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 choices – car, bus, bike, walking, and more – and calculate their energy consumption and carbon footprint.
This app helps communities understand their travel patterns, explore more sustainable options, and assess the outcomes. The data gathered can inform effective transportation policies and urban planning, leading to the creation of more sustainable and accessible cities.
OpenPATH provides personalized feedback on your travel choices, while also sharing anonymized, aggregated community data (mode share, trip frequency, carbon footprint) via a public dashboard.
OpenPATH uses continuous data collection and analysis through a smartphone app, server, and automated data processing. Its open-source design promotes transparency, and allows customization for specific programs or research projects.
Data collection begins only after you consent. Upon initial installation, no data is collected or transmitted. Joining a study or program (via link or QR code) requires your consent before the app activates. If you're just interested in your personal carbon footprint, you can join the NREL open-access study; your data may be used as a control group in partner studies.
Essentially, the app acts as an automated travel diary, using background location and accelerometer data. You may add details as requested by program administrators or researchers.
To conserve battery life, GPS is automatically disabled when you're stationary. This significantly reduces battery drain; expect approximately 5% battery drain for up to 3 hours of daily travel.
Version 1.9.1 Updates (October 15, 2024)
- Push notifications are now optional, accommodating programs that don't require them.
