NREL OpenPATH

NREL OpenPATH: Track Your Travel, Measure Your Impact

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Open Platform for Agile Trip Heuristics (NREL OpenPATH, https://nrel.gov/openpath) lets you monitor your transportation methods (car, bus, bike, walking, etc.) and calculate their energy consumption and carbon footprint.

This app helps communities analyze their travel habits, explore sustainable alternatives, and assess the outcomes. The data gathered can inform effective transportation policies and urban planning, leading to the development of more sustainable and accessible cities.

OpenPATH provides personalized feedback on your travel choices and offers aggregated, community-level data (mode shares, trip frequency, carbon footprints) through a public dashboard.

OpenPATH uses continuous data collection and analysis through a smartphone app, a server, and automated data processing. Its open design ensures transparent data handling and allows customization for specific projects or research.

The app initially collects no data. Joining a study or program requires consent to data collection and storage. If you're not part of a partner program but want to track your personal carbon footprint, you can join the NREL's open-access study. Your data may be used as a control group in partner experiments.

Essentially, the app creates an automated travel log using background location and accelerometer data. You can add details as needed by program administrators or researchers.

Continuous GPS use in the background significantly impacts battery life. The app automatically disables GPS when you're stationary, minimizing battery drain. Expect approximately 5% battery drain for up to 3 hours of daily travel.

What's New in Version 1.9.1

Last updated October 15, 2024

• Push notifications are now optional, accommodating programs that don't require them.