I built a Carbon Footprint tracker for my code (using Electron?!) 🍃

Source: Dev.to

The Problem: Invisible Emissions ☁️

As developers, we are obsessed with optimization. We profile our code for time complexity ($O(n)$), memory leaks, and bundle size.
But there is one metric we usually ignore: carbon intensity. Every time we run a heavy build, spin up a Docker container, or train a model, we draw power. Depending on where you live (and your grid’s current mix of coal vs. renewables), that power has a carbon cost.

I wanted to see that cost in real‑time, so I built CarbonLint.

Solution: CarbonLint

CarbonLint is an open‑source desktop app that monitors your development environment’s energy usage and estimates the CO₂ emissions of your workflow. It helps you answer questions like:

• “How much CO₂ did that last CI/CD run generate?”
• “Is my local grid green right now, or should I wait to run this heavy task?”

The app is built with Electron, React, and Vite.

Architecture

Backend

• Uses systeminformation and node-powershell to pull raw system metrics (CPU, memory, network).

Calculation

• Applies regional grid intensity factors to convert raw kWh into gCO₂.
• The hardest part was obtaining accurate regional data; the app fetches and caches grid intensity values for the user’s location.

Frontend

• React + Chart.js for visualizing energy usage and emissions.

Contributing

I am looking for contributors to help improve the calculation models and add support for more regions.
Repository:

Tech Stack

• Electron
• React
• TailwindCSS

Call for Feedback

If you are interested in Green Software Engineering, I’d love your feedback!
Let me know in the comments: Do you track your code’s energy usage?