Whale tales | Case studies and client projects
Sustainable website design for a Victorian solar energy company
- Carbon footprint: F grade → A grade
- 99% reduction in average CO₂ emissions
- Estimated 111 kg CO₂ saved per year
Project snapshot
Client
Industry / sector
Service delivered
Phase 1: Surge (eco-optimisation VIP sprint)
Phase 2: Spyhop (custom one-page design and build)
Location
Both phases done as white label projects
The Brief
A two-phase sustainable website transformation for a solar energy business
This project came to me as a white label collaboration – the end client’s website, delivered through a trusted creative partner with whom I’m the invisible hand in the background.
The client was a Victorian solar energy company with a one-page website that had quietly become a liability. Slow to load, heavy on carbon, poor on mobile, and long overdue for a rethink – it simply wasn’t reflecting the values of a business built on clean energy. A solar company with a high-carbon website is a credibility gap you can measure in grams of CO₂ per visit. And at 9.355g per visit, there was plenty to measure.
The briefing process was thorough: working closely with my white label partner to understand the client’s brand, values, and goals, and map out exactly what the site needed to do and how it needed to perform. From there, we identified a clear two-phase approach: a Surge eco-optimisation sprint first to stabilise performance and reduce the environmental damage while the client prepared for a full redesign, followed by a complete Spyhop rebuild once they were ready.
The aim? A site that loads fast, works hard, and finally reflects the values of a renewable energy business.
What I did
From eco-optimisation sprint to custom sustainable website build
Because this project unfolded in two distinct phases, here’s how each one worked.
Phase 1: Surge – Eco-optimisation VIP sprint (June)
Before any redesign could happen, the site needed stabilising. I kicked off a Surge sprint to target the worst performance and carbon offenders, buying the client some much-needed breathing room while the rebuild was planned.
Phase 1 included:
- Advanced image optimisation and compression
- Plugin audit, cleanup, and updates
- Backend security improvements
- Caching implementation for faster load times
- General technical performance tightening
The result from Phase 1 alone: carbon grade improved from F to B, with a 96% reduction in emissions and mobile load speed more than halved. A huge improvement – but with a site this far behind, there was still more to do.
Phase 2: Spyhop – Custom one-page redesign and build (September/October)
With the site stabilised, Phase 2 was the full transformation. A complete custom redesign and rebuild, this time with sustainability, UX, accessibility, and ease of editing built in from day one, not retrofitted at the end.
Phase 2 included:
- Full UX strategy and site structure planning
- Custom design aligned with the client’s brand and values
- Rebuild using a modern, lightweight page builder
- Eco-optimisation considered at every component level
- Accessibility-informed design improvements throughout
- Simplified backend structure so the client can update independently
- Before and after carbon footprint measurement
The Fluke Code in Action
Building a Carbon-Conscious Website for a Renewable Energy Company
Every Whale Tail Digital project follows the Fluke Code – five pillars that make sure sustainability, accessibility, and performance are built in from the start, not bolted on at the end. Here’s how it showed up across both phases for the solar company.
Lightweight design
Starting from nearly 10g of CO₂ per page visit, every component of the rebuilt site was chosen for lightness. New design, lean build, intentional content. The result is a site that carries a fraction of the footprint it once did.
Efficient build
Phase 2 used a modern, lightweight page builder from scratch – no legacy code, no bloat carried over, no unnecessary plugins along for the ride. Clean is fast, and fast is sustainable.
Responsible infrastructure
Smart caching and performance optimisation were central to both phases: first as emergency stabilisation work in Phase 1, then as a permanent foundation in the Phase 2 rebuild.
Inclusive access
Accessibility-informed improvements were woven through the Phase 2 redesign: improved UX structure, clearer visual hierarchy, and a site that works for a broader range of users.
Measurable impact
Carbon footprint benchmarked before Phase 1, after Phase 1, and after Phase 2 using three independent tools. End result: F grade → A grade, 99% reduction in average emissions.
The Results
Before and after: Carbon footprint and performance for a solar company website
Metric | Before | After (Phase 1) | After (Phase 2) |
|---|---|---|---|
Carbon grade | F | B | A |
Average CO₂ per page visit | 9.355g | 0.324g | 0.087g |
Page weight | 27.42 MB | 908.93 KB | 346.25 KB |
Mobile Speed Index | 7.8 secs | 3.7 secs | 1.9 secs |
The key wins
- Carbon grade improved from F to A across two phases
- 99% reduction in average CO₂ emissions (9.355g → 0.087g)
- 96% carbon reduction achieved in Phase 1 alone (9.355g → 0.324g)
- Page weight reduced from a massive 27.42 MB to 346.25 KB – a 99% decrease
- Phase 1 alone cut page weight from 27.42 MB to 908.93 KB
- Mobile load speed more than halved in Phase 1 (7.8s → 3.7s), then 75% faster than the original after Phase 2 (1.9s)
- Significantly improved UX and conversion flow
- A site that finally reflects the values of a renewable energy business
The Sustainability Impact
What 99% carbon reduction means for a renewable energy brand
Of all the projects in the Whale Tail Digital case study library, this one carries the most dramatic transformation… and the most fitting one.
A solar company exists to deliver clean energy. Every panel installed, every kilowatt-hour of renewable power generated, is a step toward a lower-carbon world. Having a website that generated 9.355g of CO₂ per visit wasn’t just a performance problem. It was a values problem.
Starting from that F-grade baseline and arriving at 0.087g per visit is a 99% reduction in average emissions – and it puts this site firmly in A-grade carbon territory. Worth noting: the Phase 2 build initially landed at 0.140g, which would already have been an exceptional result. But with a bit more investigation and a few targeted tweaks, it came down further to 0.087g. That’s the difference between calling it done and calling it right. With a Victorian client base generating visits day after day, that compounds into something meaningful.
Estimated annual savings: 111 kg of CO₂ no longer entering the atmosphere each year. That’s the equivalent of 444 km of driving not taken, or the carbon work of approximately 5 trees over a full year.
Sustainable energy, delivered sustainably. That’s what this project was always supposed to be.
What they said
Kind words from clients
Phase 1 feedback – white label partner:
“Woooo look at you go! You work magic!”
“YOU. ARE. AMAZING!”
Phase 2 feedback – white label partner:
“OMG I love that!”
“Oh wow, you are amazing!”
“Oh, that’s looking great!!!”
“Fantastic!”
“LOVE it!
Dream Team us!”
Feedback from the end client:
“I’ve had a brief look at the new website, and I think it looks pretty good. I’ve checked on my phone and laptop, and both work fine.”