Palo Alto Cuts Carbon with Hara

Palo Alto, California is one of the first cities in the United States to begin using an automated system to track municipal greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy, water and other resource use. In “Palo Alto Cuts Carbon with Hara,” AltaTerra Research presents a case study of Palo Alto’s implementation of carbon management software from Hara Software, Inc. The case study provides context for Palo Alto’s decision to put a carbon management system (CMS) in place, including approval of a Climate Protection plan in December 2007 and identification of the need to transition from a discrete approach between departments to an integrated approach across departments. It discusses the city’s vendor review process and criteria, experience with the implementation process, primary challenges, savings projections, and key lessons learned. The case study also presents with an overview of carbon management systems, including background analysis of business drivers, operating practices, solution capabilities, and the vendor landscape, followed by recommendations for potential buyers. This information is derived from AltaTerra’s comprehensive report, “Carbon Management Solutions: Business Value Through a New Lens."