B_0711_Newsworthy3_Computer_Energy_Consumption

Computer Programming to Curb Power

July 5, 2011

When it comes to cutting your facility's computer energy consumption, you may not have to look much further than a computer programmer.

A University of Washington (UW) project sees a role for programmers to reduce the energy appetite of the ones and zeros in the computer's code. Researchers have created a system called EnerJ, which reduces energy consumption in simulations by up to 50% and has the potential to cut energy by as much as 90%.

"We all know that energy consumption is a big problem," says Luis Ceze, a UW assistant professor of computer science and engineering. "With our system, mobile phone users would notice either a smaller phone, or longer battery life, or both. Computing centers would notice a lower energy bill."

The UW researchers' approach would combine the software component with hardware methods, like using a new type of microchip, lowering refresh rates, and reducing memory chip voltage. However, it also has applications in current computer hardware.

Today's computers could use EnerJ with a purely software-based approach. Researchers estimate a 30-50% energy savings based on software alone.

They believe that up to a 90% cut in power usage could be achieved by combining hardware and software methods.

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