A Construction Carbon Footprint Calculator for Early Project Planning

Overview

When a leading European provider of commercial construction solutions approached us to develop construction carbon footprint calculator to show project emissions of construction projects upfront, before their realisation, we knew we needed to dream big.

Sustainability has been a core component of the client's mission to integrate energy-efficient design and materials. Assessing the environmental impact of construction projects is an enormous advantage for planning and development. Not to mention the future of our planet!

Challenge

The client already had people handling its carbon emissions calculations. However, the volume kept growing. Every project brought another round of calculations. At the same time, the rules behind them kept shifting as sustainability regulation developed. As a result, the manual work was slow and hard to keep up with alongside the team’s other tasks.

The client also saw a gap in the market. A digital solution could make carbon emissions calculation much easier.

Our Solution: A Construction Carbon Footprint Calculator

The Carbon Footprint Calculator (CFC) is a digital tool that gives users quick, reliable CO₂ emissions estimates across every construction phase. These phases include production, usage, disposal, and recovery. The tool generates an overview of the project's carbon footprint from specific inputs like building volume, structural components, and interior design choices.

With one click, users see how alternative building choices change the final carbon emissions and their long-term impact. In addition, a built-in configurator shows a preview of the building. Because the CFC runs on these early inputs, it comes in right at the start of the sales process. It therefore gives a first read on the CO₂ equivalent long before detailed planning begins.

The client's customers can compare combinations of materials and construction methods to find the most sustainable option. All calculations draw on existing, verified CO₂ emission benchmarks that receive regular updates. These benchmarks include the carbon footprints of the client’s system elements, for example load-bearing structures and exterior wall elements. They also cover insulation materials, facade design, and interior fittings. As a result, clients can lower carbon emissions without sacrificing performance, looks, or budget.

Business Impact

With a scenario-based approach, decision-makers can reduce emissions during early design stages. They can also meet ESG targets and regulatory standards more easily while strengthening business outcomes.

The tool currently supports the construction of office buildings, commercial halls, and schools, with additional support for residential projects in development. 

For the client, the CFC has become a valuable asset in its work against climate change and a clear differentiator in the market.

Building the Construction Carbon Footprint Calculator (Technical Implementation)

We have partnered with the client on developing and scaling the Carbon Footprint Calculator since October 2022. This partnership has included infrastructure design, development, testing, and deployment. Read on for the details. 

Cloud Infrastructure & Deployment 

- Hosted on Microsoft Azure, the CFC benefits from a scalable and secure cloud environment 

- Infrastructure as Code (IaC) was implemented using Terraform and Azure DevOps, ensuring consistent and version-controlled deployments 

- Automated production deployments for smooth rollouts with minimal downtime 

Development Workflow 

- Continuously monitored code quality with SonarQube for static analysis and Snyk for vulnerability detection (among others) 

- End-to-end tests written and executed using Cypress 

- Scrum-based collaboration for easy adaptability and continuous stakeholder feedback 

Sitting on a system you’re not sure how to evolve? A Software Architecture Workshop is a low-commitment way to get a clear read and a plan.