FAQs

Automated M&V and Aristotle

1. What is Aristotle?

   Aristotle is WattCarbon’s AI-powered platform for automated Measurement & Verification (M&V). It continuously tracks how homes, buildings, and devices use and shift energy, creating a trusted record of demand-side performance. By turning efficiency, electrification, and flexibility into measurable and verifiable resources, Aristotle helps organizations unlock new revenue streams and participate in energy markets.

2. How does Aristotle help me manage my distributed energy resource portfolio?

   Aristotle gives you a unified view of all your distributed resources—whether they’re heat pumps, EV chargers, batteries, or building controls. It automatically measures performance, tracks when and how resources respond, and translates that data into market-ready results. This makes it easy to validate incentives, optimize participation in demand flexibility programs, and demonstrate the full value of your portfolio.

3. What is Automated Measurement & Verification (M&V)?

   Automated M&V is the process of using data and analytics to measure how much energy your equipment or portfolio is saving or shifting—without manual studies or long delays. Instead of waiting months for evaluation, automated M&V delivers continuous, real-time results, giving you faster access to incentives, clearer insight into performance, and proof you can take to market.

4. What are the benefits of Automated M&V?

   Key benefits include:

   Continuous Performance Tracking
   Instantly see the impact of efficiency upgrades or operational changes in real time.

   Increased Confidence in Savings
   Meter-based verification increases trust in reported results, validating the ROI of sustainability projects.

   Reduced Effort and Cost
   Automation saves time and reduces the need for external consultants or manual calculations.

5. Does WattCarbon provide Hourly Carbon Accounting?

   WattCarbon’s focus is on measuring and verifying the performance of demand-side energy resources. Our platform delivers hourly, meter-based insights into how resources like heat pumps, EV chargers, batteries, and building controls are saving or shifting energy. These results can then be aligned with market programs, incentives, or environmental reporting needs.

Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs)

1. What's an EAC?

   An Energy Attribute Credit (EAC) is a digital certificate that represents the measured impact of a demand-side resource—such as energy saved, load shifted, or flexibility delivered. EACs provide a standardized way to track and trade the value of distributed energy resources, making it possible for organizations to get paid for efficiency, electrification, and demand flexibility.

2. What's the difference between an EAC and a REC?

   A Renewable Energy Credit (REC) represents electricity generated from renewable sources like solar or wind. An Energy Attribute Credit (EAC) represents the measured impact of demand-side actions—such as efficiency upgrades, electrification, or load shifting. Together, RECs and EACs give a more complete picture of how both supply- and demand-side resources contribute to the energy transition.

3. What does it mean to retire EACs and how do I do that?

   Retiring an Energy Attribute Credit (EAC) means permanently taking it out of circulation after it has been claimed. Retirement ensures that the value of the EAC—such as energy savings, flexibility, or electrification impact—can’t be sold or counted more than once. This provides confidence that each EAC reflects a unique, verified contribution from demand-side resources. Retiring an EAC is simple through your "EAC Management" tab when logged into your WattCarbon account.

4. How does WattCarbon ensure that EACs are not counted twice?

   WattCarbon's registry, WEATS, prevents double counting by assigning a unique ID for each EAC. The unique identifier enables WattCarbon to identify the specific source and timing of the Energy Attribute Right and allows for complete auditability for all transactions.

Measurement and Verification (M&V) Services

1. What M&V can WattCarbon perform?

   WattCarbon is able to perform M&V directly for:

   • Solar Projects
   • Electrification (Heat Pumps)
   • Energy Storage Projects (Batteries)
   • Demand Flexibility
   • Energy Efficiency Projects
   • EV Charging
2. How does automated M&V differ from traditional methods?

   Traditional M&V often involves manual calculations, periodic assessments, and simplified models. Our automated M&V continuously analyzes high-frequency data using advanced analytics to validate energy savings and emissions reductions in near real-time. This provides more accurate results, faster verification, and typically lower costs than conventional approaches.

3. How do you calculate carbon emissions savings?

   WattCarbon follows methodologies approved through the OpenEAC Alliance. Each methodology is implemented through an M&V Plan, hosted at docs.wattcarbon.com. The M&V outputs are shown in the public WEATS Registry for every set of minted EACs.

4. Can I use my own organization's Measurement and Verification methodology?

   Any proposed M&V methodology must be submitted and certified by the OpenEAC Alliance. Once certified, WattCarbon can implement this methodology so that the outputs can be independently validated.

Getting Started

1. How can I try Aristotle for my organization?

   You can load your projects into Aristotle and automatically start tracking savings. Once you are ready to start certifying EACs or utilizing our API to pull data back into your system, you can opt into a paid tier.

   Get started
2. What makes WattCarbon's solution different?

   Our platform combines standards-based M&V methodologies with AI-powered data automation to provide unprecedented visibility into your DER portfolio's performance. The secure cloud-based solution integrates data from multiple sources automatically, scales from small to large portfolios, and provides actionable insights through customizable dashboards and reports—all accessible anytime, anywhere.

3. How quickly can I implement Aristotle for my portfolio?

   Implementation time varies based on portfolio size and existing data infrastructure, but many customers can be up and running within minutes. Our team can work with you to establish data connections, configure assets, and train your team to maximize the platform's value. The system is designed to deliver immediate insights once connected to your data sources.