Chapter 5: Case Studies
The SUI in practice — Becaps (Argentina) and MubOn (Colombia), plus a sector generalisation guide.
- Becaps (Argentina) — Chemical Displacement per Hectare
- MubOn (Colombia) — kWh Delivered per Charging Point
- Applying SUI Across Sectors
Becaps (Argentina) — Chemical Displacement per Hectare
Becaps (Argentina) — Chemical Displacement per Hectare
SUI Statement: One application of Becaps microbial biostimulant to one hectare of cultivated land displaces 102.4 kg CO₂e of synthetic chemical inputs, net of counterfactual, verified against a three-tier SSOT pipeline (±12%, 95% CI).
Company Overview
Becaps is an Argentine agri-biotech company that has developed a proprietary microencapsulation technology for soil microorganisms. The core product delivers high-viability microbial consortia — primarily nitrogen-fixing bacteria and phosphate-solubilising fungi — to agricultural soils in a formulation that survives harsh field conditions and achieves root-zone colonisation at commercially meaningful rates.
Technology differentiation:
- Microbial viability at application: ≥10¹¹ CFU per gram (Colony Forming Units)
- Synthetic Displacement Ratio: 1.3:1 — for every 1 kg of Becaps product applied, 1.3 kg equivalent of synthetic nitrogen or phosphate fertiliser is displaced
- Field persistence: active colonisation confirmed at 90-day post-application in field trials
- Crop compatibility: validated for soy, maize, wheat, sunflower, and vegetable cultivation
The SUI: Chemical Displacement per Hectare
Parameter Set
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| SUI Name | Chemical Displacement per Hectare |
| Outcome Domain | Climate — GHG Emissions Avoided |
| IRIS+ Code | PI5765 (GHG Emissions Avoided by Investees) |
| Application Event | Application of 1 kg Becaps biostimulant to 1 hectare of cultivated land |
| Baseline | 220 kg N/ha synthetic nitrogen application (INDEC 2023, Argentina national average) |
| Observed | 85 kg N/ha (average across 120 trial plots, 2022–2024, certified by INTA) |
| Net Displacement | 135 kg N/ha |
| CO₂e Conversion | 135 × 0.758 CO₂e/kg N (IPCC AR6, Tier 1 emission factor for synthetic N production) |
| SUI Magnitude | 102.4 kg CO₂e per hectare per growing season |
| Uncertainty | ±12.3 kg CO₂e (±12%, 95% CI, based on plot-level variance across 120 trials) |
| Verification Protocol | Annual LCA audit by certified GHG verifier; SSOT ingest from ERP batch records + INTA lab reports |
The Becaps SSOT Architecture
Tier 1: Ingest
- Source 1: ERP production records — batch ID, quantity produced (kg), production date, microbial viability QC result (CFU/g)
- Source 2: Logistics records — delivery date, customer ID, delivery location (GPS), quantity delivered (kg)
- Source 3: Customer application records — hectares treated per batch delivery (customer-reported, validated against land registry data for customers >50 ha)
- Source 4: INTA lab reports — soil nitrogen content pre/post application for monitored plots (12 per 500 ha treated, stratified sampling)
Tier 2: Digital Twin
- Model: Python-based LCA model (version-controlled in Becaps GitLab)
- Emission factors: IPCC AR6, INDEC regional agricultural statistics (updated annually)
- Baseline model: INDEC 2023 national average, disaggregated by province and crop type
- Uncertainty propagation: Monte Carlo simulation, 10,000 iterations per batch
Tier 3: Conversion
- IRIS+ PI5765 report: monthly update to GIIN platform
- SUI Ledger: append-only PostgreSQL table with one row per application event
- Auditor export: quarterly CSV package with full calculation audit log
- Blended finance dashboard: cumulative CO₂e displaced vs. milestone thresholds (real-time)
Blended Finance Structure
Becaps secured a blended finance structure in Q3 2024 using the SUI as trigger metric:
- First-loss provider: IDB Lab (via DGGF intermediary), $800K guarantee
- Commercial co-investor: Latin American agri-tech VC, $2.4M equity
- Leverage ratio: 3:1 commercial to concessional
- Milestone 1 trigger: 500 tonnes CO₂e displaced (verified) → $200K of guarantee converts to grant, interest rate on commercial debt reduces 75 bps
- Milestone 2 trigger: 2,000 tonnes CO₂e displaced → Full guarantee conversion, green revenue note eligibility
Key Lessons for Other AgTech Companies
- The INTA partnership was decisive. Having national agricultural research institute validation of field trial data gave the LCA model credibility that self-collected data alone could not. For CTH portfolio companies, identifying the equivalent national research institute in their country early is critical.
- Crop-specific baseline disaggregation mattered. Becaps initially used a single national nitrogen average — investors challenged this. Disaggregating the baseline by crop and province improved accuracy and defensibility.
- The viability specification (10¹¹ CFU/g) became a product standard. Defining the minimum viable SUI trigger (a product lot must meet this viability threshold to count as an application event) forced quality discipline in production that improved product performance.
- Customers became data partners. Integrating data collection into the customer relationship (land registry verification, application reporting) initially faced resistance. Framing it as "your data helps us show the financial system what you're doing" shifted the conversation.
Next: MubOn (Colombia) — kWh Delivered per Charging Point
MubOn (Colombia) — kWh Delivered per Charging Point
MubOn (Colombia) — kWh Delivered per Charging Point
SUI Statement: One kWh delivered through one MubOn-managed shared EV charging point enables approximately 6.5 km of electric driving, displacing approximately 1.12 kg CO₂e of emissions from the equivalent internal combustion engine trip — verified monthly against SSOT IoT data (±8%, 95% CI). Alternatively expressed as: one MubOn charging point delivers 320,000 kWh per year (system aggregate, 2025), serving 22,000 charging sessions at 25–40% utilisation vs. <15% for traditional charging infrastructure.
Company Overview
MubOn is a Colombian cleantech company building shared, IoT-connected EV charging infrastructure for residential buildings, commercial properties, and public spaces in Latin American cities. Its platform solves the critical "apartment building problem" of EV adoption: residents of multi-unit buildings cannot install private home chargers, creating a range-anxiety barrier that suppresses EV uptake even when residents want to switch.
Business model innovation:
The SUI: kWh Delivered per Charging Point per Month
Primary SUI: Energy Displacement
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| SUI Name | kWh Delivered per Charging Point per Month |
| Outcome Domain | Climate — GHG Emissions Avoided (transport sector) |
| IRIS+ Codes | PI7685 (Clean Energy Generated), OI1284 (GHG Emissions Avoided) |
| SDGs | SDG 7 (Affordable Clean Energy), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities), SDG 13 (Climate Action) |
| Application Event | One completed EV charging session through one MubOn-managed charging point |
| Baseline | Equivalent km driven by ICE vehicle: Colombian grid average emission factor (0.172 kg CO₂e/kWh, UPME 2024) |
| Counterfactual | Same trip driven in gasoline vehicle: 2.31 kg CO₂e/km (IDEAM 2024 Colombian light vehicle fleet average) |
| Observed Efficiency | 0.154 kWh/km (EV fleet average in MubOn network, 2025) |
| Net Emission Factor | Grid sourced kWh: 0.172 kg CO₂e/kWh; ICE equivalent: 2.31/6.5 = 0.355 kg CO₂e/km → per kWh delivered: 0.355/0.154 − 0.172 = 2.31 − 0.172 = 1.12 kg CO₂e net avoided per kWh |
| SUI Magnitude | 1.12 kg CO₂e avoided per kWh delivered (or 6.5 km of electric driving per kWh) |
| Uncertainty | ±0.09 kg CO₂e (±8%, 95% CI — driven by grid emission factor uncertainty) |
| Verification Protocol | Monthly third-party audit of IoT session logs against billing data; annual LCA review |
Secondary SUI: Infrastructure Utilisation
MubOn also defines a secondary SUI that captures its infrastructure efficiency innovation:
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| SUI Name | Charging Point Utilisation Rate |
| Baseline | <15% utilisation for traditional single-user charging points (ANDEMOS 2024) |
| Observed | 25–40% utilisation for MubOn shared points |
| SUI Magnitude | +10 to +25 percentage points utilisation uplift per shared charging point |
| Financial Significance | Higher utilisation → faster payback on charging infrastructure capex → enables deployment at lower subsidy requirement |
2025 Impact Results
MubOn's verified impact for calendar year 2025:
- Total kWh delivered: 320,000 kWh across all managed charging points
- Total charging sessions: 22,000 sessions
- GHG avoided: 358,400 kg CO₂e (0.358 tonnes CO₂e, or approximately 358 tonnes)
- Infrastructure utilisation: 31% average across all points (vs. 15% baseline)
- Average session energy: 14.5 kWh per session
- Cities operating: Bogotá, Medellín, Cali
SSOT Architecture: IoT-Native Pipeline
MubOn's SSOT is built on its IoT infrastructure, giving it a significant advantage over companies that must construct their data collection system from scratch:
Tier 1: Ingest
- IoT charging controller: real-time session data (start time, end time, kWh delivered, charger ID, user token)
- Grid metering: utility meter readings for each installed charging point (independent verification of IoT readings)
- UPME grid emission factor API: automatic monthly update from Colombian energy authority
Tier 2: Digital Twin
- Real-time calculation engine running on MubOn's cloud platform
- Per-session CO₂e avoided calculation (kWh × net emission factor)
- Uncertainty propagation from grid emission factor monthly updates
- Daily aggregation to the SUI Ledger
Tier 3: Conversion
- Monthly impact report: kWh delivered + CO₂e avoided, by city and property type
- IRIS+ PI7685 report for investor reporting
- SDG contribution statement (SDGs 7, 11, 13)
- Auditor export: session-level CSV with IoT raw data links
Pathway to Blended Finance
MubOn's verified SUI positions it for several financing structures unavailable to unverified EV infrastructure companies:
- Green Revenue Note: Financing secured against projected kWh delivery revenue, with coupon linked to verified impact milestones
- Municipal co-investment: Bogotá's Secretaría de Movilidad has indicated willingness to co-invest in public charging infrastructure that can demonstrate verified utilisation and emission impact data
- NAMA Facility alignment: Colombia's NAMA for urban mobility requires verified emission reductions — MubOn's SSOT makes it eligible
Next: Applying SUI Across Sectors — a generalisation guide for other industries.
Applying SUI Across Sectors
Applying SUI Across Sectors
The SUI framework is sector-agnostic. Any enterprise whose product or service produces a measurable, attributable environmental or social outcome can define a SUI. This page provides a generalisation guide across the major cleantech and impact sectors relevant to the CleantechHUB portfolio.
Sector-by-Sector SUI Templates
Agriculture and Food Systems
| Sub-sector | Application Event | SUI Name | Unit | Key Baseline Challenge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bio-inputs / Biostimulants | 1 kg product applied per hectare | Chemical Displacement per Hectare | kg CO₂e / ha | Regional synthetic input averages vary widely; disaggregate by crop and region |
| Precision irrigation | 1 irrigation event per hectare | Water Saved per Irrigation Event | m³ water / ha | Counterfactual irrigation volume from regional water authority statistics |
| Food waste reduction | 1 kg food waste diverted from landfill | Landfill Diversion per kg | kg CO₂e / kg food | National landfill emission factors from EPA/environment ministry |
| Regenerative agriculture platform | 1 hectare enrolled and verified per season | Soil Carbon per Hectare | tCO₂e / ha / year | Requires soil sampling; LCA scope 3 often controversial — document boundary carefully |
Energy and Mobility
| Sub-sector | Application Event | SUI Name | Unit | Key Baseline Challenge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EV Charging | 1 kWh delivered through managed charger | kWh Delivered per Session | kg CO₂e avoided / kWh | Grid emission factor must be updated as grid decarbonises — a diminishing SUI over time |
| Distributed solar (C&I) | 1 kWh generated by installed system | Clean kWh Generated per Month | kg CO₂e / kWh | Grid displacement assumes system substitutes grid power, not additional consumption |
| Electric two-wheelers (fleet) | 1 km driven by fleet vehicle | Clean km per Vehicle | kg CO₂e / km | Fleet average ICE equivalent; leakage if displaced drivers switch to ICE alternatives |
| Energy efficiency (buildings) | 1 month of occupancy in certified efficient building | Energy Intensity Reduction per m² | kWh / m² / month | Baseline energy intensity from building energy audit; weather-normalisation required |
Water and Sanitation
| Sub-sector | Application Event | SUI Name | Unit | Key Baseline Challenge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water purification (household) | 1 litre purified and delivered | Safe Water per Litre | DALY avoided / 1000 litres | WHO DALY factors for waterborne disease; counterfactual water source quality data |
| Industrial water recycling | 1 m³ water recycled vs. discharged | Water Recycled per m³ | m³ freshwater saved | Industrial water withdrawal baseline from watershed authority |
| Wastewater treatment | 1 m³ wastewater treated to standard | Pollution Load Removed per m³ | kg BOD removed / m³ | Effluent quality standard (discharge permit defines counterfactual) |
Circular Economy and Waste
| Sub-sector | Application Event | SUI Name | Unit | Key Baseline Challenge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plastic recycling | 1 kg plastic collected and processed | Plastic Diverted per kg | kg CO₂e / kg plastic | Emission factor depends on plastic type and alternative disposal method |
| Electronics refurbishment | 1 device refurbished and resold | Device Life Extension | kg CO₂e / device | Avoided manufacturing emissions require LCA of new device equivalent |
| Industrial symbiosis platform | 1 kg waste matched between producer and consumer | Waste-to-Resource Match per kg | kg CO₂e / kg material | Complex: must account for transport emissions of rerouted material |
Biodiversity and Land Use
| Sub-sector | Application Event | SUI Name | Unit | Key Baseline Challenge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest conservation (REDD+) | 1 ha protected for 1 year | Deforestation Avoided per Hectare | tCO₂e / ha / year | FREL (Forest Reference Emission Level) required; jurisdictional baseline complex |
| Ecosystem restoration | 1 ha restored to target condition | Biodiversity Units Restored per Hectare | BNG units / ha (UK metric) or equivalent | Baseline habitat condition assessment; TNFD metrics preferred |
| Sustainable aquaculture | 1 tonne of certified product harvested | Wild Fish Substitution per Tonne | tonne wild harvest avoided / tonne farmed | Feed conversion ratio and wild fish equivalent calculation required |
Five Cross-Sector Principles
- Outcome over output: Always define the SUI at the outcome level (CO₂e avoided, m³ water saved, DALY avoided) not the output level (units sold, installations completed). Investors and MDBs will push to the outcome level in due diligence — define it proactively.
- Net not gross: The SUI is always net of counterfactual. A solar installation that adds capacity to an already-decarbonising grid has a smaller net SUI than an equivalent installation displacing coal. Acknowledge this honestly — it demonstrates credibility.
- Scope boundaries must be stated: Scope 1 (direct), Scope 2 (energy), Scope 3 (value chain) boundaries must be explicit. For most cleantech products, the most impactful emissions are Scope 3 avoided — but these are also the hardest to verify. Be precise about which scopes your SUI covers.
- Diminishing SUIs are acceptable: A grid-connected clean energy SUI will naturally decline as the grid decarbonises. Document this explicitly and include a projection of how the SUI evolves under different grid decarbonisation scenarios. This demonstrates sophistication rather than hiding a risk.
- Negative SUIs must be disclosed: If your product produces some environmental harm alongside its primary benefit (e.g., mining impacts for battery metals, land use change for bioenergy crops), these must be disclosed and ideally included in a net SUI calculation. DNSH (Do No Significant Harm) compliance requires this — don't wait for an auditor to find it.
SUI Readiness Checklist by Sector
Before claiming a SUI in any sector, confirm:
- [ ] Outcome domain mapped to IRIS+, TNFD, or GRI indicator
- [ ] Application event defined (trigger condition, unit boundary)
- [ ] Counterfactual baseline identified with peer-reviewed or official source
- [ ] Measurement protocol exists for the outcome variable at the point of application
- [ ] Scope boundaries explicitly documented (Scope 1/2/3)
- [ ] Uncertainty range estimated (even if rough at first)
- [ ] Independent verifier identified (even if not yet engaged)
- [ ] SSOT architecture planned (even if not yet built)
Continue to Chapter 6: The CTH VRF Integration — how SUI fits into the Venture Readiness Framework.