Application Description

Discover the power of tracking your travel modes and understanding their environmental impact with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Open Platform for Agile Trip Heuristics (NREL OpenPATH, https://nrel.gov/openpath). This innovative app allows users to monitor their journeys, whether by car, bus, bike, or on foot, and calculates the energy consumption and carbon emissions associated with each trip.

NREL OpenPATH not only empowers individuals to see the direct impact of their travel choices but also supports communities in analyzing travel patterns. This analysis can lead to experimenting with more sustainable travel options and evaluating their effectiveness. Such insights are crucial for shaping transportation policies and planning, ultimately aiding in the development of greener and more accessible urban environments.

The app provides users with personalized data on their travel's environmental footprint, while also offering a public dashboard that aggregates community-level statistics on mode shares, trip frequencies, and carbon emissions. This dual focus helps both individuals and communities make informed decisions towards sustainability.

Built on a foundation of continuous data collection and analysis, NREL OpenPATH uses a smartphone app supported by a server and automated data processing systems. Its open-source framework ensures transparency in data handling and allows for customization to suit various research or community programs.

Upon installation, the app does not immediately collect or transmit data. Participation in a specific study or program requires you to click a link or scan a QR code, followed by consenting to data collection and storage. If you're interested in assessing your personal carbon footprint without joining a partner community, you can participate in the NREL-led open-access study. Your data could then contribute to broader research as a control group for partner experiments.

At its heart, NREL OpenPATH functions as an automatically generated travel diary, utilizing background sensed location and accelerometer data. You have the option to add semantic labels to your trips as specified by program administrators or researchers, enhancing the data's relevance and utility.

Be aware that continuous GPS usage in the background can significantly reduce your device's battery life. To mitigate this, the app smartly deactivates GPS when you're stationary, which helps limit battery consumption to about a 5% drain for up to 3 hours of daily travel.

What's New in Version 1.9.1

Last updated on Oct 15, 2024

- The latest update introduces optional push notifications, accommodating programs that may not require them.

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