Project Center · Fill-in reference
Energy calorific values and emission factors
For filling fields only. Not a greenhouse-gas inventory, energy audit, carbon verification, or procurement basis. Before a decision, replace these figures with the contract calorific value, a fuel certificate, or the official factor for the same year, region, and boundary.
A heat-pump screen needs a lower heating value and an emission factor to turn a fuel bill into heat and a carbon direction. This page shows published ranges and which field they match. It does not change this site’s screening defaults, and it does not upgrade a reference figure into a measured value.
1 · Read the boundary before the number
The same fuel name can hide a different heating-value basis, gas, and system boundary. Those differences change the figure you would paste.
Lower vs higher heating value
This site’s screening uses the lower heating value (LHV / net calorific value). A higher (gross) value counts the latent heat of water vapour and is larger. Natural gas also depends on the meter condition (0 °C, 15 °C, or 20 °C) and on local gas quality. It is not one global constant.
CO₂ is not CO₂e
IPCC defaults below are CO₂ only, stationary combustion, net calorific basis, assuming full oxidation. They omit CH₄ and N₂O, so they are not CO₂e. UK DESNZ factors are CO₂e for combustion only and exclude well-to-tank (upstream) emissions. A grid average is not a marginal factor.
China is one market in the table
China sits beside the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and the European Union. There is no single “EU electricity factor” on this page. Where a publication does not give a lower heating value in the billing unit, the cell says so and stays blank.
Screening defaults on this site are unchanged: natural gas 9.7 kWh/m³, fuel oil 11.5 kWh/kg, purchased steam 650 kWh/t. They remain assumptions. 9.7 sits inside the China gas reference range below. 11.5 is near fuel oil but is not a named grade. 650 is a steam-enthalpy assumption, not a fuel calorific value. The 9.87 kWh/m³ figure in heat-pump fundamentals is a worked example, not a contract value.
2 · Which field gets which unit
Match the unit on the bill before you copy a cell.
| Field | Unit to enter | What you may copy |
|---|---|---|
| Site fuel heating value | kWh per purchased unit (m³, kg, or t) | Only a net / lower heating value already in that unit |
| Grid emission factor | kg CO₂e per kWh of electricity | A grid factor whose gas (CO₂ or CO₂e) and year you then record in the source fields |
| Baseline energy emission factor | Per billing unit: kg per m³ of gas, per kg of oil, or per t of steam | A factor in that same unit. IPCC factors are per TJ, not per m³ |
| Purchased steam | Useful enthalpy, kWh/t — and emissions per t if you have them | The contract enthalpy. Not a fuel calorific value, and not a per-kWh district-heat factor pasted as per tonne |
3 · Calorific values
Fill-in reference only. kWh figures marked “÷ 3.6” or “derived” are arithmetic from the cited publication, so you can check them. They are not a second official table.
For filling fields only. Not a greenhouse-gas inventory, energy audit, carbon verification, or procurement basis. Before a decision, replace these figures with the contract calorific value, a fuel certificate, or the official factor for the same year, region, and boundary.
| Fuel | IPCC 2006 Table 1.2, net | China, GB/T 2589-2020 Table A.1, lower | United Kingdom, DESNZ 2026, net | Do not paste as LHV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 48.0 MJ/kg (46.5–50.4), 13.33 kWh/kg. Per kilogram, not per m³. | 32 238–38 979 kJ/m³ → 8.96–10.83 kWh/m³ (÷ 3.6). Meter temperature is not stated in the table. | 10.03 kWh/m³ net, derived: 2.02633 kg CO₂e/m³ ÷ 0.20199 kg CO₂e/kWh (Net CV). UK supplier kWh are usually gross. | United States: EIA MER Appendix A is gross. The Btu/ft³ figure is recalculated each year in Table A4. Japan: METI standard calorific values are gross (Excel, FY2023 revision, updated March 2026). EU: use the net CV on the national gas bill. No single EU value. |
| LPG | 47.3 MJ/kg (44.8–52.2), 13.14 kWh/kg. | 50 242 kJ/kg → 13.96 kWh/kg (÷ 3.6). | 12.76 kWh/kg net, derived: 2 939.36 kg CO₂e/t ÷ 0.23032 kg CO₂e/kWh (Net CV). | United States: propane 3.841 million Btu/barrel, gross (EIA Table A1). Japan: gross, see the METI Excel. Not an LHV in kg. |
| Diesel (gas oil) | Gas/diesel oil 43.0 MJ/kg (41.4–43.3), 11.94 kWh/kg. | Diesel 42 705 kJ/kg → 11.86 kWh/kg (÷ 3.6). | 11.95 kWh/kg net, derived from 100% mineral diesel: 3 203.91 kg CO₂e/t ÷ 0.26806 kg CO₂e/kWh (Net CV). | United States: distillate at or below 15 ppm sulfur, 5.770 million Btu/barrel, gross (EIA Appendix A, GREET 2025). Japan: gross. |
| Fuel oil (residual) | Residual fuel oil 40.4 MJ/kg (39.8–41.7), 11.22 kWh/kg. | Fuel oil 41 868 kJ/kg → 11.63 kWh/kg (÷ 3.6). | 11.32 kWh/kg net, derived: 3 228.89 kg CO₂e/t ÷ 0.28523 kg CO₂e/kWh (Net CV). | United States: residual fuel oil 6.287 million Btu/barrel, gross (EIA Appendix A). Japan: gross. These are not the site default 11.5 kWh/kg. |
| Coal (grade differs by column) | Other bituminous coal 25.8 MJ/kg (19.9–30.5), 7.17 kWh/kg. | Raw coal 20 934 kJ/kg → 5.82 kWh/kg (÷ 3.6). Not the same grade as “other bituminous”. | 7.06 kWh/kg net, derived, industrial coal: 2 415.04 kg CO₂e/t ÷ 0.34223 kg CO₂e/kWh (Net CV). | United States: Table A5 is a yearly gross heat content, not one coal rank. Japan: gross. Do not treat the three columns as the same coal. |
| Wood | Wood/wood waste 15.6 MJ/kg (7.90–31.0), 4.33 kWh/kg at the default only. Moisture moves it across that range. | No biomass row in Table A.1. Use the measured as-received lower heating value. | No single net CV. Pellets, chips, and logs have different mass-based factors in the same workbook. Do not paste one wood number. | EIA notes that unseasoned wood can differ by more than 40% between gross and net. Japan and the EU have no single wood value here. |
| Purchased steam | Not a fuel calorific value. | Table A.2 heat equivalent 0.03412 kgce/MJ is an energy-accounting coefficient, not steam enthalpy. | District heat is published per kWh, not per tonne. See the emission table. | Enter the contract useful enthalpy in kWh/t. The site default 650 kWh/t stays an assumption until you replace it. |
| Electricity | 1 kWh = 3.6 MJ. Not a fuel LHV. | Table A.2 electricity equivalent 0.1229 kgce/kWh is an accounting coefficient, not an emission factor. | Use the grid table, not a calorific value. | Grid factors are in the next tables. Hydrogen and industrial by-product gases have no single reference value here — use site data. |
China clause 8.3: use a measured value or the supplier’s figure first. Appendix A is a reference only when those are unavailable. 1 kgce = 29 307.6 kJ (GB/T 2589-2020, clause 8.2). UK “derived” cells divide two factors from the DESNZ 2026 flat file (revised July 2026); they are not a separately published calorific-value table. United States heat contents in MER Appendix A are gross.
4 · Combustion emission factors
Fill-in reference only. Do not relabel CO₂ as CO₂e, and do not multiply a gross calorific value by an IPCC net-calorific factor.
For filling fields only. Not a greenhouse-gas inventory, energy audit, carbon verification, or procurement basis. Before a decision, replace these figures with the contract calorific value, a fuel certificate, or the official factor for the same year, region, and boundary.
| Fuel | IPCC 2006 Table 1.4, kg CO₂/TJ, net | China | United Kingdom, DESNZ 2026, Scope 1 combustion, kg CO₂e | United States, Japan, EU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 56 100 (54 300–58 300). Per TJ, not per m³. | GB/T 2589-2020 has no CO₂ factor. Do not file the unit-check product below as a China inventory factor. | 2.02633 per m³; 0.20199 per kWh net; 0.18231 per kWh gross. Combustion only, not well-to-tank. | United States: EPA GHG Emission Factors Hub, commonly gross (HHV) — open the current Hub; not transcribed here. Japan: current MOE calculation list, on the gross basis used in the energy statistics. EU: national inventory or the gas supplier’s factor. No single EU factor. |
| LPG | 63 100 (61 600–65 600) kg CO₂/TJ. | No factor in GB/T 2589-2020. | 2 939.36 per tonne (2.939 per kg); 0.23032 per kWh net. | Same rule as natural gas: match HHV vs LHV before copying a US or Japan factor. |
| Diesel (gas oil) | Gas/diesel oil 74 100 (72 600–74 800) kg CO₂/TJ. | No factor in GB/T 2589-2020. | 100% mineral diesel: 3 203.91 per tonne (3.204 per kg); 0.26806 per kWh net. | Do not paste an IPCC per-TJ factor into a per-kg field. |
| Fuel oil (residual) | 77 400 (75 500–78 800) kg CO₂/TJ. | No factor in GB/T 2589-2020. | 3 228.89 per tonne (3.229 per kg); 0.28523 per kWh net. | Residual oil and diesel are different rows. Do not share one factor. |
| Coal (grade differs by column) | Other bituminous coal 94 600 (89 500–99 700) kg CO₂/TJ. | No factor in GB/T 2589-2020. Raw-coal LHV above is not this coal. | Industrial coal: 2 415.04 per tonne (2.415 per kg); 0.34223 per kWh net. | A bituminous default is not a lignite or raw-coal factor. |
| Wood | 112 000 (95 000–132 000) kg CO₂/TJ. Biomass CO₂ is an information item, not part of national fossil totals. | No row in Table A.1 and no factor here. | Scope 1 (CH₄ and N₂O only) 0.01193 per kWh for logs, chips, and pellets. Biogenic CO₂ is outside that total: 0.35 per kWh. Per tonne, biogenic CO₂ is 1 436.23 (logs), 1 335.71 (chips), 1 677.18 (pellets). Do not add the two layers unless the boundary says so. | Do not treat wood CO₂ as a fossil-fuel reduction credit without a stated biogenic boundary. |
| Purchased steam | Depends on the boiler fuel. No universal factor. | No universal per-tonne factor in these sources. | District heat and steam: 0.17529 kg CO₂e/kWh (Scope 2). The 5% distribution row is a further 0.00945 per kWh. These are per kWh of heat, not per tonne. | Per-tonne emissions = per-kWh factor × your enthalpy in kWh/t. Using 650 kWh/t with the UK 0.17529 factor gives about 114 kg CO₂e/t — a unit illustration, not a factor to file. |
IPCC Table 1.4 assumes 100% oxidation. UK factors exclude upstream well-to-tank emissions; those are separate rows in the same workbook. The European Union has no single combustion factor to paste.
5 · Grid electricity
The form wants kg CO₂e/kWh. Several official factors are CO₂ only, or split generation from network losses. Record the gas and the boundary next to the number.
For filling fields only. Not a greenhouse-gas inventory, energy audit, carbon verification, or procurement basis. Before a decision, replace these figures with the contract calorific value, a fuel certificate, or the official factor for the same year, region, and boundary.
| Grid | Published factor | Gas and boundary |
|---|---|---|
| China, national average, year 2023 | 0.5306 kg CO₂/kWh | CO₂, not CO₂e. MEE and NBS Announcement 2025 No. 47. Also in that annex: excluding market-traded non-fossil electricity 0.6096; fossil-fired electricity 0.8273. |
| China, regional grids, year 2023 | North 0.6361; Northeast 0.5122; East 0.5500; Central 0.5271; Northwest 0.5543; China Southern 0.4042; Southwest 0.2472 kg CO₂/kWh | Same announcement, Table 2. Provincial factors are in that annex and are not listed here. CO₂, not CO₂e. |
| United States, eGRID2023 revision 2 | 767.2 lb CO₂/MWh → 0.348 kg CO₂/kWh. CO₂e column 770.9 lb/MWh → 0.3497 kg CO₂e/kWh. | U.S. total output rate, data year 2023, revision released 12 June 2025. Not a subregion and not a marginal rate. The kg figure is lb/MWh × 0.45359237 ÷ 1000. Use the project’s eGRID subregion when you have it. |
| United Kingdom, DESNZ 2026 | Generation 0.13096 kg CO₂e/kWh (Scope 2). Transmission and distribution 0.01299 kg CO₂e/kWh (Scope 3). | Location-based UK average. Do not add the two unless your boundary includes network losses. There is no single blended “UK factor” on this page. |
| European Union | No single factor. | Use the national inventory or the AIB European residual mix for the meter country. A residual mix is not the location-based grid average. |
| Japan | No single national paste-in factor. | MOE and METI publish factors by electricity utility under the calculation, reporting, and disclosure scheme. Use the utility and year on the bill. |
A national average is the wrong number when the project sits on a regional grid that the same publication already splits. Marginal or market-based factors are not in this table.
6 · Unit check: m³ to kWh to kg CO₂
This walk-through shows the arithmetic. The product mixes two publications. It is not a factor to file.
- Take the top of the China reference range, 38 979 kJ/m³ (GB/T 2589-2020 Table A.1).
- 38 979 ÷ 3 600 = 10.83 kWh/m³. The bottom of the same range, 32 238 kJ/m³, is 8.96 kWh/m³.
- If you also apply the IPCC natural-gas factor 56 100 kg CO₂/TJ (56.1 kg CO₂/GJ): 0.038979 GJ/m³ × 56.1 = 2.19 kg CO₂/m³. The bottom of the range gives 1.81 kg CO₂/m³ with the same IPCC factor.
- The UK 2026 combustion factor is a different number, 2.02633 kg CO₂e/m³, because the gas, the calorific value, and the gases included (CO₂e, not CO₂ only) are different. Do not average these.
The site screening default of 9.7 kWh/m³ sits between 8.96 and 10.83. It is still an assumption. The 9.87 kWh/m³ example in heat-pump fundamentals is a textbook case inside a similar span, not a contract value.
7 · What to do next
- If the gas contract or a fuel certificate states a lower heating value, use that and ignore this table.
- If you have no site figure, you may use a net / lower value from the matching column as a screening input. Write the publication, year, and basis into the emission-factor source fields.
- If the only published figure is gross, per barrel, per TJ, or for a different coal, leave the field on the screening default and say so. Do not invent a conversion to make the cell look complete.
- For electricity, prefer the regional or utility factor for the meter. Record whether you entered CO₂ or CO₂e.
Open Start a Project, return to heat-pump fundamentals (gas–electric price ratio), or the knowledge hub.
Quick checks
Can I paste 0.5306 into the grid field?
Only as China’s 2023 national average, and only if you record that it is kg CO₂/kWh, not CO₂e, from Announcement 2025 No. 47. If the project is on a regional grid in that same annex, use the regional figure instead.
Why is the UK gas factor per kWh smaller on a gross basis?
The same emissions are spread over a larger gross heating value. UK supplier kWh are usually gross. Using the net factor on a gross kWh bill understates emissions. The per-m³ factor avoids that choice.
Does this page replace the calculator defaults?
No. Natural gas remains 9.7 kWh/m³, fuel oil 11.5 kWh/kg, and purchased steam 650 kWh/t until you enter a site value. This page does not write those fields for you.
Figures here were transcribed on 2026-10-07 from the publications named in the source bar. They are a fill-in reference for screening, not an inventory, audit, verification, or procurement basis.