CARBON FOOTPRINT CALCULATOR FOR PRODUCT STRUCTURE DATA
Hidri, Robert (2023)
Hidri, Robert
2023
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2023051510911
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2023051510911
Tiivistelmä
This thesis was a practical project that developed a functional tool designed to calculate the carbon footprint based on the structure of the product. To create this calculator, extensive research was needed to establish a comprehensive knowledge base. The purpose of this project was to help the client company have a truthful display of their product's carbon footprint.
The project began with an exploration of the concept of carbon footprint, its relationship with products, and the existing standards and formulas used to calculate CO2 emissions. The cradle-to-gate approach was chosen from the product's life cycle. This approach made it easier to have, a more accurate and efficient calculation of a product's carbon footprint. The primary factors that influence the products' carbon footprint are components, production, transport, storage, packaging, marketing, sales, research, and development. An Excel spreadsheet was created to catalog all the components and necessary information for calculating CO2 emissions. This spreadsheet was then used in conjunction with the product structure to create a comprehensive table that serves as both a data source and a repository for results. Once the calculations were done and all Excel tables were created the data was imported into a Power Bi dashboard for easy visualization and interpretation. During the software development process, emphasis was placed on clean, understandable, and efficient code to facilitate future upgrades and improvements. During the testing phase of the calculator, it was determined that most of a product's carbon footprint results from the components and transport footprint.
As a result of this thesis, a software tool was developed that can calculate the CO2 values of the product and visualize those results. During the software development process, the focus was on producing clean, understandable, and efficient code to facilitate future upgrades and improvements. The testing phase revealed that a product's carbon footprint was most significantly influenced by the components used and transport requirements. Thus, this tool was designed to assist companies in making more environmentally conscious decisions in these critical areas.
The project began with an exploration of the concept of carbon footprint, its relationship with products, and the existing standards and formulas used to calculate CO2 emissions. The cradle-to-gate approach was chosen from the product's life cycle. This approach made it easier to have, a more accurate and efficient calculation of a product's carbon footprint. The primary factors that influence the products' carbon footprint are components, production, transport, storage, packaging, marketing, sales, research, and development. An Excel spreadsheet was created to catalog all the components and necessary information for calculating CO2 emissions. This spreadsheet was then used in conjunction with the product structure to create a comprehensive table that serves as both a data source and a repository for results. Once the calculations were done and all Excel tables were created the data was imported into a Power Bi dashboard for easy visualization and interpretation. During the software development process, emphasis was placed on clean, understandable, and efficient code to facilitate future upgrades and improvements. During the testing phase of the calculator, it was determined that most of a product's carbon footprint results from the components and transport footprint.
As a result of this thesis, a software tool was developed that can calculate the CO2 values of the product and visualize those results. During the software development process, the focus was on producing clean, understandable, and efficient code to facilitate future upgrades and improvements. The testing phase revealed that a product's carbon footprint was most significantly influenced by the components used and transport requirements. Thus, this tool was designed to assist companies in making more environmentally conscious decisions in these critical areas.