diff --git a/.dockerignore b/.dockerignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..636fe4b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.dockerignore
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+# Dependencies
+node_modules
+**/node_modules
+npm-debug.log*
+yarn-debug.log*
+yarn-error.log*
+pnpm-debug.log*
+
+# Build outputs
+.next
+.turbo
+dist
+build
+out
+*.log
+
+# Environment files
+.env
+.env.local
+.env.development.local
+.env.test.local
+.env.production.local
+
+# Git
+.git
+.gitignore
+.gitattributes
+
+# IDE
+.vscode
+.idea
+*.swp
+*.swo
+*~
+.DS_Store
+
+# Testing
+coverage
+.nyc_output
+
+# Misc
+*.md
+!README.md
+.editorconfig
+.prettierrc
+.eslintrc*
diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5f5df93
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+# Node Environment
+NODE_ENV=development
+
+# PostgreSQL Configuration
+POSTGRES_USER=lightsaver
+POSTGRES_PASSWORD=lightsaver_dev
+POSTGRES_DB=lightsaver
+DATABASE_URL=postgresql://lightsaver:lightsaver_dev@localhost:5432/lightsaver
+
+# RabbitMQ Configuration
+RABBITMQ_USER=lightsaver
+RABBITMQ_PASSWORD=lightsaver_dev
+RABBITMQ_URL=amqp://lightsaver:lightsaver_dev@localhost:5672
+
+# API Configuration
+API_PORT=4000
+
+# Frontend Configuration
+NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL=http://localhost:4000/graphql
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 0e8040f..ec0117c 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -1,33 +1,50 @@
+# Production Build - Podman Compatible
 # 1. Build stage
-FROM node:22-slim AS builder
+FROM docker.io/library/node:22-slim AS builder
 
 ENV NVM_DIR=/root/.nvm
 ENV NODE_VERSION=22
 
 # Install dependencies for Node
-RUN apt-get update &&  apt-get dist-upgrade -y && apt-get install -y ca-certificates build-essential 
+RUN apt-get update && \
+    apt-get dist-upgrade -y && \
+    apt-get install -y ca-certificates build-essential && \
+    apt-get clean && \
+    rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 
 # Enable corepack and prepare pnpm
 RUN corepack enable && corepack prepare pnpm@latest --activate
 
 WORKDIR /app
 
-COPY . .
+# Copy package files first for better layer caching
+COPY package.json pnpm-lock.yaml pnpm-workspace.yaml turbo.json ./
+COPY apps/lightsaver_user_client/package.json ./apps/lightsaver_user_client/
+COPY packages ./packages
 
-RUN yes | pnpm install
+# Install dependencies
+RUN pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
 
+# Copy source code
+COPY apps/lightsaver_user_client ./apps/lightsaver_user_client
+
+# Build the application
 RUN pnpm turbo run build --filter=lightsaver_user_client...
 
-#debugging
-RUN ls -al /app/apps/lightsaver_user_client
-
 # 2. Production stage
-FROM node:22-slim
+FROM docker.io/library/node:22-slim
 
 WORKDIR /app
 
-COPY --from=builder /app/apps/lightsaver_user_client ./
+# Copy built application and dependencies
+COPY --from=builder /app/apps/lightsaver_user_client/.next ./apps/lightsaver_user_client/.next
+COPY --from=builder /app/apps/lightsaver_user_client/public ./apps/lightsaver_user_client/public
+COPY --from=builder /app/apps/lightsaver_user_client/package.json ./apps/lightsaver_user_client/
 COPY --from=builder /app/node_modules ./node_modules
 COPY --from=builder /app/packages ./packages
+COPY --from=builder /app/package.json ./
 
-EXPOSE 3000
\ No newline at end of file
+EXPOSE 3000
+
+# Run the production server
+CMD ["node_modules/.bin/next", "start", "apps/lightsaver_user_client"]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Dockerfile.api b/Dockerfile.api
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2c69f05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Dockerfile.api
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+# Backend API Dockerfile for Podman
+FROM docker.io/library/node:22-slim
+
+# Install required dependencies
+RUN apt-get update && \
+    apt-get dist-upgrade -y && \
+    apt-get install -y ca-certificates build-essential && \
+    apt-get clean && \
+    rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+
+# Enable corepack and prepare pnpm
+RUN corepack enable && corepack prepare pnpm@latest --activate
+
+# Set working directory
+WORKDIR /app
+
+# Copy package files
+COPY package.json pnpm-lock.yaml pnpm-workspace.yaml ./
+COPY turbo.json ./
+
+# Copy service and package directories
+COPY services/package.json ./services/
+COPY packages ./packages
+
+# Install dependencies
+RUN pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
+
+# Copy service source code
+COPY services ./services
+
+# Expose API port
+EXPOSE 4000
+
+# Default command (can be overridden in docker-compose)
+CMD ["pnpm", "--filter", "api", "dev"]
diff --git a/Dockerfile.frontend b/Dockerfile.frontend
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5405ea4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Dockerfile.frontend
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+# Frontend Dockerfile for Podman
+FROM docker.io/library/node:22-slim
+
+# Install required dependencies
+RUN apt-get update && \
+    apt-get dist-upgrade -y && \
+    apt-get install -y ca-certificates build-essential && \
+    apt-get clean && \
+    rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+
+# Enable corepack and prepare pnpm
+RUN corepack enable && corepack prepare pnpm@latest --activate
+
+# Set working directory
+WORKDIR /app
+
+# Copy package files
+COPY package.json pnpm-lock.yaml pnpm-workspace.yaml ./
+COPY turbo.json ./
+
+# Copy app and package directories
+COPY apps/lightsaver_user_client/package.json ./apps/lightsaver_user_client/
+COPY packages ./packages
+
+# Install dependencies
+RUN pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
+
+# Copy app source code
+COPY apps/lightsaver_user_client ./apps/lightsaver_user_client
+
+# Expose Next.js port
+EXPOSE 3000
+
+# Default command (can be overridden in docker-compose)
+CMD ["pnpm", "--filter", "lightsaver_user_client", "dev", "--", "--turbopack"]
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..793ae24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+.PHONY: help dev up down build rebuild logs clean install test
+
+# Default target
+help:
+	@echo "LightSaver - Podman Development Commands"
+	@echo ""
+	@echo "Available targets:"
+	@echo "  make dev        - Start all services in development mode with hot-reload"
+	@echo "  make up         - Start all services in detached mode"
+	@echo "  make down       - Stop all services"
+	@echo "  make build      - Build all service images"
+	@echo "  make rebuild    - Rebuild and restart all services"
+	@echo "  make logs       - Follow logs from all services"
+	@echo "  make logs-api   - Follow logs from API service"
+	@echo "  make logs-fe    - Follow logs from frontend service"
+	@echo "  make clean      - Stop services and remove volumes"
+	@echo "  make install    - Install dependencies in running containers"
+	@echo "  make shell-api  - Open shell in API container"
+	@echo "  make shell-fe   - Open shell in frontend container"
+	@echo "  make db-shell   - Open PostgreSQL shell"
+	@echo "  make setup      - Initial setup (copy .env, install deps)"
+
+# Start services in development mode with hot-reload
+dev:
+	podman-compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.dev.yml up
+
+# Start services in detached mode
+up:
+	podman-compose up -d
+
+# Stop all services
+down:
+	podman-compose down
+
+# Build all images
+build:
+	podman-compose build
+
+# Rebuild and restart
+rebuild:
+	podman-compose down
+	podman-compose build
+	podman-compose up -d
+
+# View logs
+logs:
+	podman-compose logs -f
+
+logs-api:
+	podman-compose logs -f api
+
+logs-fe:
+	podman-compose logs -f frontend
+
+logs-db:
+	podman-compose logs -f postgres
+
+logs-mq:
+	podman-compose logs -f rabbitmq
+
+# Stop and remove everything including volumes
+clean:
+	podman-compose down -v
+	@echo "Cleaned up all containers and volumes"
+
+# Install dependencies
+install:
+	podman-compose exec frontend pnpm install
+	podman-compose exec api pnpm install
+
+# Open shells
+shell-api:
+	podman-compose exec api sh
+
+shell-fe:
+	podman-compose exec frontend sh
+
+# Database shell
+db-shell:
+	podman-compose exec postgres psql -U lightsaver -d lightsaver
+
+# Initial setup
+setup:
+	@if [ ! -f .env ]; then cp .env.example .env; echo "Created .env file"; fi
+	@echo "Setup complete! Run 'make dev' to start development"
+
+# Production build
+prod-build:
+	podman build -t lightsaver-app .
+
+# Run production container
+prod-run:
+	podman run -p 3000:3000 lightsaver-app
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 686c078..e6f15d5 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -6,20 +6,122 @@
 - **GraphQL**: API query language for flexible and efficient data fetching.
 - **Express.js**: Fast, unopinionated web framework for Node.js, powering the backend API.
 - **PostgreSQL**: Relational database for persistent storage.
-- **Docker**: Containerization for consistent deployment.
+- **Podman & Podman Compose**: Container orchestration for local development and deployment.
 - **Terraform CDKTF**: Infrastructure as Code (IaC) using the Cloud Development Kit for Terraform.
 - **RabbitMQ**: Message broker for asynchronous communication and background processing.
 
-## Docker Commands
+## Prerequisites
 
-To build the Docker image:
+- **Podman**: Install from [podman.io](https://podman.io/getting-started/installation)
+- **Podman Compose**: Install via `pip install podman-compose`
+- **Node.js**: Version 22.17.0 or higher
+- **pnpm**: Package manager (installed via corepack)
 
+## Local Development with Podman
+
+### Quick Start
+
+1. **Clone the repository**
+   ```sh
+   git clone <repository-url>
+   cd lightsaver
+   ```
+
+2. **Set up environment variables**
+   ```sh
+   cp .env.example .env
+   # Edit .env with your configuration if needed
+   ```
+
+3. **Start all services with Podman Compose**
+   ```sh
+   # Development mode with hot-reload
+   podman-compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.dev.yml up
+
+   # Or use the base configuration only
+   podman-compose up
+   ```
+
+4. **Access the applications**
+   - Frontend: http://localhost:3000
+   - Backend API: http://localhost:4000
+   - RabbitMQ Management: http://localhost:15672 (user: lightsaver, password: lightsaver_dev)
+   - PostgreSQL: localhost:5432
+
+### Available Podman Commands
+
+**Start services in detached mode:**
 ```sh
-docker build -t lightsaver-app .
+podman-compose up -d
 ```
 
-To run the container:
-
+**Stop services:**
 ```sh
-docker run -p 3000:3000 lightsaver-app
-```
\ No newline at end of file
+podman-compose down
+```
+
+**Stop services and remove volumes:**
+```sh
+podman-compose down -v
+```
+
+**View logs:**
+```sh
+# All services
+podman-compose logs -f
+
+# Specific service
+podman-compose logs -f frontend
+podman-compose logs -f api
+```
+
+**Rebuild services:**
+```sh
+podman-compose build
+podman-compose up --build
+```
+
+**Run commands in a service container:**
+```sh
+# Frontend
+podman-compose exec frontend pnpm install
+podman-compose exec frontend pnpm build
+
+# API
+podman-compose exec api pnpm install
+```
+
+### Production Build
+
+Build the production image:
+```sh
+podman build -t lightsaver-app .
+```
+
+Run the production container:
+```sh
+podman run -p 3000:3000 lightsaver-app
+```
+
+### Service Architecture
+
+The project uses the following services:
+
+- **frontend**: Next.js application (port 3000)
+- **api**: Express + GraphQL API (port 4000)
+- **postgres**: PostgreSQL database (port 5432)
+- **rabbitmq**: RabbitMQ message broker (ports 5672, 15672)
+
+### Troubleshooting
+
+**Port conflicts:**
+If ports are already in use, modify the port mappings in `docker-compose.yml`.
+
+**Permission issues with volumes:**
+Podman runs rootless by default. Add `:z` or `:Z` to volume mounts if you encounter permission issues.
+
+**SELinux issues:**
+The dev compose file includes `:z` flags for volume mounts to handle SELinux contexts.
+
+**Container doesn't start:**
+Check logs with `podman-compose logs <service-name>` to diagnose issues.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docker-compose.dev.yml b/docker-compose.dev.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b825357
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker-compose.dev.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+version: '3.8'
+
+# Development-specific configuration
+# Usage: podman-compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.dev.yml up
+
+services:
+  postgres:
+    ports:
+      - "5432:5432"
+    volumes:
+      - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
+      # Add local SQL scripts for development
+      - ./scripts/db:/docker-entrypoint-initdb.d
+
+  rabbitmq:
+    ports:
+      - "5672:5672"
+      - "15672:15672"
+    volumes:
+      - rabbitmq_data:/var/lib/rabbitmq
+
+  api:
+    build:
+      target: builder
+    environment:
+      NODE_ENV: development
+      DEBUG: "api:*"
+    volumes:
+      # Enable hot-reload for development
+      - ./services:/app/services:z
+      - ./packages:/app/packages:z
+      # Prevent overwriting node_modules
+      - /app/node_modules
+      - /app/services/node_modules
+    stdin_open: true
+    tty: true
+
+  frontend:
+    build:
+      target: builder
+    environment:
+      NODE_ENV: development
+      NEXT_TELEMETRY_DISABLED: 1
+    volumes:
+      # Enable hot-reload for development
+      - ./apps/lightsaver_user_client:/app/apps/lightsaver_user_client:z
+      - ./packages:/app/packages:z
+      # Prevent overwriting node_modules and build artifacts
+      - /app/node_modules
+      - /app/apps/lightsaver_user_client/node_modules
+      - /app/apps/lightsaver_user_client/.next
+    stdin_open: true
+    tty: true
+
+volumes:
+  postgres_data:
+  rabbitmq_data:
+
+networks:
+  lightsaver-network:
+    driver: bridge
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2aed657
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+version: '3.8'
+
+services:
+  # PostgreSQL Database
+  postgres:
+    image: docker.io/library/postgres:16-alpine
+    container_name: lightsaver-postgres
+    environment:
+      POSTGRES_USER: ${POSTGRES_USER:-lightsaver}
+      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: ${POSTGRES_PASSWORD:-lightsaver_dev}
+      POSTGRES_DB: ${POSTGRES_DB:-lightsaver}
+    ports:
+      - "5432:5432"
+    volumes:
+      - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
+    healthcheck:
+      test: ["CMD-SHELL", "pg_isready -U ${POSTGRES_USER:-lightsaver}"]
+      interval: 10s
+      timeout: 5s
+      retries: 5
+    networks:
+      - lightsaver-network
+
+  # RabbitMQ Message Broker
+  rabbitmq:
+    image: docker.io/library/rabbitmq:3-management-alpine
+    container_name: lightsaver-rabbitmq
+    environment:
+      RABBITMQ_DEFAULT_USER: ${RABBITMQ_USER:-lightsaver}
+      RABBITMQ_DEFAULT_PASS: ${RABBITMQ_PASSWORD:-lightsaver_dev}
+    ports:
+      - "5672:5672"   # AMQP port
+      - "15672:15672" # Management UI
+    volumes:
+      - rabbitmq_data:/var/lib/rabbitmq
+    healthcheck:
+      test: ["CMD", "rabbitmq-diagnostics", "ping"]
+      interval: 30s
+      timeout: 10s
+      retries: 5
+    networks:
+      - lightsaver-network
+
+  # Backend API Service
+  api:
+    build:
+      context: .
+      dockerfile: Dockerfile.api
+    container_name: lightsaver-api
+    environment:
+      NODE_ENV: ${NODE_ENV:-development}
+      PORT: ${API_PORT:-4000}
+      DATABASE_URL: postgresql://${POSTGRES_USER:-lightsaver}:${POSTGRES_PASSWORD:-lightsaver_dev}@postgres:5432/${POSTGRES_DB:-lightsaver}
+      RABBITMQ_URL: amqp://${RABBITMQ_USER:-lightsaver}:${RABBITMQ_PASSWORD:-lightsaver_dev}@rabbitmq:5672
+    ports:
+      - "4000:4000"
+    volumes:
+      - ./services:/app/services
+      - ./packages:/app/packages
+      - /app/node_modules
+      - /app/services/node_modules
+    depends_on:
+      postgres:
+        condition: service_healthy
+      rabbitmq:
+        condition: service_healthy
+    networks:
+      - lightsaver-network
+    command: sh -c "cd /app && pnpm install && pnpm --filter api dev"
+
+  # Frontend Next.js Application
+  frontend:
+    build:
+      context: .
+      dockerfile: Dockerfile.frontend
+    container_name: lightsaver-frontend
+    environment:
+      NODE_ENV: ${NODE_ENV:-development}
+      NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL: ${NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL:-http://localhost:4000/graphql}
+    ports:
+      - "3000:3000"
+    volumes:
+      - ./apps/lightsaver_user_client:/app/apps/lightsaver_user_client
+      - ./packages:/app/packages
+      - /app/node_modules
+      - /app/apps/lightsaver_user_client/node_modules
+      - /app/apps/lightsaver_user_client/.next
+    depends_on:
+      - api
+    networks:
+      - lightsaver-network
+    command: sh -c "cd /app && pnpm install && pnpm --filter lightsaver_user_client dev"
+
+networks:
+  lightsaver-network:
+    driver: bridge
+
+volumes:
+  postgres_data:
+  rabbitmq_data:
diff --git a/scripts/db/01-init.sql b/scripts/db/01-init.sql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0d43f11
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/db/01-init.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+-- LightSaver Database Initialization Script
+-- This script runs automatically when the PostgreSQL container starts for the first time
+
+-- Create extensions if needed
+CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS "uuid-ossp";
+
+-- Add your table definitions here
+-- Example:
+-- CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS users (
+--   id UUID PRIMARY KEY DEFAULT uuid_generate_v4(),
+--   email VARCHAR(255) UNIQUE NOT NULL,
+--   created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
+--   updated_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
+-- );
+
+-- Add initial seed data here if needed
diff --git a/scripts/db/README.md b/scripts/db/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6a2e211
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/db/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+# Database Initialization Scripts
+
+SQL scripts in this directory are automatically executed when the PostgreSQL container is first initialized.
+
+## Usage
+
+- Scripts are executed in alphabetical order
+- Use numbered prefixes (01-, 02-, etc.) to control execution order
+- Place schema definitions in early scripts
+- Place seed data in later scripts
+
+## Example
+
+- `01-init.sql` - Create extensions and initial schema
+- `02-seed.sql` - Insert initial data
+- `03-indexes.sql` - Create indexes
+
+## Notes
+
+- These scripts only run on first container creation
+- To re-run, you must remove the postgres volume: `make clean` or `podman-compose down -v`