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Data Visualization Tutorial

This tutorial provides a step-by-step guide to visualizing your emissions data using Carbon GPT's data visualization tools, helping you gain insights and communicate your carbon footprint effectively.

Prerequisites

Tutorial Overview

In this tutorial, you will learn how to:

  1. Access Carbon GPT's visualization tools
  2. Create different types of charts and graphs
  3. Customize visualizations for specific needs
  4. Interpret visual data representations
  5. Share and export visualizations

Step 1: Accessing Visualization Tools

Finding the Visualization Features

  1. Log in to your Carbon GPT account
  2. Navigate to Analytics > Visualizations
  3. Alternatively, access visualization options from the Dashboard by clicking Create Visualization

Understanding the Visualization Interface

The main components of the visualization interface include:

  • Chart Selection Panel: Choose from various chart types
  • Data Selection Area: Select the data to visualize
  • Configuration Panel: Customize chart appearance and behavior
  • Preview Area: See how your visualization will look
  • Toolbar: Access additional options and actions

Step 2: Creating Basic Charts

Emissions by Source Pie Chart

  1. In the Chart Selection Panel, choose Pie Chart
  2. In Data Selection, select:
    • Data Type: Emissions
    • Grouping: By Source
    • Time Period: Select your desired period (e.g., current year)
  3. Click Generate Chart
  4. Review the pie chart showing the proportion of emissions from different sources

Emissions Trend Line Chart

  1. Select Line Chart from the Chart Selection Panel
  2. In Data Selection, choose:
    • Data Type: Emissions
    • Y-Axis: Total Emissions (tCO2e)
    • X-Axis: Time (Month/Quarter/Year)
    • Time Range: Select your desired range
  3. Click Generate Chart
  4. Examine the trend line showing emissions over time

Emissions by Facility Bar Chart

  1. Select Bar Chart from the Chart Selection Panel
  2. In Data Selection, configure:
    • Data Type: Emissions
    • Grouping: By Facility
    • Sort Order: Highest to Lowest
    • Limit: Top 10 (or as needed)
  3. Click Generate Chart
  4. Review the bar chart comparing emissions across facilities

Step 3: Advanced Visualization Techniques

Multi-Series Comparison Charts

To compare emissions across different dimensions:

  1. Select Combo Chart from the Chart Selection Panel
  2. In Data Selection, configure:
    • Primary Y-Axis: Emissions (tCO2e)
    • Secondary Y-Axis: Intensity Metric (e.g., tCO2e per revenue)
    • X-Axis: Time Period
    • Series: Select multiple categories to compare
  3. Click Generate Chart
  4. Analyze the chart showing multiple data series for comparison

Heat Maps for Emissions Intensity

To visualize emissions intensity across your organization:

  1. Select Heat Map from the Chart Selection Panel
  2. Configure the heat map:
    • Data Type: Emissions Intensity
    • Rows: Facilities/Departments
    • Columns: Time Periods
    • Color Scale: Select appropriate scale
  3. Click Generate Chart
  4. Interpret the heat map showing emissions intensity patterns

Sankey Diagrams for Emissions Flow

To visualize the flow of emissions through your organization:

  1. Select Sankey Diagram from the Chart Selection Panel
  2. Configure the diagram:
    • Source Nodes: Emission Sources
    • Target Nodes: Scopes/Categories
    • Values: Emission Quantities
  3. Click Generate Chart
  4. Examine the Sankey diagram showing emissions flow

Step 4: Customizing Visualizations

Chart Appearance Customization

  1. With your chart displayed, click Customize Appearance
  2. Adjust visual elements:
    • Colors: Change the color scheme
    • Labels: Modify text labels and annotations
    • Legend: Configure legend position and format
    • Axes: Adjust scales, titles, and gridlines
    • Title: Add a descriptive title and subtitle

Interactive Elements

Add interactive features to your visualizations:

  1. Click Add Interactivity
  2. Select from options:
    • Tooltips: Configure hover information
    • Drill-Down: Enable clicking for more detailed views
    • Filters: Add interactive filtering options
    • Animations: Add transitions between data views

Context and Annotations

Add context to your visualizations:

  1. Click Add Annotations
  2. Select from options:
    • Trend Lines: Add regression or moving average lines
    • Benchmarks: Add industry average or target lines
    • Events: Mark significant events or milestones
    • Notes: Add explanatory text boxes

Step 5: Creating Dashboard Visualizations

Adding Charts to Dashboards

  1. Navigate to Dashboard > Customize
  2. Click Add Widget
  3. Select Visualization Widget
  4. Choose from:
    • Existing Visualization: Select a saved chart
    • New Visualization: Create a new chart
  5. Configure widget size and position
  6. Click Save Dashboard

Creating Multi-Chart Dashboards

For comprehensive visual analysis:

  1. Add multiple visualization widgets to your dashboard
  2. Arrange them in a logical layout
  3. Consider creating themed sections:
    • Overview: Summary charts of total emissions
    • Trends: Time-series visualizations
    • Comparisons: Charts comparing different aspects
    • Details: More specific breakdowns

Interactive Dashboards

Create dashboards with linked visualizations:

  1. Click Dashboard Settings
  2. Enable Interactive Mode
  3. Configure Cross-Filtering:
    • Select which charts should filter others
    • Define filter relationships
  4. Test the interactive features

Step 6: Sharing and Exporting Visualizations

Exporting Individual Charts

  1. With your chart displayed, click Export
  2. Choose your preferred format:
    • Image: PNG, JPG for simple sharing
    • PDF: For high-quality documents
    • SVG: For scalable vector graphics
    • Interactive HTML: For web embedding
  3. Configure export settings
  4. Click Download

Sharing Visualizations

Share your visualizations with stakeholders:

  1. Click Share on any visualization
  2. Choose sharing method:
    • Email: Send directly to recipients
    • Link: Generate shareable link
    • Embed: Get code to embed in websites
    • Schedule: Set up recurring delivery

Incorporating into Reports

Add visualizations to Carbon GPT reports:

  1. Navigate to Reports > Create Report
  2. In the report editor, click Insert Visualization
  3. Select from your saved visualizations
  4. Adjust size and positioning
  5. Add context and explanatory text

Best Practices

Effective Data Visualization

  • Simplicity: Focus on the key message, avoid clutter
  • Appropriate Chart Types: Use the right chart for your data type
  • Consistent Scales: Use consistent scales for fair comparisons
  • Color Usage: Use color purposefully and consistently
  • Context: Always provide necessary context for interpretation

Telling the Emissions Story

  • Structure visualizations to tell a coherent story
  • Start with the big picture, then drill down to details
  • Highlight key insights and anomalies
  • Include benchmarks and targets for context
  • Consider your audience's familiarity with the data

Avoiding Common Pitfalls

  • Beware of misleading scales and truncated axes
  • Avoid 3D charts that can distort perception
  • Don't overload charts with too many data series
  • Ensure color choices are accessible to all users
  • Test visualizations with actual users for clarity

Next Steps