Project Portfolio: Carbon Footprint & Sustainability Calculator
Client: Building Markets
Project Type: Freelance Web Application Development
Project Duration: 1 Months and 10 Days
Status: Completed
Live Demo: [Link to be added when available]
Project Overview
I was commissioned by Building Markets to design and develop a comprehensive Carbon Footprint Calculator web application. The primary goal was to provide their network of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with an accessible, intuitive tool to measure and report on their environmental impact. This application empowers businesses to input operational data and receive instant, detailed calculations on key sustainability metrics, fostering transparency and enabling data-driven decisions for greener practices.
Key Features & Functionality
Multi-Factor Environmental Metrics:
Calculates Carbon Emissions [kg CO2e] and Carbon Savings.
Calculates Water Footprint [m3] and Water Savings.
Tracks Waste diverted from landfill [kg].
Measures Recycled materials used in production [kg].
Provides a summarized Total Carbon Emissions and Total Water Footprint.
User-Friendly Data Input: An intuitive form interface built with Livewire allows for dynamic, responsive data entry without page reloads, creating a smooth user experience for companies inputting their complex operational data.
Professional Reporting & Export: Users can generate a detailed report of their results and export it in multiple formats to support their sustainability reporting needs:
PDF Export: For formal reports and presentations.
Excel/CSV Export: For further data analysis and integration with other tools.
Print-Friendly Format: For immediate hardcopy records.
Clean & Responsive UI: The application features a modern, clean interface that is fully responsive, ensuring it works seamlessly on desktops, tablets, and mobile devices.
Technical Implementation
Backend Framework: Laravel 12. Chosen for its robust security, elegant syntax, MVC architecture, and powerful features like Eloquent ORM for efficient data handling and built-in authentication.
Frontend Interactivity: Livewire 3. This allowed for the creation of a highly dynamic, reactive frontend with real-time calculations and validation directly within the Laravel ecosystem, significantly speeding up development and enhancing user experience without writing complex JavaScript.
Data Export Libraries: Integrated dedicated libraries for generating high-fidelity PDFs Laravel-Dompdf (barryvdh/laravel-dompdf) and precise Excel exports Laravel Excel (maatwebsite/excel) with custom styling to match Building Markets' branding.
Deployment & Hosting: Configured and deployed on aDigitalOcean VPS, server using Nginx for a secure and scalable production environment.
My Role & Responsibilities
As the sole freelance developer on this project, I was responsible for the entire software development lifecycle:
Requirements Analysis: Collaborating with the Building Markets team to translate their vision and the needs of their SME users into technical specifications.
UI/UX Design & Prototyping: Designing the wireframes and user flow for the data input and results pages.
Full-Stack Development: Architecting the database, implementing the backend logic for all complex calculations, and building the frontend components.
Third-Party Integration: Researching, selecting, and integrating the optimal libraries for PDF and Excel generation.
Testing & Deployment: Conducting thorough functionality and usability testing before deploying the application to a live production server.
Client Training & Documentation: Delivering the final product along with clear documentation for the client's administrative team.
Value Delivered
This tool provides Building Markets with a powerful, branded asset to:
Empower SMEs to easily quantify and understand their environmental impact.
Promote Sustainable Practices by making sustainability metrics tangible and actionable.
Enhance Reporting Capabilities for businesses seeking grants, certifications, or wanting to improve their corporate social responsibility (CSR) profiles.
Strengthen Building Markets' Mission by providing direct, valuable tools to the businesses they support, furthering their goal of sustainable economic development.