This is how much CO2 can be saved in Germany’s clouds and data centres if we reduce the power consumption of software by almost 20%. Year on year. In Germany alone. And this does not even include savings on the part of the users and their devices. That is a realistic goal: A study by the Federal Environment Agency found differences of almost 20% in electricity consumption even for simple application categories such as “word processing”.
The advantages of Green Software Design for you at a glance
Sustainability is already firmly anchored in many companies. Therefore, it is important to make the results of Green Software Design communicable – including in the sustainability reports, and to bring the procedure in line with existing processes for environmental management or climate management. SYNGENIO’s approach makes it possible to establish the link between Green Software Design and the relevant standards at any time: GRI guidelines, GHG protocol, the German Sustainability Code or ISO 14064. Depending on the company, there is more or less to consider here. The SYNGENIO consultants are happy to assist you.
Ecological benefits:
- Visible contribution towards climate protection
- Energy saving initiative
Economical benefits:
- More efficient software
- Savings in operatio
- Savings in development
- Positive external perception
Green Software Design is sustainable software engineering
Sustainability is also becoming increasingly important for businesses. Customers, employees, banks, investors and legislators are demanding eco-conscious actions. Digitalisation means that the focus is moving towards apps and web applications when addressing customers. This makes IT a direct part of customer communication.
So far, the focus of Green IT has been on hardware and its operation. The successes in these areas are impressive, but the potential is now often largely exhausted. Now sustainable software engineering itself is becoming the focus. Because more efficient software has lower resource consumption from the outset.
Green Software Design includes best practices for eco-optimised applications. The focus is on methods, tools, reliable measured values and practicable procedures. Ultimately, this improves not only the carbon footprint but also the company balance sheet. Because GSD consistently avoids wastage. Not only is electricity saved, but over-engineering is prevented and durability is valued.
What makes Green Software Design?
Green Software Design means designing software to be “green aware” from the start:
Green Software Design integrates all aspects of sustainable software design: scope, specification, architecture, design, implementation. The usage phase is also considered: Maintainability, moderate user hardware requirements, CO2-reduction through use of the software. GSD is independent of specific development methods. Combining it with an agile approach is obvious, but classic methods can also be used.
Carbon-neutral software
The path to carbon-neutral software is through Green Software Design. Because serious carbon neutrality means pursuing the improvements seriously and not being too quick to resort to offsetting. This means: The better we all understand and apply Green Software Design, the better we will live up to the promise of carbon neutrality.
Sustainable software engineering in practice
Green Software Design does not turn everything on its head. It supplements the development process. It sometimes also questions the requirements. And it reinforces known best practices: The focus on long-term development we know from agility also contributes to sustainable software.
Above all, however, it brings new and exciting aspects into the development. The major levers naturally exist in the system and software architecture, meaning that architects are particularly in demand. But the daily work of the software engineers is also enriched, because there are tools that can be used to measure efficiency; with which you find and address sticking points.
In doing so, sharing experience is very important. Because there are still too few measured values with which frameworks, components or basic products could be easily compared. Every contribution helps – and every Green Software project can make contributions.
How green is your software?