Purpose of this article
This article explains how to configure meters in Scaler for assets with heat pump or district heating and cooling systems, covering all common data scenarios including unknown output and net energy reporting.
The setup below represents heat pump systems by tracking both electricity input and heat output, so the renewable contribution is visible in your reporting. Be aware that reporting both the electricity input and the heat output records more energy than the asset actually purchased. A heat pump delivers more heat than the electricity it consumes, because it also draws energy from the ambient air, ground, or water, so counting both meters inflates the asset's reported energy use and EUI. GRESB has not published guidance on how heat pumps should be reported. Confirm the approach for your asset with the GRESB Helpdesk before finalising your setup. Reference: GRESB EN1 Operational Energy FAQ.
Configuring meters for heat pump systems
Heat pump systems require two meters: one for electricity input and one for heat output. The sections below explain how to set up each.
Why two meters are needed
Two quantities need to be represented:
- Electricity consumed by the heat pump (the input)
- Heat produced by the system (the output, reported as on-site DHC)
This creates two common challenges:
- Limited data availability — Most heat pump systems are not sub-metered. It's common not to know the electricity consumed or the heat produced.
- Risk of double counting — If both electricity input and heat output are reported with consumption values, total reported energy increases, affecting EUI, Like-for-Like (LfL) performance, GRESB peer comparisons, and portfolio KPI tracking.
Step 1: Create an electricity meter for the heat pump input
Create an electricity meter representing the energy consumed by the heat pump.
Subcategory: Select the electricity subcategory that applies
Area type: Select the value that reflects how the system is installed — typicallyShared ServicesorWhole Building - Landlord Controlled
- Consumption: Enter the value if known. If unknown, leave consumption blank — the meter should still exist.
A meter with no consumption is still valid. It signals that the system exists and that the input is not yet measured.
Step 2: Create a DHC meter for the heat output
Heat produced by the heat pump should be reported as on-site district heating & cooling.
In the Scaler spreadsheet:
- Subcategory:
District Heating and Cooling
- Generated:
On-site
- Description: Note clearly that this output is produced by a heat pump system
Emissions handling for the DHC meter
Emissions are counted on the meter for the energy that actually enters the building: purchased electricity, purchased DHC, or combusted fuel. A meter that represents energy produced on site from that input is zeroed, so the same emissions are never counted twice.
For a heat pump, the energy that enters the building is the electricity. Emissions belong on the electricity input meter, at the correct grid or green factor. The on-site DHC output meter is therefore zeroed: set Source to Green (unspecified) (or a green/grey mix with Percentage green = 100) so it carries no emissions. This zeroing avoids double-counting; it is not a claim that the heat itself is renewable.
For a genuine purchased DHC supply (a district heating or cooling network), the energy enters the building at the DHC meter, so emissions belong there. Enter the Percentage green that reflects the actual supply mix; the non-green portion then takes the DHC emission factor.
Where to set the emission factor
The factor is not applied automatically. Set it in Emission Factors → Location-based emissions accounting, choose Manual from the database dropdown to enter custom values, then set the factor for the relevant Energy Subcategory (per country and year). For a heat pump output, confirm the DHC factor resolves to 0. For purchased DHC, confirm the factor applied to the non-green portion.
Known limitation: heat pump output counts as renewable
A heat pump output zeroed with Percentage green = 100 falls on the renewable side of any renewable-versus-non-renewable consumption split, even when the electricity driving it is grey. We accept this for the current reporting season. It is also defensible conceptually: the purpose of a heat pump is to deliver more usable energy than it consumes, so showing that output on the renewable side is a reasonable representation of why the system is used.
Handling unknown heat pump output
If the asset does not have data on how much heat the system produced, still create the on-site DHC meter. Leave consumption blank and set Covered area to 0. Scaler will populate the max floor area automatically in the GRESB Asset Spreadsheet.
Do not omit the DHC meter entirely. Even without consumption data, the meter is required to correctly represent the asset's energy system.
Reporting net energy demand (optional)
Some clients prefer not to report both electricity input and heat output, because doing so inflates reported energy consumption. Scaler supports a net energy approach as an alternative.
- Create both the electricity meter and the on-site DHC meter as described above
- Subtract the electricity input from the heat output and enter the net figure as the DHC consumption
- Mark the DHC meter as 100% green — this ensures no emissions are counted on the output side
If you report both electricity input and heat output consumption without subtracting input from output, your reported EUI will increase. This affects GRESB peer comparisons, Like-for-Like analysis, and portfolio KPI tracking.
Summary: which meters to create
Scenario | Meters to create | Consumption | Notes |
Full data known | Electricity + on-site DHC | Both | Standard setup |
Heat pump output unknown | Electricity + on-site DHC | Electricity if known; DHC blank | Set DHC covered area to 0 |
Net energy demand reporting | Electricity + on-site DHC | Net figure on DHC | Mark DHC 100% green; subtract input from output |
Emissions reporting only | Electricity + on-site DHC | Electricity only | DHC meter still required; leave DHC consumption blank |
Troubleshooting & common mistakes
- DHC meter omitted when output is unknown → The meter must still exist with blank consumption and 0 m² covered area. Omitting it misrepresents the asset's energy system.
- Both meters reported without netting → If both electricity input and heat output carry consumption values without subtracting input from output, reported EUI will increase. Use the net energy approach to avoid this.
- DHC meter not marked 100% green when using net method → If you use the net energy approach but forget to mark the DHC meter as 100% green, emissions will be double counted on the output side.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need both meters even if I can't measure the heat output? Yes. The DHC meter is required even without consumption data. Leave it blank with 0 m² covered area.
Will reporting both meters double count my energy consumption? If both have consumption values and input has not been subtracted from output, yes. Use the net energy method to avoid this.
If the heat pump uses green electricity, how are emissions calculated? Emissions on the electricity meter depend on the percentage green entered. If the DHC meter is marked 100% green, emissions on that meter are 0.
What if the heat pump system only serves part of the asset?
Set Area type to reflect the installation scope (e.g. Shared Services) and ensure the covered area is set correctly.
Additional resources
- Configuring location-based emission factors — How to set and manage location-based emission factors for your assets
- Understanding Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions in Scaler — Overview of how Scaler classifies and calculates emissions by scope
- Setting up physical meters — Step-by-step guide to creating and configuring physical meters in Scaler
- Setting up calculated meters — How to create meters that aggregate data from other meters