NREL OpenPATH

Discover how NREL OpenPATH (National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Open Platform for Agile Trip Heuristics) revolutionizes the way we track travel modes and assess their environmental impact. This innovative tool, accessible at https://nrel.gov/openpath, allows you to monitor your journeys by car, bus, bike, or on foot, and calculates the associated energy consumption and carbon emissions.

NREL OpenPATH is more than just a personal tracking app; it's a powerful resource for communities. By understanding travel behaviors and experimenting with sustainable options, users can contribute to the development of effective transportation policies and help shape more sustainable and accessible urban environments. The platform not only provides personal insights into the environmental impact of your travel choices but also aggregates data to offer a community-level view of mode shares, trip frequencies, and carbon footprints through a public dashboard.

The app leverages continuous data collection and analysis, facilitated by a smartphone application and supported by a server with automated data processing. Its open-source nature ensures transparency in data handling and allows customization for specific programs or research studies. Upon initial installation, the app does not collect or transmit any data. Participation in a study or program requires your consent to data collection and storage, which is initiated by clicking a link or scanning a QR code. If you're not part of a partnered community but wish to track your personal carbon footprint, you can join the NREL-managed open-access study, where your data could serve as a control for partner experiments.

At its core, NREL OpenPATH functions as an automatically generated travel diary, utilizing background sensed location and accelerometer data. You have the option to add semantic labels as specified by program administrators or researchers. It's important to note that continuous GPS use can significantly reduce battery life. To mitigate this, the app smartly deactivates GPS when you're stationary, resulting in approximately a 5% battery drain for up to 3 hours of daily travel.

What's New in the Latest Version 1.9.1

Last updated on Oct 15, 2024

• Make push notifications optional since there are some programs that don't need them

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