VoltTrack: Dorm Energy Saver

Inspiration

Living in a dormitory at Institut Teknologi Del, I noticed a common recurring problem: many students often forget to turn off lights, fans, or chargers when they rush to their morning classes. This leads to a massive amount of wasted energy across campus. I wanted to create a solution that doesn't just "remind" people, but actually makes saving energy fun and rewarding through competition and community engagement.

What it does

VoltTrack is a gamified mobile application designed for students living in shared housing. It allows users to log their daily energy-saving actions (like "I turned off my lights today") to earn points. These points contribute to a real-time leaderboard where different dorm buildings or rooms compete to see who can be the most "eco-friendly." By turning a chore into a game, VoltTrack encourages sustainable habits that reduce the campus's overall electricity costs.

How I built it

The project is built using a modern full-stack approach:

• Frontend: React Native with Expo, allowing for a smooth experience on both Android and iOS devices.
• Backend: Node.js and Express to handle the API logic and user authentication.
• Database: Supabase (PostgreSQL) for real-time data synchronization, which is crucial for the live leaderboard feature.
• Design: Figma was used to create a user-centric interface that focuses on simplicity and "habit-triggering" visuals.

Challenges I ran into

The biggest challenge was designing a user experience that motivates students to open the app every single day. Initially, I struggled with how to verify energy-saving actions. I decided to solve this by focusing on a "Trust-based Gamification" model, where users build a "Sustainability Streak." If they miss a day, they lose their streak, which proved to be a powerful psychological motivator during initial concept testing.

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

I am proud of creating a functional prototype that addresses a very real problem in my immediate environment. Successfully integrating a real-time leaderboard using Supabase was a major technical milestone for me, as it brings the "competitive" aspect of the app to life.

What I learned

Through this project, I learned the importance of "Behavioral Design"—how software can actually influence human habits. I also gained deeper technical knowledge in managing real-time databases and building cross-platform mobile applications efficiently.

What's next for VoltTrack

In the future, I plan to integrate IoT (Internet of Things) sensors to automate the energy tracking process. I also aim to utilize Google Cloud Vertex AI to provide personalized energy-saving tips for students based on their historical usage patterns, making the app even smarter and more impactful.

Built With

• express.js
• figma
• javascript
• node.js
• postgresql
• react-native
• supabase