Net Zero Compare
The FootprintCalculator™

The FootprintCalculator™

by TSA Riley

Hybrid LCA for the full project lifecycle

Onye Dike
Updated by Onye Dike on March 24th, 2026
The FootprintCalculator™ is a lifecycle assessment (LCA) tool developed by TSA Riley to quantify and manage embodied carbon in buildings and infrastructure projects. It is designed for architects, engineers, developers, and asset owners who need to assess carbon impacts at different stages of project delivery. Unlike traditional LCA tools that depend on detailed material data, it applies a hybrid approach using costs, assemblies, or materials, enabling early-stage estimation. This makes it particularly useful in design and planning phases, where decisions have the greatest influence on emissions outcomes and where conventional tools are often less practical.

Available Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Features

Background Database Connectivity
Emissions Hotspot Identification
Projects GWP
Scenarios
Sensitivity & Contribution Analysis

Missing Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Features

API Integration
Allocation & Co-product Rules
DPP Database
Data Import/Export
Data Quality at Scale
Data Quality/Pedigree
Digital Product Passports (DPP)
EPD Database
EPD Global
EPD International
EPD Search Tool
Environmental Cost Indicator (ECI)
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
Goal & Scope Builder
IBU
ILCD+EPD
ILCD/EcoSpold/JSON-LD Import
INIES
ISO Compliance
Lifecycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) Methods Library
Multiple Program Operators
NMD
Parameterized Models
Product Carbon Footprint (PCF)
Product Comparison
Product Environmental Footprint (PEF)
Review & Audit Trail
Smart EPD
Supplier Collaboration Tools
System Boundaries & Cut-offs
Uncertainty (Monte Carlo)
Unit-Process Modeling

Pricing

Starting Price
No data available
Options
No data available

Available Since

2012

Deployment Options

  • Web Browser (Cloud - Based)

Good Option For

  • Small Business (11-50 people)
  • Medium Business (51-250 people)
  • Large Business (250+ people)

Deep dive


Core Features

The FootprintCalculator™ is structured around a hybrid LCA methodology that enables embodied carbon assessment even when project data is incomplete. It is designed to support decision-making across the full project lifecycle. Some of its main features include:

  • Early-Stage Carbon Estimation: Calculates embodied carbon using cost data or partial inputs, allowing assessments before material quantities are finalised.

  • Flexible Assessment Methods: Supports calculations based on costs, assemblies, materials, or a combination, adapting to different project phases.

  • Benchmarking Capabilities: Compares project performance against industry benchmarks to contextualise carbon intensity and identify improvement areas.

  • Hotspot Identification: Breaks down emissions across building components to highlight high-impact materials or systems.

  • Dynamic Reporting Tools: Generates visual, interactive reports to communicate carbon performance and support stakeholder decision-making.

Closing Insights

The FootprintCalculator™ originated from The Footprint Company, founded in 2012 by Dr Caroline Noller, and later integrated into TSA Riley’s broader ESG offering. This background reflects its focus on practical, project-based carbon management rather than purely academic LCA modelling. The tool has been used across a range of building and infrastructure projects, including collaborations with academic institutions such as the University of Sydney, demonstrating its application in both professional and educational contexts.

A major aspect of the platform is its connection to The GreenBook™, an embodied carbon database containing thousands of pre-calculated material and assembly benchmarks. The FootprintCalculator™ draws on this dataset to support faster and more consistent calculations, allowing users to access verified carbon data without manually compiling inputs. This linkage enables teams to move between estimation, benchmarking, and comparison within a shared data framework.

Overall, the platform is suited to organisations that need to integrate carbon considerations into project design decisions, as required by regulations like the EU Ecodesign and Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). By combining a hybrid LCA approach with structured benchmark data, it supports a range of carbon accounting needs across different project stages.


Use The FootprintCalculator™ as...