CO₂ Forecasting at the Touch of a Button

Overview

When a leading European provider of commercial construction solutions approached us to develop an app that could show the carbon footprint 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. The problem was volume. Every project brought another round of them, and the rules underneath kept shifting as sustainability regulation developed, so there was always something new to stay on top of. Done by hand at that pace, the work was slow and hard to keep up with alongside everything else on the team's plate.

The client recognised this gap in the market and saw an opportunity to bring in a digital solution that brings ease of use to the carbon emissions calculation process.

Our Solution

The Carbon Footprint Calculator (CFC) is a digital tool designed to provide users with quick and reliable CO₂ emissions estimates across every construction phase, including production, usage, disposal, and recovery. The app generates an overview of the project's carbon footprint based on specific information such as building volume, structural components, and interior design choices.

With the click of a button, you can see how alternative building choices affect the final carbon emissions and understand their direct long-term impact. The tool also feature a built-in configurator that bring ups a preview of the building, and because it runs on those early inputs, the CFC comes in right at the start of the sales process, giving a first read on the CO₂ equivalent long before detailed planning begins.

The client's customers can explore different combinations of materials and construction methods to determine the most sustainable solution. The calculations are based on existing and verified CO₂ emission benchmarks, which are regularly updated. These benchmarks work with the carbon footprints of the client's system elements, such as load-bearing structures and exterior wall elements, as well as insulation materials, facade design, and interior fittings. Thanks to the CFC, minimizing carbon emissions does not have to lead clients to sacrifice performance, looks, or budget. 

Business Impact

By offering a scenario-based approach, decision-makers are empowered to reduce emissions during early design stages, and can easily meet ESG targets and regulatory standards 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.

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 and 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