Purpose of this article
This article explains how GRESB data coverage is calculated and where it appears in Scaler. GRESB data coverage measures data availability for external reporting and benchmarking aligned with the GRESB Real Estate Assessment.
GRESB's methodology is designed for standardised benchmarking, not meter-level data completeness. An asset can show 100% GRESB data coverage while having gaps in underlying meter data. This is expected behaviour — use Scaler data coverage for meter-level quality assurance.
GRESB vs. Scaler data coverage at a glance
GRESB data coverage | Scaler data coverage | |
Purpose | External reporting and benchmarking | Data quality and completeness |
Where | Analytics Portal, reports, GRESB submissions | Data Collection Portal only |
Calculated at | Asset level (aggregated) | Meter level (weighted) |
Time perspective | Widest date range across meters | Per meter, weighted by size |
Gaps | May be hidden | Always visible |
On-site renewables | Excluded | Included |
Where it appears in Scaler
Analytics Portal — Portfolio and asset performance dashboards, Scores, data coverage KPIs and graphs. Broken down by resource category (fuels, DHC, electricity; water; waste).
Data Collection Portal — Asset List → Energy/Water/Waste coverage columns → GRESB option; Asset List → edit → Meters & Consumption → GRESB Data coverage.
Reports & Exports — GRESB Real Estate Asset Spreadsheet; data exports with metrics prefixed gresb_data_coverage.
How it's calculated
GRESB data coverage is the product of two components, both calculated from meter data:
GRESB_DATA_COVERAGE = AREA_COVERAGE × TIME_COVERAGE
Applies to: Energy, water, and waste.
Area coverage follows GRESB's aggregation rules directly. Time coverage uses Scaler's widest date range approach, described below.
Area coverage
For energy, GRESB reports each category (fuels, DHC, electricity) separately with a floor area covered and a maximum floor area. GRESB then sums across all categories:
AREA_COVERAGE = (FUELS_COVERED + DHC_COVERED + ELECTRICITY_COVERED) ÷ (FUELS_MAX + DHC_MAX + ELECTRICITY_MAX)
The same logic applies to water and waste with their respective categories.
This means an asset cannot reach 100% area coverage by monitoring only one energy category — all applicable categories must be monitored. Maximum floor area per category is determined either by the sum of meter covered areas, or by the maximum coverage toggle (see below).
Area coverage examples and methodology
Example 1 — Electricity only, fuel connection exists but not monitored:
- Electricity covers 1,000 m² (max: 1,000 m²)
- Fuel connection exists but not monitored: 0 m² (max: 1,000 m²)
- DHC not applicable: 0 m² (max: 0 m²)
→ Area coverage = (1,000 + 0 + 0) ÷ (1,000 + 1,000 + 0) = 50%
Example 2 — All energy types monitored:
- Electricity covers 1,000 m² (max: 1,000 m²)
- Fuels covers 1,000 m² (max: 1,000 m²)
- DHC covers 1,000 m² (max: 1,000 m²)
→ Area coverage = (1,000 + 1,000 + 1,000) ÷ (1,000 + 1,000 + 1,000) = 100%
GRESB's approach assumes that achieving comprehensive coverage requires monitoring all applicable categories. By summing across categories, GRESB ensures that an asset cannot achieve 100% area coverage by monitoring only one category, the calculation rewards monitoring multiple sources, and coverage reflects the breadth of data collection across the building. This approach penalises missing categories even when one category is fully monitored.
Time coverage
GRESB's Asset Spreadsheet accepts only one date range per resource per asset. Scaler uses the widest date range available: the earliest start date and the latest end date across all meters for that resource.
GRESB's published guidance specifies using the overlapping period when meters have different date ranges. Scaler's widest-range approach is a deliberate platform choice that gives clients credit for all periods where data exists, within the structural constraint of GRESB's single date range field. It will produce higher time coverage figures than GRESB's methodology in scenarios where meters have non-overlapping date ranges.
How asset status affects time coverage
GRESB only requires performance data for periods when an asset is classified as Standing Investment. Time coverage is calculated only for the portion of the reporting period when the asset held this status. If an asset transitions from New Construction to Standing Investment mid-year, time coverage is evaluated from that date forward.
The most common reason for a gap between the two metrics is Scaler's widest-range time coverage approach. A single meter with partial data can be "covered" by the date range of another meter in the same resource category, producing 100% GRESB time coverage while Scaler data coverage reflects the actual gap.
Worked examples
Example 1: Electricity full year, fuel partial year
Asset: 1,000 m² whole building. Electricity: full year. Fuel: December only.
- GRESB time coverage: 100% (widest range is Jan–Dec)
- GRESB area coverage: 100% (both subcategories fully monitored)
- GRESB data coverage: 100%
- Scaler data coverage: 55.4% (fuel meter has only 1 month)
Example 2: Two energy types, non-overlapping months
Asset: 1,000 m² whole building. Electricity: December only. Fuel: January only.
- GRESB time coverage: 100% (outer range Jan–Dec)
- GRESB area coverage: 100%
- GRESB data coverage: 100%
- Scaler data coverage: ~8.77% (only 2 months of data across 12)
Example 3: Two energy types, same month only
Asset: 1,000 m² whole building. Both electricity and fuel: January only.
- GRESB time coverage: 8.77% (1 month ÷ 12)
- GRESB area coverage: 100%
- GRESB data coverage: 8.77%
- Scaler data coverage: 8.77%
When meters have the same date range, both metrics align — no gaps are hidden.
How Scaler visualises coverage vs. what's reported to GRESB
There is an important difference between how data coverage appears in Scaler's platform and what is submitted in the GRESB Asset Spreadsheet.
In the GRESB Asset Spreadsheet, one time range is reported for the entire energy resource — fuels, DHC, and electricity are combined on one row. You cannot report different time ranges per category.
In Scaler's GRESB visualisations, each energy category (fuels, DHC, electricity) has its own time coverage, calculated using the widest-range approach within that category:
- For fuels, Scaler takes the widest date range across all fuel meters
- For DHC, Scaler takes the widest date range across all DHC meters
- For electricity, Scaler takes the widest date range across all electricity meters
- These category-level coverages are combined to show overall energy data coverage
This means the Analytics Portal performance dashboards show coverage broken down by category — for example, Fuels 100%, DHC N/A, Electricity 80% — giving you more visibility into which categories need attention. When Scaler generates the GRESB Asset Spreadsheet for submission, it uses the widest date range across all three categories to populate the single time range field.
Maximum coverage for area reporting
When configuring area coverage for GRESB reporting, there are two distinct situations requiring different approaches.
Situation 1: Consumption covers the full floor area, but data collection is incomplete
Use the maximum coverage toggle. This tells Scaler that a given energy category covers the full floor area for that area type — no placeholder meters needed.
Toggle ON — maximum floor area equals the total floor area for that area type, regardless of how many meters exist. Use this when consumption occurs across the full area but data collection is incomplete.
Toggle OFF — maximum floor area equals the sum of all meter covered areas for that category. Use this when meters represent the true extent of consumption.
Settings work in two layers: portfolio-level defaults (configured once per area type × energy category combination) and asset-level overrides for exceptions.
Default settings:
- Electricity: ON
- DHC: OFF
- Fuels/Gas: OFF
Review defaults and adjust where your portfolio requires it.
When enabling the toggle, you select a start year from which it takes effect. For years before that cutoff, existing placeholder meters remain the source of truth. Enabling the toggle does not remove or conflict with existing placeholder meters — they simply become redundant from the selected year forward and can be removed at your own pace once reports are verified.
Where to find it: Data Collection Portal → Portfolio → Settings → Floor Coverage Defaults (portfolio level); Data Collection Portal → Asset List → [Asset name] → Meters & Consumption (asset-level override).
The maximum coverage toggle applies to energy (electricity, DHC, fuels) in the current release. Water and waste support will follow.
Situation 2: Consumption covers only part of the floor area
When a category only applies to part of an asset, the toggle cannot represent this accurately — it sets maximum coverage to either the full floor area or the sum of existing meters, with no option in between.
In these cases, create a placeholder meter to explicitly define the unmetered area.
Example: An asset has 1,000 m² GFA. DHC covers 800 m² of the building, but only 500 m² has consumption data collected. The remaining 300 m² has DHC but no data yet.
- The toggle cannot express "800 m² maximum, 500 m² covered" — it would either set maximum to 1,000 m² (full floor area, incorrect) or to 500 m² (sum of existing meters, also incorrect)
- Create a placeholder meter for the 300 m² where data hasn't been collected:
Covered area= 0 m²,Subcategory= the relevant DHC type, dates spanning the reporting period,Include in calculations= yes
- This correctly reports: 500 m² covered ÷ 800 m² maximum = 62.5% area coverage for DHC
When configuring placeholder meters, set Area type to match the floor area the unmetered space belongs to:
Area type option | Floor area field |
Whole Building | Gross Floor Area (GFA) |
Common Areas | GFA - Common Areas |
Tenant Areas | GFA - Tenant Areas |
Shared Services | Gross Floor Area (GFA) |
Label placeholder meters clearly in the Description field (e.g. "Placeholder — DHC — 300 m² unmeasured tenant area") so your team can identify them and replace them with real data in future.
You may hear placeholder meters referred to as "ghost meters" in communications with your Account Operations Manager.
How the maximum coverage toggle relates to Scaler data coverage
Scaler data coverage already uses total floor area per area type as its denominator — this was updated in 2025 and is unaffected by this toggle. It accurately reflects how much consumption data has been collected relative to the full building area.
The maximum coverage toggle fixes the GRESB reporting side. Without it (or ghost meters), GRESB's "potential active area" calculation only counted the sum of meter covered areas as the denominator — meaning GRESB area coverage could appear artificially high when not all floor area is metered. With the toggle ON, GRESB's denominator aligns with the actual floor area for that area type.
In short: Scaler data coverage already works correctly. This toggle brings the GRESB reporting calculation in line with it.
Methodological constraints
These are intentional design choices in the GRESB format that limit granularity:
- One date range per resource per asset in the GRESB Asset Spreadsheet
- Coverage reported annually, not at meter level
- Area coverage sums across all categories within a resource
- On-site renewable electricity excluded from coverage calculations
These constraints support standardised benchmarking globally but mean GRESB data coverage cannot reveal partial or missing meter data. Use Scaler data coverage alongside it.
Troubleshooting & common questions
Why does my asset show 100% GRESB data coverage when I know I'm missing data?
GRESB data coverage uses aggregated asset-level logic. If the widest date range spans the full year and all applicable categories have at least some monitoring, it can reach 100% even with incomplete underlying meters. This reflects what will be reported to GRESB. Use Scaler data coverage to see actual meter-level completeness.
Why is my GRESB time coverage 100% when one of my meters only has 3 months of data?
Scaler uses the widest date range across all meters for that resource. If another meter spans the full year, GRESB time coverage will be 100%. Check Scaler data coverage for a meter-level view.
Why does my energy data coverage look different in the Analytics Portal vs. the GRESB Asset Spreadsheet?
Scaler's Analytics Portal shows coverage broken down per energy category (fuels, DHC, electricity), each with its own time coverage figure. The GRESB Asset Spreadsheet requires a single time range for all energy categories combined. When generating the spreadsheet, Scaler uses the widest date range across all three categories to populate that single field.
Do I need to create placeholder meters for categories I can't monitor?
It depends on the situation. If consumption covers the full floor area but data collection is incomplete, use the maximum coverage toggle instead. If consumption only covers part of the floor area, create a placeholder meter to define the unmetered portion accurately. Contact your Account Operations Manager if unsure.
Why do I need both GRESB and Scaler data coverage?
GRESB data coverage shows what you're reporting to GRESB for scoring and benchmarking. Scaler data coverage tells you whether your underlying meter data is actually complete. One is for external reporting; one is for quality assurance.
Does this apply to water and waste too? Yes. The same methodology applies. Examples in this article use energy because it has the most categories (fuels, DHC, electricity), but the principles are identical for water and waste.
Additional resources
- Scaler data coverage methodology — How Scaler calculates meter-level data completeness
- How to achieve 100% data coverage — Practical steps to close coverage gaps
- GRESB Real Estate Assessment reference documentation — Official GRESB methodology and scoring guidance