About the Project
When I came to SunHacks 2025, I wanted to work on something that connects everyday life with sustainability. That’s how EcoSpend Guard was born.
Inspiration
I noticed how most of us swipe cards or shop online without realizing the hidden carbon footprint behind those purchases. I wanted to build something that not only tracks this but also gives actionable, AI-driven nudges to help reduce it.
What I Built
I designed EcoSpend Guard as a full-stack solution:
A FastAPI backend that ingests transactions (CSV uploads or live Amazon orders through our Chrome extension).
AI-powered classification using Gemini to bucket merchants into categories like travel, groceries, or streaming.
Anomaly detection logic that flags duplicates, spending spikes, and recurring subscriptions.
A sleek React + Tailwind dashboard that visualizes spend vs CO₂ emissions, shows categories in charts and grids, and highlights anomalies.
An AI agent system that generates personalized reduction plans to hit carbon reduction targets.
Challenges
The hardest part was wiring up the Chrome extension with the backend and making sure the data looked clean enough to analyze. I also had to debug plenty of API key / env variable issues to get Gemini and OpenAI running smoothly. On the frontend, it was a race against time to polish the design so it felt hackathon-worthy.
What I Learned
I learned how to go beyond a “basic dashboard” by introducing agents, which make the system proactive instead of passive. I also got hands-on experience combining multiple AI models, integrating APIs, and designing something that looks as good as it works.
Next Steps
EcoSpend Guard can expand by adding bank and insurance integrations, gamifying user progress, and letting communities track collective impact.
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