How do I calculate the carbon footprint of a vehicle radiator?

Weigh the aluminium or copper-brass core and the plastic or metal tanks per radiator and multiply by supplier figures. Add brazing or soldering, assembly and leak testing energy, then divide by radiators passed.

Material

• Aluminium tubes and fins, or copper and brass.
• Plastic or metal tanks.
• Gaskets and fittings.

Process

• Fin forming and core assembly.
• Brazing furnace.
• Tank crimping and leak testing.

Per unit

Report per radiator by vehicle type and core material.

Worked example: radiator unit per unit (one month)

• Electricity: 40,000 kWh x 0.710 = 28,400 kg CO2
• PNG: 5,000 SCM x 2.05 = 10,250 kg CO2
• Units produced: 20,000
• Plant total: 38,650 / 20,000 = 1.933 kg CO2 per unit
• Add metals and tanks for the full figure

Inputs are illustrative; use your own bills and production records.

What Senseible does here

Senseible reads the plant's electricity bills (CEA grid factor 0.710 kg CO2 per kWh, CO2 Baseline Database version 21.0) and fuel invoices (IPCC 2006 defaults) into a fingerprinted Scope 1 and 2 record, the plant-level input to a per-unit figure. Bought-in materials go to the supplier evidence trail; product reports are self-declared drafts.

• Product carbon footprint calculator
• Aluminium extrusion footprint
• Brass component footprint
• Automobile industry

Sources: GHG Protocol Product Standard, ISO 14067:2018, Carbon footprint of products (iso.org), IPCC 2006 Guidelines, Volume 2 Energy (fuel defaults), CEA CO2 Baseline Database, version 21.0

Last reviewed 2026-10-20.