Purpose of this article
This article helps new users understand what Scaler does, how the platform is structured, and how different parts work together before beginning setup or data entry.
What Scaler does
Scaler is an ESG data and reporting platform for real estate investment managers.
It helps organisations:
- Collect and validate asset-level ESG data
- Apply consistent methodologies and emission factors
- Analyse performance across portfolios and assets
- Model targets, pathways, and decarbonisation strategies
- Generate audit-ready reports aligned to multiple frameworks
Scaler is designed so that data is entered once, then used consistently across analytics and reporting outputs.
How the platform is structured
Scaler is organised around three main portals, each dedicated to a specific part of the ESG workflow: collecting data, analysing data, and generating reports.
Data Collection Portal
The Data Collection Portal is where all data is added, edited, or configured. This includes:
- Adding and managing assets
- Entering and updating asset-level data
- Setting up meters and adding consumption
- Uploading data via spreadsheets or the Scaler Spreadsheet
- Sending and managing data requests
- Configuring portfolio settings and emission factors
This is the only area of Scaler where data can be changed.
Analytics Portal
The Analytics Portal is where data is viewed, analysed, and explored — but not edited. Users can:
- View performance dashboards for energy, GHG, water, and waste
- Analyse data at company, portfolio, or asset level
- Filter, group, and customise charts and tables
- View targets, benchmarks, scores, and roadmap outputs
All calculations and visualisations in the Analytics Portal are driven by data configured in the Data Collection Portal.
Reports Portal
The Reports Portal is where framework reports are generated, reviewed, and saved. Users can:
- Work through a consistent three-step workflow for every report (GRESB, EPRA sBPR, EU Taxonomy, GRI, INREV ESG SDDS, SFDR PAI, SECR, SASB, Impact Investing, and more)
- Resolve blocking issues to bring
Data Readinessto 100%
- Optimise report quality by reviewing warnings and preferred fields
- Generate and save time-stamped reports that capture the underlying raw data, emission factors, and conversion factors at the moment of save
- Access Saved Reports and Report History for the selected portfolio and reporting year
- Enable or disable reports for each portfolio via Manage Reports
Your selected portfolio is preserved as you move between the Data Collection Portal, Analytics Portal, and Reports Portal.
[Screenshot: Reports Portal sidebar showing enabled reports with progress rings — crop tightly to sidebar]
How data flows through Scaler
At a high level, Scaler follows a consistent data flow:
- Data is added or updated in the Data Collection Portal
- Scaler applies calculations, emission factors, and methodologies
- Results appear in the Analytics Portal
- The same validated data is used to generate reports in the Reports Portal
Company, portfolio, asset, and asset group hierarchy
Scaler is built around a clear hierarchy:
- Company — may contain one or more portfolios
- Portfolio — groups related assets and holds shared configuration such as emission factors and fiscal year settings
- Asset — represents a single physical building, containing asset-level characteristics, meters, and consumption data
- Asset group — allows multiple assets to be grouped together for reporting or investment purposes. Commonly used when several buildings function as a single reporting asset, while preserving building-level granularity
This structure allows Scaler to support both detailed operational data and flexible reporting structures.
Additional resources
If you are new to Scaler, continue with:
- Platform walkthrough: Key tools and navigation — Visual tour of the interface, navigation, and core tools
- How Scaler structures data — Companies, portfolios, assets, meters, and how they connect
- Role-based onboarding guides: Overview — Find the guide for your role
- Using the Reports Portal — Navigate the Reports Portal and work through the three-step report workflow
If you are responsible for setup, you may also want to review:
- Client onboarding checklist — Step-by-step setup checklist for new clients
- Account & user settings overview — Manage your profile, users, and permissions