Short answer
Prioritize software design that minimizes hardware demands and extends the useful life of computing devices to reduce environmental impact.
- Field
- Sustainability
- Source
- Future Generation Computer Systems (2018)
- Method
- Causal modelling and criteria development
- Evidence
- Moderate effect
Software products, despite their intangible nature, have significant indirect impacts on natural resources and energy consumption throughout their lifecycle, primarily through their hardware demands and influence on hardware obsolescence. This sustainability research insight is drawn from a 2018 study published in Future Generation Computer Systems. Using Causal modelling and criteria development, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Prioritize software design that minimizes hardware demands and extends the useful life of computing devices to reduce environmental impact.
Software's Hidden Environmental Footprint: Quantifying Resource and Energy Demands
Software products, despite their intangible nature, have significant indirect impacts on natural resources and energy consumption throughout their lifecycle, primarily through their hardware demands and influence on hardware obsolescence.
Future Generation Computer Systems · 2018
Key Findings
- 01Software's environmental impact is indirect, mediated by hardware requirements and energy consumption.
- 02Hardware obsolescence, driven by software versioning and user expectations, significantly contributes to the environmental footprint.
- 03User autonomy in managing software use is a factor in resource efficiency.
- 04A hierarchical set of criteria and indicators can be developed to assess software's resource and energy efficiency.
Application
Design takeaway
Prioritize software design that minimizes hardware demands and extends the useful life of computing devices to reduce environmental impact.
How to apply
When designing software, explicitly model and quantify the expected hardware resource demands (CPU, RAM, storage, network) and energy consumption. Consider how frequent updates might necessitate new hardware and explore ways to mitigate this.
Project actions
- 01When evaluating software, think about the hardware it needs to run smoothly.
- 02Consider how your design choices might affect how often users need to upgrade their devices.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Provides a causal model for understanding software's environmental impact.
- +Proposes concrete assessment criteria and indicators.
Limitations
It can be challenging to accurately measure the energy consumption of software directly, and user behaviour can significantly influence actual resource use.
Reliability & validity
The reliability of the assessment depends on the standardization of usage scenarios and the accuracy of hardware resource monitoring tools. Validity is enhanced by the lifecycle perspective and the focus on causal links.
Think critically
How can the proposed assessment criteria be made more objective and universally applicable across diverse software categories and hardware configurations?
Design Principles
"Design for resource efficiency by considering the full lifecycle impact of intangible products on physical resources."
Understanding the lifecycle impacts of software is crucial for sustainable design. Designers and engineers need to consider how software choices affect hardware requirements, energy usage, and ultimately, the environmental burden associated with technology use.
What This Means for Your Design
Even though software is digital, it uses real computers and electricity, so making software that's efficient helps the environment by using less power and making computers last longer.
How to use in your project
- 1.Use the concept of lifecycle assessment for software to justify design choices related to resource efficiency.
- 2.Reference the criteria developed in this paper to evaluate the sustainability of different software approaches.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
This research emphasizes that software, despite being intangible, has significant environmental implications through its demands on hardware resources and energy consumption. By considering a lifecycle perspective, including hardware requirements and the impact of software updates on hardware obsolescence, designers can develop more sustainable digital products.
Source
Future Generation Computer Systems
Sustainable software products—Towards assessment criteria for resource and energy efficiency
journal · 2018
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about software's hidden environmental footprint: quantifying resource and energy demands?
- Prioritize software design that minimizes hardware demands and extends the useful life of computing devices to reduce environmental impact. Evidence: Future Generation Computer Systems (2018).
- Why does "Software's Hidden Environmental Footprint: Quantifying Resource and Energy Demands" matter for design?
- Understanding the lifecycle impacts of software is crucial for sustainable design. Designers and engineers need to consider how software choices affect hardware requirements, energy usage, and ultimately, the environmental burden associated with technology use.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Prioritize software design that minimizes hardware demands and extends the useful life of computing devices to reduce environmental impact.
- What were the main findings?
- Software's environmental impact is indirect, mediated by hardware requirements and energy consumption.. Hardware obsolescence, driven by software versioning and user expectations, significantly contributes to the environmental footprint.. User autonomy in managing software use is a factor in resource efficiency.. A hierarchical set of criteria and indicators can be developed to assess software's resource and energy efficiency.
- What research method was used?
- Causal modelling and criteria development.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2018 journal from Future Generation Computer Systems.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When designing software, explicitly model and quantify the expected hardware resource demands (CPU, RAM, storage, network) and energy consumption. Consider how frequent updates might necessitate new hardware and explore ways to mitigate this.
- What are the limitations?
- The model's practicability and acceptability for all stakeholders, as well as the definition of standard usage scenarios, require further validation.