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Site data tracking: Odoo, Speckle, lean and IoT

Technical layer to capture and audit ESG metrics

How do we know if a building is truly sustainable, or if it only looks good on paper? In modern construction, there is a major gap between 3D design plans and the physical materials purchased and installed on site. To bridge these two worlds, it is now possible to connect digital drawings directly with the construction ledger, allowing every environmental data point to be captured and audited continuously.

This guide practically describes how to implement the theory of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) —which we explain in detail in our guide to measuring sustainability in constructions— using a live data system that registers the real footprint at every project stage.

The Data Flow of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

To truly understand a building's environmental impact, we must measure what is technically known as its Whole Life Carbon (WLC) footprint. Rather than treating digital plans, corporate accounting, and smart sensors as isolated tools, we organize them into a unified data flow mapped to the stages of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA):

          THE REAL-TIME LCA DATA FLOW
  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
  │  CAD/BIM (Revit, Rhino)                                 │
  └───────────┬─────────────────────────────────────────────┘
              │ 1. Model Commits (geometry, materials)
              ▼
  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
  │  SPECKLE (Versioned Geometric Source of Truth)           │
  └───────────┬─────────────────────────────────────────────┘
              │ 2. Quantities & m³ extraction
              ▼
  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
  │  ODOO ERP (Core Accounting, Procurement, Project)       │
  │   - Mapped to EPDs & Carbon Factors (IPCC / ADEME)      │ ◄─── Lean Site Logging
  └───────────┬─────────────────────────────────────────────┘      (Waste & Moisture)
              │ 3. Automated Scope 1-3 Carbon Footprint
              ▼
  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
  │  OPERATION (IoT: ESP32 + Home Assistant + Grafana)       │
  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
    4. Real-time Telemetry (B6-B7 Operational Carbon & Comfort)

1. Product and Construction (Stages A1–A5): Embodied Carbon in Materials

The first phase of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) covers everything from raw material extraction to final assembly on site. This is known as embodied or incorporated carbon: the total greenhouse gases emitted to manufacture and transport the concrete, steel, or structural timber of a project. Instead of conducting laborious manual audits of invoices when construction is over, we now integrate Speckle (the 3D translator) and Odoo (the builder's ERP) to measure impact automatically.

From 3D Modeling to Real Purchases: The Speckle and Odoo Connection

As the design team updates the model in three-dimensional design software —known in the industry as Building Information Modeling (BIM)—, the he 3D t platform centrally version-controls the geometry and extracts exact volumes (cubic meters, square meters, and component counts). This avoids exporting static files or isolated drawings that immediately become obsolete; instead, the system queries Speckle to update the procurement catalog in real time.

When a purchase order for engineered wood is generated in Odoo —the firm's Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system—, the platform automatically links the volume of the piece with its verified Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). Using Odoo's sustainability application (ESG, referring to environmental, social, and governance criteria), the system applies the exact emission factor (e.g., kilograms of CO₂ equivalent per cubic meter) to calculate the production phase impact in real time.

Efficient Field Management: Lean and the Last Planner System

The construction phase at the site is often marked by material waste, logistical delays, and redoing poorly planned tasks, factors that drastically inflate the real carbon footprint. To prevent this, we implement the waste-reduction philosophy of Lean Construction and the Last Planner System (LPS) directly in Odoo Project. This enables planning under the structure: should do → can do → will do → did → learn.

To connect field planning with 3D models, daily tasks are linked to digital model components using the open industry standard IfcTask. This digital integration allows the site team to track and audit two crucial sustainability aspects:

  • Real Waste Control: Site material waste is logged in Odoo Inventory. This allows managers to compare theoretical design volumes with actual site consumption, detecting inefficiencies immediately.
  • Structural Timber Protection: Engineered wood elements must maintain controlled moisture levels (below 18–19%) before being enclosed to prevent decay and ensure long-term structural durability. Field engineers record sensor moisture readings and photo evidence directly in the Odoo Maintenance module, triggering automatic preventive alerts before sealing joints.

2. Use and Operation (Stages B1–B7): Operational Footprint and Occupant Comfort

Once the building is handed over, the focus shifts to the energy (stage B6) and water (stage B7) consumed by occupants daily. Additionally, we measure the indoor health and well-being dimension (thermal comfort and air quality). Rather than relying on expensive, proprietary building automation systems (known as BMS or Building Management Systems), we deploy a low-cost, open-source telemetry network.

Low-Cost Smart Sensors to Measure Real Performance

To make live tracking affordable and scalable in Latin America, we use a set of open technologies. Small, inexpensive smart microcontrollers (like the ESP32) programmed with the open-source ESPHome firmware capture physical variables. These readings are streamed wirelessly via the lightweight MQTT protocol to a local central hub ──────────────.

This historical data is organized and stored in an open time-series database (InfluxDB) and visualized in clean, simple dashboards using ───────. The key parameters under continuous monitoring are:

  • Energy and Water Use: Live consumption is automatically checked against initial design estimates, allowing us to immediately detect if any equipment is malfunctioning or consuming excessively.
  • Indoor Air Quality: We monitor carbon dioxide (CO₂), temperature, and fine particulate matter. Our goal is to keep CO₂ levels below one thousand parts per million in occupied areas, preventing fatigue and ensuring a healthy indoor environment.

On a monthly basis, these operational summaries are automatically sent to Odoo's sustainability accounting module (Odoo ESG) using a secure direct integration. This allows us to close the life cycle loop, contrasting the theoretical simulations we created on the computer with the physical performance of the occupied building. In the industry, this live audit is known as **Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE)**.

3. End of Life (Stages C1–C4): Circular Economy and Material Passports

One of the greatest environmental challenges is ensuring that the natural carbon stored in structural timber remains locked away for decades and is not released into the atmosphere when the building is dismantled. To prevent timber from ending up in a landfill or incinerated, the project must be planned under a circular economy model.

By maintaining an exact digital record of how the building was actually built (using Speckle and linking it directly to Odoo's asset inventory), the building holds a living Material Passport. In the future, if the building is dismantled or remodeled, engineers will know the precise wood species, exact dimensions, and original design strength. This makes dismantling beams and columns for reuse in new buildings or certified recycling economically viable, ensuring that carbon remains sequestered for the long term.

Simplified Data Architecture

In summary: Speckle organizes the three-dimensional geometric records; Odoo controls budgets, real purchases, and the carbon ledger; the sensor network tracks the real life of the building; and visual dashboards present results ready for financial audits and certifications.
Fase del ACV Fuente de Telemetría Sistema de Registro Métrica Clave
A1–A3 (Producto) Geometría BIM (Revit/Rhino) he 3D t w Odoo Compras Volumen (m³), peso (kg) y mapeo automático de EPDs
A4–A5 (Construcción) Reporte semanal Will/Did y Listas QA Project. Thi / App de Obra Consumo energético (kWh), tasa de mermas (%) y humedad (menos del 18–19%)
B6–B7 (Operación) Nodos ESP32 + Telemetría MQTT ────────────── w ure dire Intensidad energética (kWh/m²/año) e índice de confort
C1–C4 (Fin de Vida) Modelo As-built y Registro de Activos Speckle + Odoo Inventario Índice de deconstrucción y potencial de reutilización (%)

Odoo ESG: The Core Engine for Carbon Accounting

The heart of our data architecture is Odoo's dedicated sustainability application. Its core value lies in linking daily financial transactions with real environmental impact in a single, unified ledger:

  • Direct Footprint Calculation: Automatically applies physical emission factors (such as kilograms of CO₂ equivalent per unit weight) or monetary factors to every purchase line.
  • Global Climate Databases: Connects with certified databases (such as the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and regional environmental agencies) to translate building material acquisitions into exact carbon values.
  • Certified Scope Reporting: Automatically classifies emissions into Scope 1 (direct emissions from vehicles or equipment on site), Scope 2 (indirect energy consumed), and Scope 3 (the footprint of purchased materials and subcontractors).
  • Social Impact and Equity Metrics: Integrates payroll and personnel data to objectively audit gender equity, pay gaps, and site health and safety indicators.

The Integrated Workflow in Action

  • Define WLC Targets: Set upfront sustainability goals and select target certifications (EDGE/CASA).
  • Extract BIM Geometry: Commit models to Speckle. Scripts parse the geometry, compiling bill of materials for LCA calc
  • Procure with EPDs: Purchase mass timber in Odoo. Odoo's ESG app matches materials to specific EPDs to calculate A1–A3 carbon.
  • Track Lean Construction: Log weekly progress (LPS) and moisture checks in Odoo Project to verify A4–A5 efficiency.
  • Continuous IoT Audit: Ingest ESP32 operational logs into Grafana and Odoo ESG to measure B6–B7 operational intensity.
  • Material Passport Handover: Hand over the verified Speckle as-built model to ensure circularity and prevent carbon reversal during C1–C4.

Implementing this unified pipeline transforms sustainability from a marketing claim into an auditable, data-driven asset. By connecting Odoo, Speckle, Lean, and IoT, developers can prove their carbon performance to investors, certifiers, and regulators with complete transparency.

Strategic Roadmap: From Reactive Compliance to Continuous System

The proliferation of environmental regulations often plunges construction companies into operational paralysis. Trying to respond to each new standard reactively — chasing down old invoices and estimating environmental product declarations when the work is already completed — turns sustainability into an unsustainable bureaucratic mountain.

Our vision proposes a radical shift: the true roadmap is not about chasing seals, but about developing the internal capacity to carry out the Life Cycle Assessment and implementing it as the operational core from the initial phases of the project. By structuring a continuous capture system — where Speckle geometry naturally crosses with Odoo accounting and site telemetry — the builder becomes a machine prepared for data.

Under this approach, complying with any specific regulation is reduced to a targeted formatting step. Since the baseline data is already clean, structured, and validated continuously in day-to-day operations, certifying the project is executed with complete margin, planning, and zer

Approach Matrix: Reactive vs. Systemic in Timber Projects

Dimensión de Control Enfoque Reactivo (Cumplir por Certificado) Enfoque Sistémico (Madebloque: Datos en el Núcleo) Implicación en Madera Técnica
Origen del Dato Hojas de cálculo retrospectivas compiladas a mano al final de la obra. Altamente propensas a errores. Pipeline continuo y automatizado de transacciones operativas (BIM → Speckle → Odoo → IoT). Trazabilidad forestal y de carbono embebido verificada y auditada desde la preconstrucción.
Carga Operativa Alta fricción: rediseños costosos de última hora, búsqueda desesperada de declaraciones y facturas archivadas. Nula en el día a día: las operaciones cotidianas de compras e inventario capturan el dato de forma nativa. Los metros cúbicos de madera laminada encolada o madera contralaminada se asocian de forma automática a sus certificados ambientales en Odoo.
Margen de Maniobra Cero margen: se descubren los incumplimientos de carbono o desviaciones cuando el edificio ya está terminado. Máxima holgura: modelado predictivo del análisis de ciclo de vida en diseño y alertas automáticas de emisiones en obra. Ajuste dinámico y oportuno de compras de madera técnica para no exceder las cuotas de dióxido de carbono estipuladas.
Esfuerzo de Certificación Esfuerzo titánico para adaptar y estructurar papeles viejos a cada nueva norma específica. Acto puntual y sencillo: dar formato de reporte a datos limpios que ya están estructurados en el sistema. Auditorías financieras y de carbono planeadas, ágiles y con total holgura ante bancos e inversionistas.

Go deeper

Selected bibliography

How to measure sustainability in buildings: life cycle analysis
ESG, carbon, LCA and Colombia frameworks