Emissions Monitory System

Monitoring the environment to which the employees and surrounding community members are subjected is no longer an option but a mandate according to the international labor organization (2020). But in Africa, it becomes very challenging to monitor and control as far as emissions are concerned. In 2020, South Africa was the most polluted country in Africa. That year, it emitted nearly 452 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2). Egypt ranked second with around 213 million metric tons of CO2 emissions. Algeria, Nigeria, and Morocco were the other large producers of CO2 emissions on the continent. https://www-statista-com.ezproxyberklee.flo.org/stati...Most companies, like JTI Malawi's, are trying to fight against climate change, as do other countries, but the existing technologies in Africa do not allow real-time, continuous, little human supervision, and cost-effective methods. Hence, a lot of factory workers and nearby communities are subjected to polluted environment unknowingly.

The system uses IOT principles. There are two main parts to the system. The first part is the device that measures the emissions on site, and the other part is the web and mobile-developed applications that are used to monitor and track the emissions in real-time. So, the device is made up of gas sensors and Wi-Fi integrations. When it measures the emissions, it continuously sends the real-time data to online storage. There the data is analyzed using machine learning methods and the interpolated results are fed into the website or the app.

When the user logs into the system, he or she can track the decrease and increase in the emissions of their company. The beauty of the system is that it is able to give alarms when a certain emission, i.e., carbon dioxide, exceeds the recommended level. It also gives suggestions on how to reduce the rising emissions.

The system targets companies like oil producing companies, tobacco industries, and other companies that produce emissions knowingly or unknowingly. The target audience are the workers in these companies, who are part of the production sections or work close to the emissions-producing machines. Currently, workers on such sites are subjected to unclean air. For instance, in the tobacco industry, there are workers who grade the tobacco, and some are responsible for refilling the boilers. Such workers are at a high risk of developing airborne diseases. Not forgetting the surrounding households, they are at high risk as well.

Solutions impact

• Ensure an ongoing cleaner and safer workplace and surrounding communities.
• It helps to continue law adherence and make environmentally friendly decisions.
• It helps to continuously achieve environmental goals faster, as most companies have a goal to reduce their emissions by 35% by 2030.
• Bringing in reliable solutions based on real-time data for proper action and expenditures.
• Cost-effective data collection and analysis.
• Secure and maintain investors’ trust. Investors are only willing to work with those companies that are fighting against climate change.

We are graduate internees of the Japanese tobacco company (JTI Malawi). We work under the environmental and health safety department. The department is responsible for monitoring the environmental conditions of the workplace and surrounding communities. We frequently conduct surveys and research on the premises and the companies nearby. Our team is responsible for reporting any environmental unhealth-related cases and finding solutions. As per the present project, we are encouraging all workers to freely tell us the environmental problems they are facing and what they suggest should be done. The design and implementation of the project involve three departments at the company. The IT department, the environmental and health department, as well as the factory workers (engineering) department All these departments put their ideas as to what we should do as innovators trying to solve their problems.

Firstly, our team is looking for financial support. The gas sensors and other electronic components are very extensive here in Malawi. For instance, we estimated a budget of having 15 data collection sites, and the initial investment is USD 13,985.39. We cannot manage to have such a large amount of money to fully test the system.

We project that with the system in place, companies can save a lot, as the system requires minimal maintenance after the initial installation. 

On the technical part, we would like to have mentors in programming who can help us secure and make the system effective to use, as well as how to make the system support soil and water emissions measurement. This can be done through online mentoring or face-to-face.

As for the marketing part, we would love it if we were helped to find potential customers here and outside Malawi by showcasing our idea to them through online or face-to-face interaction.

On the market, different emissions systems are available, but our system brings a new innovation in the sense that it consists of a multisensory emissions monitoring device that measures dust, GHGs, and noise. This kind of device is not available here in Africa. The other novelty comes from the automated analysis of the information to reduce human errors. The system uses machine learning models rather than human suggestions. 

We expect the system to have a broader positive impact on emissions monitoring systems as there are other companies interested in it as well.

• Ensure an ongoing cleaner and safer workplace and surrounding communities.
• It helps to continue law adherence and make environmentally friendly decisions.
• It helps to continuously achieve environmental goals faster, as most companies have a goal of reducing their emissions by 35% by 2030.
• Bringing in reliable solutions based on real-time data for proper action and expenditures.
• Cost-effective data collection and analysis
• Secure and maintain investors’ trust. Investors are only willing to work with those companies that are fighting against climate change.

For this to be achieved, we are willing to work with them in installing, training their users and providing maintenance services. 

• We are calculating the actual cost of the project. By measuring the current expenses of the project, this is helping to determine companies that can manage to have the system and how to make it available even for small companies.
• Number of mistakes: this KPI tells us the number of times we had to redo a task or rework an element of a task. Mistakes have an impact on the budget and schedule of your project. 
• Number of workers willing to be interviewed: the number of workers and companies that allow surveys to be conducted is increasing, which shows that people are hoping to have a good working environment.

It can be understood that the project wants to promote a a good working environment and the good health of workers and surrounding communities. So, our primary target audience is the workers that are close to the production. In this case, to change things, we therefore conduct one-on-one or group interviews just to understand our audience and explain to them what is expected of us as well as them. During the interviews, we also group them into classes so that they can discuss as well as make a valid decision on what to do. We also show them how the system works. Here is our theory of change: 

Our solution uses Sensory World, machine learning, and website and app development. All these combinations make an IOT-based system.

The team is made up of all the necessary professionals. One is a biomedical engineer. He is responsible for taking note of all the health-related issues and their solutions. The other is a renewable energy engineer. She is responsible for so many issues related to which energy the system device should use, environmental issues, etc. The other person is a computer engineer who develops the system. The last person is a computer systems security expert who designs the device and makes sure the system is secure.

We make sure all the members are working and participating. We believe in one team, one job. We help each other when necessary, and in that way, we become a family, sort of.

Greenforce 

Email mckampira@gmail.com  Phone +2560999746941 

BUSINESS MODEL 

EMISSIONS MONITORING SYSTEM 

1.    BUSINESS OVERVIEW  

Green Force is a company under a parent Deamcode registered company in Malawi with the registration number MBRS12039650. Its undertakings involve primarily developing computer programs aimed at blending people’s daily activities with advanced technological systems that will make life both easier and pleasurable.

In this document, Green Force resents a business concept trending by the name Emissions monitoring system. The EMS is a name of a system that Dream Code intends to develop whose primary use will be in polluting gas emitting companies. This system will be available in both web and mobile app versions. It is designed to help companies,  be able to have control over the emissions they produce by monitoring them continuously in real-time.

2.   PROCESS FLOW

 

2.1.      Features and Functionalities

The system uses IoT principles. There are two main parts to the system. The first part is the device that measures the emissions on-site, and the other part is the web and mobile-developed applications that are used to monitor and track the emissions in real-time. So, the device is made up of gas sensors and Wi-Fi integrations. When it measures the emissions, it continuously sends the real-time data to online storage. There the data is analyzed using machine learning methods and the interpolated results are fed into the website or the app.

2.2.     Pricing

The price has been set with considerations based on development costs and threats from competitors.

The complete system will be sold at 20000 USD.

This price covers the web and the mobile versions of the system as well as the electronic equipment that will be running the system. The electronic equipment will be only for one working environment (one branch of a company for example).

 

2.3.     Profitability Based on Approximations

The development cost has been estimated at 14000 USD.

This consists of 6000 USD for the system development (web and mobile app) and 8000 USD for the supporting electronic equipment.

This means that for each set, there will be a profit of 20000 USD - 14000 USD = 6000 USD.

However, the profit margin is expected to be even much higher since when a company intends to install the system in many other branches, they will only be required to buy the supporting electronic system at a price of 14000 USD. per branches and the system will be given free of charge. This means that more profits will also be realized from the sales of the supporting equipment.

3.   MARKET OPPORTUNITY

 

3.1.      Target Market

The system targets companies like oil-producing companies, tobacco industries, and other companies that produce emissions knowingly or unknowingly. The target audience is the workers in these companies, who are part of the production sections or work close to the emissions-producing machines. Currently, workers on such sites are subjected to unclean air. For instance, in the tobacco industry, there are workers who grade the tobacco, and some are responsible for refilling the boilers. Such workers are at a high risk of developing airborne diseases. Not forgetting the surrounding households, they are at high risk as well.

3.2.     Marketing Plan

In order to gain publicity, Green Force embark on a massive advertisement campaign so that the software should be known by the public. Social media, websites, TV, radio, and newspapers are some of the platforms which will be used in the marketing plan,

To ensure the satisfaction of our intended customers, we will be offering free maintenance of the system for the first 5 (five) years from the date of installation.

In case of updated versions of the system, our customers will benefit from the free installation of the first update only and for the later updates, they will be buying a 75% discount on the price.

 

4.   BUSINESS ANALYSIS

 

Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities & Threats (SWOT) Analysis

Strengths

• Excellent knowledge in software development and database systems management
• Availability of necessary machinery and platforms to carry out the development exercise

Weaknesses

• Lack of financial resources to facilitate the whole development exercise

Opportunities

Readily availability of a market: Tobacco companies, etc. Availability of platforms for testing the final product

Threats

Competitor systems like Smart House and other software developers may develop a similar system.

 

5.   BUSINESS NEEDS

 

5.1.      Resource Requirements

The main resource requirement for this business is the finances required for financing the development phase of the software, obtaining the supporting electronic system, and paying for costs during the testing phase.

Our estimation is that these may cost up to 14000 USD.

 

5.2.     Building a Team

Green force as a company has 4 members. This team is enough for the development exercise as it consists of members with varied, yet complementing, abilities as far as computer programming is concerned.

However, during the testing and installation phases, there will be a need to hire an extra labour force to ensure the proper undertaking of the exercise.

 

6.   BUSINESS PLANS

 

Forecasting and Planning

Upon the establishment of this business, future plans include undertaking a customer satisfaction survey aimed at finding areas of improvement for the system.

The company further intends to embark on a problem-identification exercise with the sole aim of revealing more areas where computerized systems may be exploited for excellent service delivery.

We also intend to modify the system so that it can be applicable even underneath the waters and soil environment.

Finally, Green Force plans to position itself as the best provider of computer-programming-related services in the country by venturing into various impactful projects aimed at adding value to businesses as well as other applications in the socio-economic arena.

 

 

We intend to use the donations and grants to develop the system so that it is fully operational. Then we will test and start selling the system to companies. The initial investment is 14,000 USD, and the system will be sold at 20,000 USD. That means I will be making a profit of $60,000 USD. The profit will be used to build other systems. In that way, we will sustain ourselves as we are slowly becoming more independent.

Currently, we have not been able to secure any funding.