NREL OpenPATH

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Open Platform for Agile Trip Heuristics, known as NREL OpenPATH (https://nrel.gov/openpath), is a groundbreaking tool designed to help individuals track their travel modes, such as car, bus, bike, or walking, and measure the associated energy consumption and carbon emissions. This innovative app not only enhances personal awareness but also plays a crucial role in fostering sustainable community development.

NREL OpenPATH empowers communities by providing insights into travel patterns and choices. Users can experiment with different travel options to identify more sustainable alternatives and evaluate their impact. The data collected can be instrumental in shaping effective transportation policies and planning strategies, ultimately contributing to the creation of more sustainable and accessible urban environments.

On an individual level, the app offers detailed feedback on the environmental impact of travel choices. Additionally, it aggregates community-level data, which is made available through a public dashboard. This dashboard displays mode shares, trip frequencies, and carbon footprints, enabling a broader understanding of community travel behaviors.

The functionality of NREL OpenPATH is supported by continuous data collection and analysis facilitated through a smartphone app, a server, and automated data processing. The open nature of the platform ensures transparency in data collection and analysis, and it can be customized for various programs or studies.

Upon initial installation, the app does not collect or transmit any data. To participate in a specific study or program, users must click a link or scan a QR code and consent to data collection and storage. For those not affiliated with a partner community or program but interested in tracking their personal carbon footprint, joining the NREL-run open-access study is an option. Your data, in aggregate, may serve as a control group for experiments conducted by our partners.

At its core, NREL OpenPATH functions as an automatically sensed travel diary, using background sensed location and accelerometer data. Users have the option to add semantic labels to their travel diary as requested by program administrators or researchers.

It's important to note that continuous use of GPS in the background can significantly reduce battery life. To mitigate this, the app automatically deactivates GPS when you are stationary, minimizing battery drain. Users can expect approximately a 5% battery drain for up to 3 hours of travel per day.

What's New in the Latest Version 1.9.1

Last updated on Oct 15, 2024

- Make push notifications optional since there are some programs that don't need them