Comparative Analysis of Energy Efficiency in Desktop Web Browsers: Towards Sustainable Software Applications
Keywords:
green software engineering, green computing, sustainable software, green it, green environmentAbstract
The pursuit of sustainability necessitates a multifaceted approach to mitigate various forms of pollution, particularly carbon emissions, prevalent in electricity generation and the usage of electrical and electronic devices. Electricity generation, primarily reliant on fossil fuels like coal, natural gas, and oil, contributes significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions, prompting exploration into cleaner, renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, hydro, and biomass. Similarly, electrical and electronic devices, crucial in modern lifestyles, exhibit varying levels of energy efficiency, denoted by star ratings, with higher ratings indicating lower power consumption. Beyond hardware considerations, software applications also play a pivotal role in energy consumption, with ongoing research focusing on enhancing their efficiency. This article compares the energy consumption of different desktop web browsers during routine internet usage tasks, aiming to identify the most energy-efficient option. To achieve this, the Green IT Hexagon methodology is applied, offering a comprehensive framework for evaluating software energy usage. This research article encompasses defining the scope, identifying usage scenarios, selecting representative websites, setting up a standardized test environment, measuring power consumption using a Power Reading Unit (PRU), and conducting detailed data analysis and comparison. This experiment underscores the importance of considering software energy efficiency alongside hardware considerations in the pursuit of sustainability, offering insights into optimizing energy usage in the digital realm.
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