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How to Retrieve Emission Factors from SharePoint using Power Automate

WPS Content Manager Oct 1, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to configure a Power Automate workflow to look up an emission factor from a source SharePoint list and write it into a destination SharePoint list for emissions calculations.

How to Retrieve Emission Factors from SharePoint using Power Automate

Product: Power Automate
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Automating environmental data management by looking up specific emission factors across different SharePoint lists.
Observed behavior: Requires a reliable flow that triggers upon list item creation or modification, fetches the matching factor, and ensures accurate numeric data storage.

Before you start

Ensure you have the necessary read permissions for the Energy Emission Factors list and edit permissions for the Scope 2 emissions list in your SharePoint site.

Solution 1Recommended

Configure Power Automate to Lookup and Store Emission Factors

Create an automated cloud flow that triggers on item updates, retrieves the corresponding factor from another list, and writes it back as a numeric value.

Keeping both lists within SharePoint ensures reliable integration and prevents connection delays. It is crucial to structure your SharePoint lists correctly before building the flow to avoid data type mismatch errors during calculations.

Set Up the Flow Trigger

Log in to Power Automate and create a new Automated Cloud Flow. Add the SharePoint trigger 'When an item is created or modified' and connect it to your Scope 2 emissions list.

Retrieve the Emission Factor

Add the SharePoint 'Get items' action. Connect it to your Energy Emission Factors list. In the advanced options, use an OData Filter Query (e.g., EnergyType eq 'Dynamic Content') to fetch the exact factor matching your trigger item.

Update the Target List Column

Add the SharePoint 'Update item' action. Link it back to the Scope 2 emissions list using the ID from the trigger step. Select the EF Lookup column and populate it with the emission factor value retrieved from the 'Get items' action.

Configure Power Automate to Lookup and Store Emission Factors

Use Number Columns for Calculations: Store fuel use and emission factors in SharePoint Number columns rather than Text columns. Text values may be interpreted as strings, which will cause calculation errors in later reporting.

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Try WPS Office for Advanced Environmental Data Calculations

While Power Automate manages your SharePoint list data transfers, calculating complex emissions data is often best done in a spreadsheet. WPS Office provides a free, lightweight, and highly compatible alternative to Microsoft Office for all your data analysis and reporting needs.

1. Download the Software: Visit the official WPS Office website to download the free installation package for your operating system.
2. Install WPS Office: Run the downloaded installer and follow the on-screen prompts for a fast, lightweight setup.
3. Analyze Your Exported Data: Open WPS Spreadsheet to import your SharePoint list data and perform advanced calculations using built-in formulas.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) files exported from SharePoint.Lightweight installation with extremely fast startup times.Built-in advanced formulas perfect for processing emissions and fuel usage data.Free to use with a familiar, easy-to-navigate user interface.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why are my emission calculations failing after the flow runs?

This usually happens when numeric values are saved as strings. Verify that both the fuel use and emission factor columns in your SharePoint lists are configured as Number types, not Text.

Can I prevent the flow from running in an endless loop?

Yes. When updating the same list that triggers the flow, add a trigger condition in the flow settings so it only runs when the EF Lookup column is empty or when specific fields are modified.

How do I extract a single value if 'Get items' returns an array?

The 'Get items' action outputs a list of records. You can use the 'First()' expression in Power Automate to isolate the first matching record, or ensure your OData Filter Query is strict enough to return only one unique emission factor.

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