The energy of the Google search

Urs Hoelzl (Urs Hölzle), senior vice president of Google's operating activities.

More recently, in order to find an answer to your question, you had to go to the nearest library. Today, search engines enable us to instantly access a vast array of useful information - from home or from work. And these online tools like email, online books, photographs, videos, chats and others make us more efficient and independent.

At the same time, in proportion as increasing the role of technology in people's lives, grows and the amount of energy spent on them. Google is aware of the consequences of this fact for the environment and treat them very seriously. That's why we design our. Data Centers. so that when you use the Google search consumes minimal power. For example, when processing a search query your PC consumes more energy than Google search results relevant to the issue of.

However, recently there have been claims that the average search session leads to the release into the atmosphere of 7 grams of carbon dioxide, which corresponds to half of the CO2 emissions from the boiling water in a kettle. We decided that it makes sense to explain what is behind these figures. Search Google is fast - typically the user receives the results of their inquiry in less than 0. 2 seconds. Of course, the queries vary in degree of difficulty, but on average, the server processes them for a few thousandths of a second. If you also take into account the processes occurring before you start your search ( for example, compiling a list of indexed pages), we find that the search for the session must be 0. 0003 kWh of energy or 1KDzh. For comparison, the average adult gets about 8000 kJ of energy per day from food, so a Google search uses about as much energy as your body burns in ten seconds.

With regard to greenhouse gases, one Google search is equivalent to the release of around 0. 2 grams of CO2. Another comparison: EU calls to cut carbon dioxide emissions from cars to 140 grams per kilometer, but most cars still can not meet these standards. That is, the average car, driving one kilometer produces as much greenhouse gas emissions, how many thousands of sessions, a Google search.

We have achieved considerable success by working on reducing energy consumption by our data centers, but not least, we are interested in a clean and affordable energy sources. In 2008, our division. Google. org. invested $ 45 million in innovative technologies for clean energy. And last summer as part of Renewable Energy Cheaper than Coal initiative. (RE-C). We organized a team of engineers who will work directly on the tasks of clean energy.

We are also working with other IT companies to improve the situation on a larger scale. In 2007, for example, we have become participants in the initiative. Climate Savers Computing Initiative. Aimed at developing energy-saving technologies for computing systems and components. This initiative has a specific purpose - to cut carbon emissions by 54 tons per year and reducing the energy consumed by computers in half by 2010.