicates 

    • Overlappings 

The German version of the extension includes the following rulset:

  •  Carbon Checker Oekobaudat_PreliminaryAudit.cset: The ruleset checks for hard clashes and information in the model. The rules included in the ruleset are:

    • Clash Detection Matrix - Geometric quality check

    • IDS - Material information check

Classifications:

For the Finnish and Swedish extension: 

  • Carbon Checker - Auto - Conversions Unit Locked).classification: The conversion units of components. Depending on the component group in the database (FI/SE), the components are assigned units that represent the basis for calculating the GWP. For example, the GWP for doors and windows is calculated according to the unit, but for columns and walls according to kg/m³.

  • Carbon Checker - Auto - Conversions Value (Locked).classification: The conversion values of components. The conversion factor is given in the database (FI/SE). For example, a 380mm*380mm Column has a conversion factor of 359 Weight, kg/m. Calculation: finalResult = dimensions[0] * conversionsValue * emissionsFactor.

  • Carbon Checker - Auto - Emission Factors A1-A3 Typical (Locked).classification: The emission factors are assigned, respectively, to the material groups. An example value for columns: GWP (A1-A3 FOSSIL), TYPICAL VALUE Not for building permit calculations 0.19 kg CO2e /kg.

    Important

    Emission factors can be communicated per unit, m, m² or m³. Note that if you wish to communicate carbon intensity, the conversions units must be the same for the respective numbers. If the units are different, the numbers aren't comparable.

  • Carbon Checker - Auto - Material [Local Name] (Locked).classification: The Finnish or Swedish names for the materials.

  • Carbon Checker - Auto - Material [FI-en]/[SE-en] (Locked).classification: The English names for the materials.

  • Carbon Checker - Auto - Material Category System (Locked).classification: The overarching group of materials, such as metals. The information is given in the database (FI/SE). For example, for columns, the Finnish database has: CLASSIFICATION / TALO 2000 287.1 Betonipilarit.

  • Carbon Checker - Auto - Resource ID (Locked).classification: The identification numbers for the given materials from the original databases.

  • Carbon Checker - Step 1 - Included Components.classification: With this classification, you can specify which components should be included in the carbon calculation (this is done to specify which GWP for which components should be calculated).

  • Carbon Checker - Step 2 - Material [FI-en]/[SE-en].classification: Component material information in English. In this classification, you must map which components (IfcEntity or Solibri Objects of the model, with which attributes/Properties) belongs to which Material group in the database (FI/SE).

  • Carbon Checker - Step 2 - Material [FI-fi]/[SE-sv].classification: Component material information in Finnish. See the description above.

  • Carbon Checker - Step 3 - Cavity Ratio.classification: Cavity ratio information. This is not a mandatory classification, however, it's recommended. You can define a cavity ratio value for hollow objects. For example, if a component has openings which are not modelled, but the GWP is measured in kg/m², you can reduce the area with the Cavity Ratio Value.

Tip

Some of the classifications are locked. They'll be automatically populated when you've completed thematerial mapping.

For the German extension: 

  • 1. Carbon Checker - [manual] - Include and exclude Components.classification: With this classification, you can specify which components should be included in the carbon calculation (this is done to specify which GWP for which components should be calculated).

    1.1 Carbon Checker - [manual] - Cavity Ratio.classification:  Cavity ratio information. This is not a mandatory classification, however, it's recommended. You can define a cavity ratio value for hollow objects. For example, if a component has openings which are not modelled, but the GWP is measured in kg/m², you can reduce the area with the Cavity Ratio Value.

  • 2. Carbon Checker - [manual] - Material mapping [de].classification: Component material information in English or German. In this classification, you must map which components (IfcEntity or Solibri Objects of the model, with which attributes/Properties) belongs to which Material group in the database (GER).

    2.1 Carbon Checker - [automatic] - Resource ID.classification: The identification numbers for the given materials from the original databases.

    2.2 Carbon Checker - [automatic] - Material Categories.classification:  mapping from the IDs to the material names.

    2.3 Carbon Checker - [automatic] - Reference Units.classification: The reference units of components. Depending on the component  in the Ökobaudat database, the components are assigned units that represent the basis for calculating the GWP. For example: kg, m², m³,…

    2.4 Carbon Checker - [automatic] - Conversion Value.classification: The conversion values of components. The conversion factor is given in the Ökobaudat database. For example, a stair has a conversion factor of 2363, kg/m³. Calculation: finalResult = conversionsValue * emissionsFactor.

    2.5 Carbon Checker - [automatic] - Conversion of the unit.classification: If, for example, information was given in tons (t) in the Ökobaudat database

    2.6 Carbon Checker - [automatic] - Emission Factors.classification: The emission factors are assigned, respectively, to the material groups. GWP (A1-A3).

    2.7 Carbon Checker - [automatic] - Emission Factors A1-A3 Units.classification: The associated units of the emission factor are listed

ITO definitions: 

For the Finnish and Swedish extension: 

  • Carbon Checker - ITO Grouped.ito: Lists all the available data, including all the common metadata, classifications, volumes, areas, lengths, and bounding boxes. Components with the same component group and component type are grouped, and the sum of the GWP for these groups is given.

  • Carbon Checker - ITO per GUID.ito: Lists all the available data per each individual component, including all the common metadata, classifications, volumes, areas, lengths, and bounding boxes. The GWP is calculated for every single component based on the component GUID.

  • GWP per Component.ito: GWP per component group. For example: all Walls, all external Walls, all Doors, and all FireExit doors.

  • GWP per Discipline.ito: GWP per discipline. The components are grouped by discipline, for example all architectural wall components, all architectural door components doors, or all MEP duct components.

  • GWP per Material.ito: GWP per material. The components are grouped by material and the sum of the GWP for these groups is given. For example, the Finnish database has 311 Puuikkunat and 312 Metalli-ikkunat.

For the German extension: 

  • 1.Types-GWP [kgCO2] for each Component group.ito: Lists all the available data, including all the common metadata, classifications, volumes, areas, lengths, and bounding boxes. Components with the same component group and component type are grouped, and the sum of the GWP for these groups is given.

  • 2.GUID-GWP [kgCO2] for each Component GUID.ito: Lists all the available data per each individual component, including all the common metadata, classifications, volumes, areas, lengths, and bounding boxes. The GWP is calculated for every single component based on the component GUID.

  • 3.Component - GWP [kgCO2] for each Component.ito: GWP per component group. For example: all Walls, all external Walls, all Doors, and all FireExit doors.

  • 4.Discipline - GWP [kgCO2] for each Discipline.ito. The components are grouped by discipline, for example all architectural wall components, all architectural door components doors, or all MEP duct components.

  • 5.Material category- GWP [kgCO2] for each Material category.ito GWP per material. The components are grouped by material and the sum of the GWP for these groups is given. 

Spreadsheet templates: 

For the Finnish and Swedish extension: 

  • Carbon Checker - ITO Grouped_template.xlsx 

  • Carbon Checker - ITO per GUID_template.xlsx 

  • GWP per Component_template.xlsx 

  • GWP per Discipline_template.xlsx 

  • GWP per Material_template.xlsx 

The extension also has its own layout, which includes the Classification, 3D and Information Takeoff views:

carbon_checker_ito_populated.png

For the German extension: 

  • 1.Types-GWP [kgCO2] for each Component group.xlsx

  • 2.GUID-GWP [kgCO2] for each Component GUID.xlsx

  • 3.Component - GWP [kgCO2] for each Component.xlsx

  • 4.Discipline - GWP [kgCO2] for each Discipline.xlsx

  • 5.Material category- GWP [kgCO2] for each Material category.xlsx

image.png

Setting up the Carbon Checker Extension

To install and set up the extension:

  1. Open Solibri Office and login. You may need to restart Solibri after installing the extension.

  2. Click File > Roles. Click Open.

  3. Go to the Resources tab. You can choose from three roles (FI/SE/GER or EN). Select the role and click Open:

    image.png

  4. When you’ve selected a role, all the necessary resources of the Carbon Checker Extension are automatically pre-loaded:

    carbon_checker_roles.png

  5. The default layout is the Carbon Checker layout and it's automatically selected.

  6. Open a model.

Important

It’s important to select the correct units for ITO before any calculations take place. To do this, go to Settings > Units and set the Linear, Area and Volume units to m, m², and m³, respectively. For more information, see here.

Checking the Model for Duplicates

The Carbon Checker extension includes only one ruleset, Duplicates in the Finnish and Swedish version and PreliminaryAudit in the German version. The ruleset is used for detecting duplicate components, intersections and inner components, which should help you prevent calculating unnecessary emissions. Run the ruleset in the Checking layout. For more information on Checking, see here.

carbon_checker_checking.png

When you've completed the checking and removed the duplicates and intersections, you can move on to three classifications, described below.

Classifying the Included and Excluded Components

The first step in the classification process is defining the components that are to be included in the carbon data calculation.

If the project is an entirely new construction built on a green field, every BIM object is included in the calculation. In other cases, it’s crucial to only include the components of the project that are newly added or changed for the calculation of carbon emissions. For example, if you’re only updating plumbing and ventilation, only those components are a subject to carbon calculation and must be classified as Included in Calculation.

To tell the model which components are new and which ones are already existing ones, you need to classify the included/excluded components. You'll need to consider which parameters or metadata to use to define the new and existing components.

To classify the included and excluded components:

  1. Go to the Carbon Checker layout.

  2. In the Classification view, right-click the Carbon Checker Included Components classification and select Settings:

    carbon_checker_classification_included_components.png

  3. Go to the Classification Rules tab. In the Classification Name column, classify the components that should be Included in calculation and Excluded from calculation according to your knowledge of the project.

    • For new buildings, the components that are newly constructed are set to be Included in calculation.

    • For reconstruction projects, each existing component of the project must be classified as Excluded from calculation, as carbon calculations should be applied to new objects only.

      The components that are newly constructed are set to be Included in calculation.

    In the example below, we assume that the first two floors are existing objects, thus set to Excluded from calculation while the second floor and the roof are Included in the calculation:

    carbon_checker_exampleclassification.png

    Notice

    Components that are part of the Included in calculation class will be passed on to the other classifications and information takeoff templates.

    Important

    This step varies from project to project. It must be double checked with the designers whether the class selection matches the reality of the project as metadata about the status of object can be missing or wrong in the model.

    Tip

    You can also do it the other way round - first select and add all new components, and then set the rest of the components to be excluded from the calculation.

  4. Click OK. The Classification view will now show the classified objects as separate classes – Included in calculation and Excluded from calculation.

    carbon_checker_classification2.png

    The respective classification are also reflected in the 3D view:

    carbon_checker_classification_colours.png

You can now move on to material mapping.

Material Mapping

In this step, material names are assigned to the components. The names reflect the original material names from the sources of generic emission factor databases of SYKE Construction in Finland,  Boverket’s climate database in Sweden and Ökobaudat database in Germany.

Please note that the metadata in the model may be incorrect, and communication with the designers is important identify all components and assign the right properties.

Tip

The names of the components depend on the role you’ve selected. You can add more classifications for other languages by clicking place_16x16.png in the Classification view toolbar.

Tip

We recommend using the first match classification method and consequent sorting of the lines in the classification settings.

To do the material mapping:

  1. In the Classification view, right-click the Carbon Checker Material Mapping classification and select Settings from the context menu.

    carbon_checker_classification_material_mapping.png

  2. Go to the Classification Rules tab. Assign material names to groups of components using separate classification rules from the drop down menu of the Classification Name column:

    carbon_checker_materialmapping.png

    Tip

    If the material information for a component exists in the model, you can see it in the Info View. This facilitates the assignment between components under the material groups of the database.

  3. Click OK.

  4. All components must have a Classification Name assigned to them. When all components have their respective material names, the Unclassified category disappears. All the classifications with the text "(locked)" will be automatically populated as a result of the material mapping step.

    carbon_checker_unclassified.png

Once the material mapping is done, you can move on to defining the cavity ratio of components (recommended), or go to information takeoff directly.

Defining the Cavity Ratio

Notice

Defining the cavity ratio is not obligatory, but we highly recommend it.

Important

If you edit this classification, note that the information on how hollow the components are likely to be if the Thickness is not specified in the model, must come from the designer.

Especially in early stages of a design, we can expect some hollow components to be modelled as bulky volumes without their thickness defined. These components include, for example, pipes, ducts, their fittings, and furniture. Cavity ratio allows you to specify what share of the volume is going to be air or vacuum (not solid). You'll need to gain this information from the architect/designer.

To get correct carbon calculations, all BIM objects that are hollow, yet were modelled as bulk solids, must have their cavity ratio specified. If no cavity ratio is defined, the object will be assumed to have no cavity, i.e. the object is assumed to be absolutely solid.

The allowed values for cavity ratio are between 0 and 1, including the boarder values. Any decimal number in this span will be passed on to get the Net Solid Volume of the BIM object.

  • Cavity Ratio = 0 means the object is totally solid which is the case by default.

  • Cavity Ratio = 1 means the object is virtual, like a Space or an Opening, i.e. the object has no mass.

  • For example, the cavity ratio for ducts and pipes is often 0.98 or 0.99.

Below are a few examples of calculating the Cavity Ratio of a ventilation duct:

  • Example 1: Rectangular Duct

    • A rectangular ventilation duct has an outer profile of 200x400 mm (Connection Size), and the duct wall Thickness is 1 mm.

    • H = 0.2 m

      W = 0.4 m

      T = 0.001 m

    • Formula:

      • Cavity Ratio = Inner Cavity Area / Outer Profile Area

      • Cavity Ratio = [ ( H - T*2 ) * ( W - T*2 ) ] / ( H*W )

    • Example calculation:

      • Cavity Ratio = [ ( 0.2 - 0.001*2 ) * ( 0.4 - 0.001*2 ) ] / ( 0.2*0.4 )

        Cavity Ratio = ( 0.198 * 0.398 ) / 0.2*0.4

        Cavity Ratio = 0.98505

      • 98.5% of the Brutto Volume is hollow in this example. Only 1.5% of the Brutto Volume is Net Solid Volume and has mass for which we want to calculate the embedded carbon.

  • Example 2: Round Duct

    • A round duct has an Outer Diameter of 200 mm, and the wall Thickness is 1 mm.

    • D = 0.2 m

      T = 0.001 m

    • Formula:

      • Cavity Ratio = Inner Cavity Area / Outer Profile Area

      • Cavity Ratio = [ Pi * (D/2 - T)^2) ] / [ Pi * (D/2)^2 ]

    • Example calculation:

      • Cavity Ratio = [ 3.14 * (0.2/2 - 0.001)^2 ] / [ 3.14 * ( 0.2/2 )^2 ]

        Cavity Ratio = 0.099^2 / 0.1^2

        Cavity Ratio = 0.99

      • 99% of the Brutto Volume is hollow in this example. Only 1% of the Brutto Volume is Net Solid Volume and has mass for which we want to calculate the embedded carbon.

To define the cavity ratio:

  1. In the Classification view, right-click the Carbon Checker Cavity Ratio classification and select Settings from the context menu:

    carbon_checker_classification_cavity_ratio.png

  2. Go to the Classification Rules tab. Classify objects which you suspect to contain air or vacuum inside.

    carbon_checker_cavity_ratio2.png

  3. Click OK.

Information Takeoff and Reporting

All necessary ITO templates were pre-loaded when you selected the role:

carbon_checker_ito.png

Important

The ITOs in this extension are using JavaScript code, and the ITOs can't be calculated unless you allow Solibri to run the code. You will get the following notification:

carbon_checker_javascript_warning.png

To continue and run the JavaScript code, click Run anyway. If you by accident close the dialog or have previously disabled JavaScript, go to General Settings and change the setting.

Tip

GWP stands for Global Warming Potential. A1:A3 means that CO2 is calculated as a sum of 3 lifecycle stages, namely A1 Raw Materia, A2 Transport, and A3 Production, according to the EN15803 standard. This European Standard specifies a method for determining the water vapour permeability (WVP) of porous inorganic materials used for and constituting cultural property. The method may be applied to porous inorganic materials either untreated or subjected to any treatment or ageing.

To calculate emissions:

  1. In the Information Takeoff view, click Takeoff All ITOs . The ITO table is populated with data:

    carbon_checker_ito_takeoff_all.png

  2. In the various ITO definitions, emissions are calculated per individual component, or grouped per Component, Discipline and Material. Check out the ITOs for results which will be displayed in the GWP [kg CO2e] – A1:A3 column.

  3. The emissions of each object can now be found in the Information Takeoff view in the GWP [kg CO2e] column, which presents the Global Warming Potential in kg of CO2 equivalent.

    carbon_checker_ito2.png

You can export the calculated results to an Excel spreadsheet by using templates provided with the extension. To report the ITO data:

  1. Click Report in the Information Takeoff view toolbar:

    carbon_checker_ito_report.png

  2. Use Template Excel Report and select Current ITO (the one you have open in the ITO view). Click Browse and go to the Resources tab. Select the correct template and click Open:

    carbon_checker_ito_templates.png

  3. Click Save Report. Specify the folder location and file name. Click Save As. Below is an example of the ITO per GUID report:

    carbon_checker_reportGUID.png

Related articles