Method and apparatus for generating standardized carbon emission reduction credits
AssigneeSouth Dakota School of Mines and Technology
InventorPatrick Robert Zimmerman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This invention generally relates to a method and apparatus for determining carbon emission reduction credits and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for generating and quantifying standardized carbon emission reduction credits. General data and site-specific data, if available, are input into a carbon sequestration model to determine the approximate change in the level of carbon compounds stored in a media, such as soil, over a specified period of time. An uncertainty analysis is conducted on the results to quantify and normalize carbon emission reduction credits. Standardized carbon emission reduction credits may be compiled for trade and other carbon emission reduction credits are placed in reserve.
Claims6
(canceled)
A computer-based method for generating standardized carbon emission reduction credits for sequestration of carbon compounds, comprising:
- receiving site-specific data with respect to a geographic location, regarding at least one variable impacting carbon sequestration;
- retrieving data, general to a geographic region encompassing the location, regarding at least one variable impacting carbon sequestration;
- processing the site-specific data regarding the location and the data general to the geographic region encompassing the location, through a carbon sequestration model running on a computer, to determine an approximate change in level of carbon compounds stored in soil at the location over a specified time period;
- conducting an uncertainty analysis on the approximate change of the level of carbon compounds stored in the soil at the location over the specified time period, via the computer;
- from the uncertainty analysis conducted via the computer, identifying a quantity of carbon emission reduction credits meeting an established standard of certainty, as the standardized carbon emission reduction credits;
- and
- reporting from the computer the identified quantity of the standardized carbon emission reduction credits.
A system for generating standardized carbon emission reduction credits for sequestration of carbon compounds, comprising:
- a computer;
- at least one database accessible by the computer and containing:
- site-specific data with respect to a geographic location, regarding at least one variable impacting carbon sequestration;
- and
- data, general to a geographic region encompassing the location, regarding at least one variable impacting carbon sequestration;
- a carbon sequestration modeling program to be run on the computer, for causing the computer to process the site-specific data and the data general to the geographic region encompassing the location through a carbon sequestration model, to determine an approximate change in level of carbon compounds stored in soil at the location over a specified time period;
- an uncertainty analysis program to be run on the computer, for causing the computer to process the approximate change of the level of carbon compounds stored in the soil at the location over the specified time period, to identify a quantity of carbon emission reduction credits meeting an established standard of certainty, as the standardized carbon emission reduction credits;
- and
- at least one interface to the computer, for outputting a report of the identified quantity of the standardized carbon emission reduction credits.
A manufacture comprising a computer-readable medium and a program embodied in the medium, wherein execution of the program by a computer causes the computer to implement functions comprising:
- receiving site-specific data with respect to a geographic location, regarding at least one variable impacting carbon sequestration;
- retrieving data, general to a geographic region encompassing the location, regarding at least one variable impacting carbon sequestration;
- processing the site-specific data regarding the location and the data general to the geographic region encompassing the location, through a carbon sequestration model running on a computer, to determine an approximate change in level of carbon compounds stored in soil at the location over a specified time period;
- conducting an uncertainty analysis on the approximate change of the level of carbon compounds stored in the soil at the location over the specified time period, via the computer;
- from the uncertainty analysis conducted via the computer, identifying a quantity of carbon emission reduction credits meeting an established standard of certainty, as the standardized carbon emission reduction credits;
- and
- reporting from the computer the identified quantity of the standardized carbon emission reduction credits.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.