As part of our Green Computing series, we are pleased to share An Introductory Guide to Green Computing for Software Developers, written by Anica Araneta and Alison Kennedy.
The guide is aimed at researchers and software developers who want to understand the environmental impact of their computing and take practical steps to reduce it. It explores how everyday decisions about writing code, testing software and using computing resources can help reduce energy use and carbon emissions.
Readers will find advice on developing more energy-efficient code, reducing unnecessary computation and data transfers, and using smaller, representative datasets for testing. The guide also introduces carbon-aware scheduling: choosing when and where to run computing jobs based on the availability of cleaner electricity.
To help readers assess their own work, it highlights tools such as the Green Algorithms Calculator and CodeCarbon, alongside options for monitoring the impact of cloud infrastructure and other digital services.
The guide also signposts training and communities for further support, including the Green RSE Special Interest Group. Research groups and teams supporting scientific computing can explore Green DiSC, our sustainability certification scheme.