Integration FAQs

Find answers to common questions about setting up and managing data integrations for carbon accounting and sustainability reporting.

General Integration Questions

How many integrations can I set up on my account?

The number of integrations depends on your subscription plan:

  • Starter Plan: Up to 5 integrations
  • Professional Plan: Up to 25 integrations
  • Enterprise Plan: Unlimited integrations

Each integration includes unlimited data sources within the same system (e.g., multiple utility accounts from the same provider count as one integration).

How long does it take to set up an integration?

Setup times vary by integration type and complexity:

  • Utility & Energy: 5-15 minutes (OAuth-based)
  • Cloud Services: 10-30 minutes (API key setup)
  • ERP Systems: 30 minutes - 2 hours (complex permissions)
  • Manufacturing/IoT: 1-4 hours (custom protocols)
  • Finance Systems: 15-45 minutes (OAuth + data mapping)

Initial data synchronization can take 2-24 hours depending on historical data volume.

Can I import historical data from my existing systems?

Yes, we support historical data import for most integration types:

  • API-based integrations: Typically 2-5 years of historical data
  • Utility providers: Usually 12-24 months available via API
  • Finance systems: 7+ years for major platforms like QuickBooks, Xero
  • Manufacturing systems: Varies by system, typically 1-3 years

For systems with limited API history, we also support CSV/Excel bulk imports with data validation and carbon calculation services.

Are there additional costs for API usage or data volume?

Our pricing is transparent with generous usage allowances:

  • Starter Plan: Up to 10,000 data records/month included
  • Professional Plan: Up to 100,000 data records/month included
  • Enterprise Plan: Up to 1,000,000 data records/month included

Overage fees apply at £0.001 per additional record. API rate limits are automatically managed, and we absorb any third-party API costs for supported integrations.

Authentication & Setup

My OAuth authentication keeps failing. What should I check?

OAuth failures are usually caused by one of these common issues:

1. Check Browser Settings

  • Disable popup blockers for our domain
  • Enable third-party cookies temporarily
  • Clear browser cache and cookies for the provider

2. Verify Account Permissions

  • Ensure you have admin access to the connected system
  • Check if your organization has API access restrictions
  • Verify the account hasn't expired or been suspended

3. Regional & Network Issues

  • Some providers have regional API restrictions
  • Corporate firewalls may block OAuth redirects
  • Try from a different network or device

Quick Fix: Try the authentication process in an incognito/private browser window first.

How do I find my API keys for cloud service integrations?

API key locations vary by provider. Here are the most common paths:

AWS

  1. Go to AWS IAM Console
  2. Click "Users" → Select your user
  3. Click "Security Credentials" tab
  4. Create "Access Key" if none exist

Google Cloud

  1. Open Google Cloud Console
  2. Go to "APIs & Services" → "Credentials"
  3. Click "Create Credentials" → "Service Account Key"
  4. Download JSON file with credentials

Microsoft Azure

  1. Visit Azure Portal
  2. Go to "App Registrations"
  3. Create new app or select existing
  4. Go to "Certificates & Secrets"

Cloudflare

  1. Log into Cloudflare Dashboard
  2. Go to "My Profile" → "API Tokens"
  3. Click "Create Token"
  4. Use "Global API Key" for full access
What permissions do I need to grant for each integration type?

We follow the principle of least privilege, requesting only necessary permissions:

Integration Type Required Permissions Purpose
Utility/Energy Read billing data, usage data Extract kWh consumption and costs
Finance Systems Read transactions, vendors, accounts Analyze spend-based emissions
Cloud Services Read billing, usage metrics, resource lists Calculate infrastructure emissions
ERP Systems Read purchase orders, inventory, production Track supply chain emissions
Fleet/Transport Read vehicle data, fuel usage, routes Monitor transport emissions

Security Note: We never request write permissions unless explicitly needed for two-way synchronization features.

Data Mapping & Quality

Why are my carbon calculations different from my internal estimates?

Differences in carbon calculations can occur for several reasons:

1. Emission Factor Sources

We use the most current official emission factors:

  • UK DEFRA conversion factors (updated annually)
  • Grid emission factors by region and time
  • IEA country-specific factors for international operations
  • EXIOBASE sectoral factors for spend-based calculations

2. Data Completeness & Granularity

  • We capture all data sources automatically vs. manual sampling
  • Hourly/daily granularity vs. monthly averages
  • Include Scope 3 categories often missed in manual calculations

3. Methodology Differences

  • Market-based vs. location-based electricity factors
  • Cradle-to-gate vs. cradle-to-grave calculations
  • Different global warming potential (GWP) values

Recommendation: Review our calculation methodology in the platform settings. We can also provide a detailed reconciliation report comparing methodologies.

Can I customize how data is categorized and mapped?

Yes! We provide flexible data mapping and categorization options:

Category Mapping

  • Create custom Scope 1, 2, 3 category rules
  • Map suppliers/vendors to specific emission factors
  • Override default categorization with business logic
  • Set up department/cost center allocations

Data Transformation

  • Unit conversions (kWh, MJ, Therms, etc.)
  • Currency and regional adjustments
  • Custom allocation methods (by revenue, headcount, etc.)
  • Data quality flags and confidence scores

Advanced Features

  • Machine learning-assisted categorization
  • Custom emission factor databases
  • Supplier-specific carbon intensity data
  • Real-time data validation rules

Access these features through the "Data Mapping" section in your integration settings.

Some of my data seems to be missing or incomplete. How do I fix this?

Data completeness issues can usually be resolved by checking these areas:

1. API Access & Permissions

  • Verify all required permissions are still granted
  • Check if your source system has API rate limits
  • Ensure your account hasn't expired or been downgraded

2. Data Range & Filters

  • Check date range settings in integration configuration
  • Review any filters applied during setup
  • Some systems only provide data after connection date

3. Source Data Quality

  • Missing fields in your source system (e.g., empty categories)
  • Data processing delays in provider systems
  • Regional availability differences for certain data types

Diagnosis Tool: Use the "Data Quality Report" in your integration dashboard to identify specific gaps and get recommended fixes.

Troubleshooting

My integration was working but stopped syncing. What happened?

Integration sync failures typically fall into these categories:

Authentication Issues (70% of cases)

  • OAuth tokens expired (typically after 3-6 months)
  • Password changed on source system
  • Account permissions modified by admin
  • Two-factor authentication enabled on source account

Fix: Go to integration settings and re-authenticate

Provider Changes (20% of cases)

  • API endpoint updates by provider
  • New API versioning requirements
  • Changed data formats or field names
  • New rate limiting policies

Fix: Usually resolved automatically; check our status page for updates

Data/Network Issues (10% of cases)

  • Temporary API outages from provider
  • Network connectivity problems
  • Malformed data causing processing errors
  • Rate limit exceeded due to high volume

Fix: Usually recovers automatically; manually retry if needed

Quick Check: Look for a red "Needs Attention" status on your integration dashboard, which will show the specific error and recommended action.

I'm getting rate limit errors. How do I resolve this?

Rate limiting protects provider APIs from overload. Here's how we handle it:

Automatic Rate Limit Management

  • Intelligent backoff and retry mechanisms
  • Distributed API calls across time windows
  • Priority queuing for time-sensitive data
  • Dynamic adjustment based on provider response

Common Rate Limit Triggers

  • Initial historical data sync (large volume)
  • Multiple integrations from same provider
  • Peak usage periods (end of month billing cycles)
  • Provider maintenance windows

How to Minimize Rate Limiting

  • Stagger setup of multiple similar integrations
  • Use shorter historical data ranges for initial sync
  • Schedule less frequent syncs for historical data
  • Consider Premium API tiers for high-volume providers

Status: Rate limited integrations show "Queued" status and will auto-resume when limits reset. No action required from you.

Data is syncing but the carbon calculations seem wrong. How do I verify accuracy?

Carbon calculation accuracy can be verified through several validation steps:

1. Data Source Verification

  • Check "Raw Data" view to see actual values pulled from APIs
  • Compare with source system values for same period
  • Verify units are correctly identified (kWh vs MWh, etc.)
  • Check for any data gaps or missing periods

2. Emission Factor Validation

  • Review emission factors used in "Calculation Details"
  • Verify regional/supplier-specific factors are correct
  • Check if market-based or location-based factors apply
  • Confirm scope categorization (1, 2, or 3)

3. Manual Spot Checks

  • Calculate a few data points manually using our factors
  • Use our "Calculation Wizard" for verification
  • Compare against industry benchmarks for your sector
  • Cross-reference with annual sustainability reports

Audit Trail: Every calculation includes a full audit trail showing data source, transformation steps, and emission factors applied.

Security & Privacy

How is my sensitive business data protected during integrations?

We implement enterprise-grade security measures to protect your data:

Encryption & Transport

  • TLS 1.3 encryption for all API communications
  • AES-256 encryption for data at rest
  • End-to-end encryption for sensitive credentials
  • Zero-trust network architecture

Access Control

  • Role-based access control (RBAC) for your team
  • Multi-factor authentication (MFA) required
  • API tokens with limited scope and expiration
  • Audit logs for all data access and changes

Compliance & Standards

  • SOC 2 Type II certified
  • GDPR and CCPA compliant data processing
  • ISO 27001 information security management
  • Regular third-party security audits

Data Minimization

  • Only collect data necessary for carbon calculations
  • Automatic anonymization of personally identifiable information
  • Configurable data retention policies
  • Secure data deletion upon request
Can I control which team members have access to different integrations?

Yes! We provide granular access controls for team collaboration:

Role-Based Permissions

  • Admin: Full access to all integrations and settings
  • Manager: View all data, configure integrations, no billing access
  • Analyst: View carbon data and reports, no configuration access
  • Viewer: Read-only access to assigned projects only

Integration-Specific Access

  • Assign specific integrations to team members
  • Department-based access (Finance team sees finance data only)
  • Regional restrictions for multinational organizations
  • Temporary access grants for contractors/auditors

Audit & Monitoring

  • Complete audit trail of who accessed what data when
  • Real-time notifications for sensitive data access
  • Regular access reviews and recommendations
  • Automatic deactivation for inactive users

Configure team access through the "Team Management" section in your account settings.

What happens to my data if I cancel my subscription?

We provide transparent data retention and deletion policies:

Data Export Options

  • Full data export available in CSV, Excel, and JSON formats
  • Includes raw data, calculations, and configuration settings
  • Self-service export available up to 90 days after cancellation
  • Assisted export service available for Enterprise customers

Grace Period

  • 30-day grace period for paid plans (read-only access)
  • 90-day retention for Enterprise customers
  • Immediate cessation of new data collection
  • Integrations automatically disabled but configuration preserved

Secure Deletion

  • Complete data deletion after grace period expires
  • Multi-pass secure deletion for sensitive information
  • Deletion certificate provided upon request
  • Backup systems purged within 180 days

Important: We recommend exporting your data before cancellation. Deleted data cannot be recovered after the grace period.

Still Need Help?

Our integration specialists are here to help you get the most out of your carbon data connections.

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