Spa carbon calculator measures emissions from individual visits
University of Surrey and Therme Group researchers say SPA-DEC assigns real-time carbon footprints to spa and wellness visits.
By Priya Raghavan · Science Reporter
3 min read
A new spa carbon calculator can estimate the emissions tied to a single spa or wellness visit in real time, according to researchers at the University of Surrey and Therme Group. The tool matters for operators because it links day-to-day building data, such as energy and water use, to the carbon footprint of each customer visit.
The Dynamic Emissions Calculator for Spa and Wellness Centres, known as SPA-DEC, is described in a peer-reviewed study in Communications Sustainability. The University of Surrey said the system allocates a facility’s total emissions to individual visits across Scopes 1, 2 and 3 of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.
Researchers tested the calculator using two different sites: Therme Bucharest and the University of Surrey Sports Park. They found an average visit produced about 5 kilograms, or 11 pounds, of carbon dioxide equivalent at the larger site and about 3.5 kilograms, or 7.7 pounds, at the smaller site.
How does the spa carbon calculator work?
SPA-DEC combines live metered information, including energy and water consumption, with standardized figures for waste and staff travel, according to the University of Surrey. The aim is to divide a building’s overall emissions among the people using the facility at the time.
The researchers said the calculator is designed around data that spa and wellness operators already collect. Because of that, they said facilities of different sizes can use it without additional development.
The study also found that renewable energy generated on site lowered the calculated footprint at both test locations during 2024. According to the University of Surrey, renewables cut the emissions figure by about 33% at the large facility and about 14% at the small facility.
What the researchers say SPA-DEC adds
Therme Group founder and chief executive Robert Hanea said the calculator gives the spa and wellness industry a dedicated, peer-reviewed tool for tracking carbon in real time. He said the approach could help operators include carbon data in daily decisions and could also apply to theme and amusement parks.
Professor Jhuma Sadhukhan of the University of Surrey said the work required a different approach from a standard life cycle assessment because a spa visit shares emissions from a whole building with other users. She said the method could be adapted across parts of the tourism sector to assess and reduce emissions.
SPA-DEC is part of a wider set of emissions tools focused on the visitor economy, according to the researchers. It follows ATP-DEC, the Air Travel Passenger Dynamic Emissions Calculator, which was published in Communications Earth & Environment.
The University of Surrey said additional calculators are being developed for accommodation, food and beverage, and meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions. The researchers said the broader goal is a shared, science-based carbon standard for the visitor economy.
The spa calculator study, by Robert Hanea and co-authors, was published under the title “Spa visits carry measurable carbon footprints that vary with energy use and renewables.”
This story draws on original reporting from Phys.org.