Log Your First Data Point: Enter Raw Data or a Calculated Metric
By the end of this guide, you'll have logged your first data point in GreenSphere — either an operational raw data value (e.g., 10,000 kWh of grid electricity) with its calculated emissions, or a pre-known indicator value entered directly. The entry will appear in the relevant page (Raw Data or KPIs) and, where applicable, will flow into your dashboard cards.
Before you start
Have one of the following ready:
- For raw data: a single value with its unit and reporting period (e.g., the kWh figure on your most recent electricity bill, plus the period it covers).
- For a calculated metric / KPI: a pre-known indicator value with its unit and reporting period (e.g., a supplier-provided figure, externally audited value, or a KPI you've calculated outside the platform).
You'll also need to know which site the data is for. Your role determines which sites you can log against — Admins and full-access users can log for any site; site-scoped users can only log for sites they're assigned to.
Step by step
The Log Data page has two tabs: Raw Data for operational activity values, and Calculated Metrics for KPI / indicator values entered manually. Steps 1–8 cover the Raw Data flow; Step 9 covers the Calculated Metrics flow.
Open Log Data and pick a site
Click + Log Data in the left sidebar. The Log Data page opens.
At the top, in the Site card, pick the site this entry applies to from the dropdown. The site selection only applies to this entry — changing it here doesn't change your global site context. If you have access to all sites, you can pick any. If you're scoped to one or a subset, you'll see only those.
Choose Raw Data or Calculated Metrics
Below the Site card, choose between two tabs:
- Raw Data — operational activity values (electricity in kWh, fuel in litres, water in m³, waste in tonnes). Use this when you have the underlying activity number.
- Calculated Metrics — KPI / indicator values entered directly. Use this when you already know the indicator value (e.g., an externally audited figure or a supplier-provided number) and don't want it calculated from raw inputs.
For your first data point, the Raw Data tab is the most common starting point. Click it.
Pick the data point
In the Data Point card, click the dropdown labelled "Select or search for a data point…" and either browse or type to find the operational data type (e.g., Grid Electricity, Diesel — Stationary Combustion, Water Withdrawal).
GreenSphere ships with 200+ pre-set raw data types. If yours doesn't exist, you can create a custom raw data type from the Raw Data page — see the related guide Map your operational data to GreenSphere indicators.
Enter the value, period, and source
In the Value and Period card:
- Value — type the number (e.g.,
10000for 10,000 kWh). - Unit — select from the unit dropdown next to the value. GreenSphere automatically converts units, so you can enter the value in whatever unit your invoice or meter shows. The platform handles the conversion to the unit the emission factor expects.
- Start Date and End Date — set the reporting period the value covers (e.g., 1 May 2026 to 31 May 2026 for a monthly bill).
- Source — select from the dropdown (e.g., Manual Entry).
(Optional) Link emissions impact
If this raw data point produces emissions (most energy, fuel, transport, refrigerant, and waste data does), expand the Emissions Impact card and:
- Select the Scope category that applies (e.g., Scope 2 — Purchased Electricity for grid electricity, Scope 1 — Stationary Combustion for diesel generators).
- Select the specific Emission factor from the dropdown. The factor list is filtered to factors relevant to your data point and location. You don't need to worry about units — GreenSphere converts your input unit to the factor's expected unit automatically.
- The Calculated output preview appears below, showing the resulting emissions in kgCO₂e.
If the data point isn't emissions-related (e.g., a workforce headcount), leave this card collapsed.
(Optional) Add audit notes and supporting documents
Expand the Audit Information card to add an audit trail to the entry:
- Notes — free text. Use this to record context: who entered it, where the figure came from, any caveats.
- Supporting Documents — drag and drop receipts, invoices, screenshots, or other evidence (or click to select files). These attach to the entry and are accessible later from the Audit page.
Skip this section if you don't have supporting documents on hand. You can always come back and add them.
Save the entry
Click Save Entry at the bottom of the page. The entry is committed.
Verify the raw data entry
Open Raw Data in the left sidebar. Search for the data type you just entered (e.g., Grid Electricity) and click into it. You'll see all entries for that data type, filterable by period. Your new entry appears with the value, period, source, and calculated emissions.
If the raw data point feeds into one or more indicators, those indicator calculations re-run automatically. To check, open KPIs, find an indicator that uses this data type, and look at the Indicator Entries — the affected period will show an updated value with source Calculated.
Alternative: log a Calculated Metric (KPI value) directly
If you already know a KPI value and don't want it derived from raw data, switch to the Calculated Metrics tab on the Log Data page.
A purple notice at the top explains the use case: "Select an indicator and enter a value to manually override or supplement its calculated data for a given period. This is useful for supplier-provided figures, externally audited values, or data that can't be derived from raw inputs."
Then:
- Indicator — search and select the indicator (e.g., GHG Intensity, Ratio of Capital Spend to Revenue).
- Value and Period — enter the value, unit (auto-set from the indicator), and start/end dates for the reporting period.
- Audit Information — optional notes and supporting documents, same as for raw data.
Click Save Entry. Verify by opening KPIs, searching for the indicator, and clicking into it. The entry appears in the Indicator Entries table with source Manual (versus Calculated for automatic values). If this indicator is on your dashboard, the dashboard card updates to reflect the new value.
Verify it worked
Your data point logged successfully if:
- For raw data: the entry appears in the Raw Data page when you click into the data type, with the correct value, unit, period, and (if applicable) calculated emissions in the Emissions Impact preview.
- For a calculated metric: the entry appears in the KPIs page when you click into the indicator, in the Indicator Entries table, with source labelled
Manual. - Any indicator that uses your raw data point as a formula input has its calculation re-run for the affected period.
- Any dashboard card linked to the indicator updates to reflect the new value.
Troubleshooting
The unit I want isn't in the dropdown. The unit list is filtered to units valid for your selected data point. If the unit you have isn't there, GreenSphere doesn't have a conversion path for it — convert manually before entry, or contact support to add the unit. Most common units (kWh, MWh, litres, gallons, kg, tonnes, m³, miles, km) are supported by default.
No emission factor matches my data point and country. Some country-specific factors aren't available; the system falls back to a Global factor. The Calculated output card will show the factor used. To switch, expand the Emission factor dropdown and pick a different one — or leave the entry without an emissions calculation if the underlying activity isn't emissions-relevant.
My value didn't update an indicator I expected it to. Open the indicator from the KPIs page. In the right-hand drill-down, check Data Lineage — it lists the raw data types the indicator uses. If your data type isn't there, it doesn't feed this indicator. To wire it in, see Map your operational data to GreenSphere indicators.
I can't log against the site I want. Your role's site permissions don't include that site. Ask an Admin to update your access from Settings → Team.
I selected the wrong data point or made a typo. Open the Raw Data page, find the entry, and edit or delete it. Every change is logged in the audit trail.
What's next
You've logged a data point. It now lives in the Raw Data or KPIs page and feeds any indicators or dashboard cards that depend on it.
The natural next step is Map your operational data to GreenSphere indicators — the mental model for how raw data and indicators relate, so you know where every kind of operational input belongs. After that, How emissions calculations work explains the chain from your raw data through the emission factor to the calculated output you saw in step 5.