Energy efficiency label for programming?

𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗲𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘇-𝗟𝗮𝗯𝗲𝗹 𝗳𝘂̈𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗶𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗻? 𝗜𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝘀 𝗷𝗲𝘁𝘇𝘁 𝗲𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘇?

Let’s think about this for a moment… Programming languages form the foundation for software. We use them to develop interfaces, server applications, apps, processes, interfaces and much more. Both when creating the software and when using the finished program, the programmer must translate the intended processes to the hardware in the computer, tablet or smartphone.

If this works well, the thing consumes little energy, if it works badly, the fan runs hot and the battery runs out quickly.

𝗛𝗼𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗳𝘂̈𝗵𝗿𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗲𝗶 𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝘂𝗿 𝘇𝘂 𝗵𝗼𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗞𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻, 𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗸𝗮𝗻𝗻 𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗵 – 𝗷𝗲 𝗻𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲 – 𝗮𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃 𝗮𝘂𝗳 𝗱𝗶𝗲 𝗨𝗺𝘄𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝘂𝗳 𝗱𝗶𝗲 𝗭𝘂𝗸𝘂𝗻𝗳𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝘂𝘀𝘄𝗶𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗻.

Studies(https://greenlab.di.uminho.pt/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/sleFinal.pdf) show that subsequent energy consumption is not only influenced by the heroic achievements of software developers, but also starts with the choice of programming language. Some programming languages are much better at implementing what the developer has built on hardware than others.

𝗣𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗹𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘂𝗺 𝟰𝟬𝟬𝟬% 𝘄𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗲-𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗶𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲 “𝗖”. 𝗪𝗶𝗿 𝘄𝘂̈𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗻-𝗪𝗮𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗺𝗮𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗲𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘇𝗸𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲 “𝗚” 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻.

Is this just a funny mind game or is there something serious behind it?

The IEA(https://network-king.net/de/power-play-der-zukunft-rechenzentren-weltweit-vor-verdopplung-ihrer-energie-nachfrage-bis-2026/) estimates the global energy consumption generated by calculations in data centers alone at over 200TWh per year. That’s 200 billion kWh. This does not take into account all our smartphones, tables, computers, routers, all the stuff at home that somehow “calculates”.

𝗔𝗹𝘀𝗼: 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃 𝗸𝗲𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗽𝗮ß, 𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗲𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗣𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘇𝗶𝗮𝗹, 𝗱𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗺 𝗥𝗮𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗿 “𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻-𝗜𝗧” 𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿 “𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻” 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗲𝗵𝗿 𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗵𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗩𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁.

Just think about it… in the end, we “Java fuzzies” might even save the planet 😆.

#informatikersindcool#greenit#sustainablesoftware#sustainability