Software Carbon Emissions Measurement Using Functional Boundaries
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies struggle to accurately measure indirect software carbon emissions, which are generated through the electricity used by hardware systems, leading to inefficient systems and lack of informed decision-making in tool and service choices.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for determining software carbon emissions by analyzing functional boundaries, functional units, energy consumption, location-based emissions, hardware emissions, and lifespan emissions, using an equation that incorporates these factors to calculate software carbon emissions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If indirect software carbon emissions are not measured, then system complexity remains low and decision-making is simpler, but emissions cannot be identified leading to inefficient systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the measurement system into distinct functional components: a measurement module that collects energy consumption data, an analysis module that processes the data, and a reporting module that generates emissions reports. This segmentation allows the complex measurement task to be divided into manageable parts, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary software layer that sits between the hardware energy consumption sources and the analysis system. This intermediary module captures energy consumption data from multiple hardware components and translates it into standardized emissions metrics, simplifying the measurement process while maintaining accuracy.
2Loss of information
If comprehensive emissions measurement is implemented, then informed decision-making is enabled, but measurement and analysis difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal measurement framework that can handle multiple types of energy consumption data from different hardware sources (processors, storage devices, network interfaces) through a single standardized process. The analysis module performs multiple functions including data collection, validation, conversion to emissions metrics, and report generation, reducing the difficulty of comprehensive measurement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms raw energy consumption parameters into standardized emissions parameters using conversion factors and calculation models. By changing the parameter representation from diverse energy metrics to unified emissions metrics, the system simplifies the measurement and analysis process while maintaining complete emissions information.
Data Source
AI summary
A method or system that includes determining a functional boundary for a software application; determining a functional unit for the software application; receiving an energy consumption measurement for the software application; receiving a location-based marginal carbon emissions measurement for the software application; determining a hardware emissions measurement for the software application; determining a lifespan emissions measurement for the software application; and determining a software carbon emissions measurement for the software application based at least on the functional boundary, the functional unit, the energy consumption measurement, the location-based marginal carbon emissions measurement, the hardware emissions measurement, or the lifespan emissions measurement. Other embodiments are described.