Planet Metrics CEO Andy Leventhal said the company does not yet have hard return-on-investment numbers for its software, but companies with sustainability initiatives, such as Wal-Mart Stores, have found significant savings in reducing fuel use and waste.

The San Francisco-based company on Tuesday released the beta test version of its hosted application, which it calls Rapid Carbon Modeling. It also said Method, which makes eco-friendly home-cleaning products, is a customer.

Using Planet Metrics’ software, a person could, for example, see how much energy consumption is associated with procuring the components that make up a cell phone. With that information, a company can then look for ways to cut energy consumption, such as reducing waste or finding another supplier.

Method is using the software in product design and sourcing, co-founder Adam Lowry said in a statement. “By better understanding volatile energy and resource prices, we can make better decisions to lessen the overall footprint (of our products) and save money,” he said.

There are a number of companies writing software for calculating how much energy is linked to a business’ operations and managing carbon emissions. Planet Metrics’ software is geared at manufacturers and makers of consumer packaged goods.

Start-up Planet Metrics is developing software that could give consumers a better read on the embedded energy of everyday products.

The carbon footprint picture is built by combining a company’s internal data, such as bills for certain materials, with scientific and academic models for calculating embedded energy, according to Planet Metrics.

A heat map gives a reading of how much energy is used in the supply chain and production of ingredients in a company's products.

(Credit:
Planet Metrics)