Understanding nodes and organisational structure
Last updated: 10 April 2026
Nodes Node Map Org Structure
Nodes are the building blocks of your organisation in NetNada. They represent your business structure — facilities, offices, regions, brands, and projects — as a visual hierarchy. Everything in NetNada flows from nodes: emission factors are applied based on a node's location, tasks are broken down by node, and dashboards can be filtered by node.
Think of your node structure as a digital twin of how your organisation actually operates. The more accurately it reflects reality, the more precise your emissions tracking will be.
Node Types
Every node has a type that defines its role in the hierarchy:
| Type | What it represents | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Business | A legal entity or top-level organisation. Typically has an ABN or equivalent. | ABC Doors Pty Ltd, NetNada Inc |
| Region | A geographical division used to group facilities. | Australia, APAC, Europe, New South Wales |
| Facility | A physical location where operations take place. Most emission factors depend on this. | Sydney CBD Office, Melbourne Warehouse, Auckland HQ |
| Project | A temporary initiative or construction project. | New Building Fitout 2025, EV Fleet Transition |
| Product | A product line, useful for product-level carbon footprinting. | Widget A, Service Package B |
Node Properties
Each node has properties that determine how it behaves in the system:
| Property | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Name | Identifies the node across tasks, dashboards, and reports. |
| Type | Determines which emission categories and triggers are available (e.g., only facilities can have electricity). |
| Parent node | Defines the hierarchy. Emissions from child nodes roll up into the parent. |
| Country and state | Used to apply location-specific emission factors — especially important for Scope 2 electricity. |
| Node reference | An optional code (e.g., from your ERP) that allows NetNada to auto-link uploaded data to the correct node. |
| Description | Optional notes about the node for context. |
| Address | Physical address. The country and state are the most critical fields for emission factor selection. |
How Nodes Affect Emissions Tracking
Nodes are not just for organisation — they directly affect how your emissions are calculated and reported:
- Emission factors — Scope 2 emission factors for electricity are selected based on the country and state of the facility node. A Sydney office uses NSW grid factors; a Melbourne warehouse uses Victorian ones.
- Emissions boundaries — When setting up your boundary, you select which nodes are included. You can include or exclude specific categories per node.
- Task generation — Tasks are generated per node based on your boundary configuration. Each facility might get separate tasks for electricity, waste, and business travel.
- Data aggregation — Emissions roll up through the hierarchy. View a single facility, a region, or the entire organisation on your dashboard.
- Data linking — If you include a node reference code, bulk data uploads are automatically distributed to the correct nodes.
Node Table vs. Node Map
You can view and manage nodes through two interfaces at Admin > Nodes:
| View | Best for |
|---|---|
| Node Table | Day-to-day management: searching, filtering by type, editing, and administrative actions. |
| Node Map | Visual overview: seeing the full hierarchy, identifying orphaned nodes, and reviewing structure with auditors. Supports vertical and horizontal layouts. |
The Node Map is often the first thing an auditor will look at — keep it clean and accurate. Look for orphaned nodes (those without a parent) as they won't roll up into your totals.
FAQ
What type of node should I use for a co-working space?
Use a Facility node. Even if you don't own the building, the space represents a physical location where your organisation operates and consumes energy.
Can a node belong to multiple parents?
No. Each node has exactly one parent. If you need to represent a shared facility, create it under the most relevant parent and note the shared arrangement in the description.
What happens if I don't set the country and state on a facility?
Location-specific emission factors (especially for electricity) will not be applied correctly. Always set the country and state for any node that has energy consumption.
How deep can the hierarchy go?
There is no hard limit. A typical structure is 3-4 levels (Business > Region > Facility), but you can add more if your organisation requires it.
What is a node reference and when should I use it?
A node reference is an optional code — often matching your ERP or accounting system's location codes. If you include it, NetNada can automatically route bulk data uploads to the correct node without manual assignment.