NREL OpenPATH

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Open Platform for Agile Trip Heuristics (NREL OpenPATH, https://nrel.gov/openpath) offers a revolutionary way to track various travel modes such as car, bus, bike, and walking, while also measuring the energy consumption and carbon emissions associated with each trip. This app is a powerful tool for individuals and communities looking to understand and improve their transportation choices towards sustainability.

By using NREL OpenPATH, communities gain valuable insights into their travel patterns and can experiment with different options to enhance sustainability. The app's data helps inform transportation policy and planning, contributing to the development of more sustainable and accessible urban environments. For individual users, the app provides personalized feedback on the environmental impact of their travel choices.

NREL OpenPATH aggregates community-level data on mode shares, trip frequencies, and carbon footprints, which is made available through a public dashboard. This feature allows for broader analysis and can drive community initiatives toward greener transportation solutions.

The app employs continuous data collection and analysis through a smartphone app supported by a server and automated data processing. Its open-source nature ensures transparency in data handling and allows for customization to suit specific research or community programs.

Upon first installation, NREL OpenPATH does not collect or transmit any data. Users must opt-in by clicking a link or scanning a QR code to participate in a study or program, where they will be asked to consent to data collection and storage. For those not part of a specific community or program but interested in monitoring their personal carbon footprint, there's an option to join an open-access study run by NREL. The data from individual users may contribute to broader research as a control group for experiments conducted by NREL's partners.

At its essence, NREL OpenPATH functions as an automatically sensed travel diary, utilizing background location and accelerometer data. Users have the ability to add semantic labels to their travel data as directed by program administrators or researchers, enhancing the detail and utility of the collected information.

It's worth noting that continuous use of GPS in the background can significantly reduce battery life. To mitigate this, the app automatically deactivates GPS when no movement is detected, resulting in a minimal battery drain of approximately 5% for up to 3 hours of daily travel.

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