On-demand Carbon Credit Estimation for Forested Areas

Solution Overview

Problem

Current forest carbon strategies, such as afforestation and the CARB Forest Offset Protocol, face challenges in delivering immediate, scalable, and efficient climate impact due to long carbon sequestration times and vulnerabilities in credit verification, necessitating a more effective method for estimating and verifying carbon credit production.

Innovation Solution

A targeted, short-term harvest deferral strategy utilizing high-resolution forest data and automated tools to estimate and verify carbon credits, ensuring credits are issued only after verified outcomes, with real-time valuation for landowners to incentivize sustainable forest management practices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If afforestation or long-term forest management strategies are implemented, then carbon sequestration potential is improved, but the time required to achieve meaningful carbon credits increases to decades

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecarbon sequestration potentialVSAvoidtime to achieve carbon credits

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary estimation of carbon credits using statistical models and satellite imagery data before the forest management activity is implemented. This allows landowners to see potential credit values in advance, enabling them to make informed decisions about participating in carbon programs without having to wait decades for actual sequestration to occur.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates a digital twin or virtual representation of the forest using satellite imagery and statistical models to estimate carbon credits. This virtual model allows for rapid assessment and valuation of potential carbon sequestration without requiring physical measurement or waiting for actual carbon storage to occur in the real forest.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Productivity

If carbon credits are issued before verification of actual outcomes, then landowners receive immediate financial incentive, but credibility and reliability of the carbon credit system deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespeed of credit issuanceVSAvoidcredibility of carbon credits

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary estimation of carbon credits using statistical models and satellite imagery data before the forest management activity is implemented. This allows landowners to see potential credit values in advance, enabling them to make informed decisions about participating in carbon programs without having to wait decades for actual sequestration to occur.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system establishes a feedback loop where preliminary estimates are provided to landowners, who then implement forest management practices, and subsequent satellite imagery and monitoring provide feedback on actual outcomes. This closed-loop system maintains credibility by verifying actual performance while enabling rapid credit issuance based on the verified results.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Measurement precision

If traditional forest inventory methods using physical surveys are used, then measurement accuracy is improved, but the complexity and cost of data collection increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveforest inventory accuracyVSAvoiddata collection complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system replaces traditional mechanical field surveying methods with satellite imagery and remote sensing technology. This substitution maintains measurement precision by using advanced imaging and statistical models while dramatically reducing the complexity and cost of data collection, as satellite data can be automatically processed without requiring extensive ground crews and physical measurements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates a digital twin or virtual representation of the forest using satellite imagery and statistical models to estimate carbon credits. This virtual model allows for rapid assessment and valuation of potential carbon sequestration without requiring physical measurement or waiting for actual carbon storage to occur in the real forest.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS11615428B1On-demand estimation of potential carbon credit production for a forested area

Publication Date: 2023.03.28 NATURAL CAPITAL EXCHANGE INC

AI summary

A carbon credit generation methodology that uses a base map and other spatially explicit data to develop a baseline scenario for a forested property. One or more alternate scenarios are compared against the baseline scenario. The alternate scenario may for example include harvest deferral, alternate forest management, and.or reforestation. The effect of implementing the alternate scenario for a future activity period is modeled to determine potential carbon credit production prior to committing the property to the alternate scenario. The state of the property is confirmed at the end of the activity period before verified carbon credits are issued.