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Software by UCL students helps the public measure how much power their apps and games use
5 October 2023
The UCL EnergyGuard app will soon be published for Windows PCs. Developed by UCL Computer Science students alongside Intel, it enables computer users to monitor and reduce their energy consumption.
The environmental impact of running a computer is far larger than most people realise. In fact, the average desktop PC can emit 175kg of CO2 per year. Gaming computers, faster with more robust hardware, are even more power-guzzling. In the US alone, the annual carbon emissions from video gaming equal those from five million cars.
The twin blows of climate change and energy price rises mean people are more aware of their energy usage than ever before. UCL EnergyGuard is a convenient Windows desktop application that empowers computer users to save money and the planet.
UCL EnergyGuard tracks a computer’s electricity expenditure. Users can also adjust the power consumption of individual applications on their laptops or PCs, deciding the payoff between gameplay and efficiency. This process can be automated with a system of notifications that ask users if their computer is running smoothly, thus determining the optimum balance.
Trials revealed that on average UCL EnergyGuard saved 12.6% of overall power usage during gaming sessions. Importantly, there was a nominal impact on performance (only a 0.5% increase in CPU utilisation).
UCL EnergyGuard is compatible with all games and computer applications and has been endorsed by members of the Green Software Foundation. The Foundation is a non-profit body that encourages the tech industry to give greater priority to sustainability when building software.
UCL Computer Science Master’s student Siam Islam started the project in 2022. Sheldon Chen, Steven Larry Ball, Chukun Wang, Jules Rodrigues, Lombardo Paredes Calles and Xibo Wang continued the work. The team said:
“We greatly enjoyed our summer applying our MSc software engineering skills to this important environmental issue. As the project progressed, we further recognised the meaningful contribution we were making. A huge thank you to our clients who played a pivotal role in the project's success by generously providing the hardware and offering domain-specific guidance.“
Thank you to our industry partners Intel, Microsoft, Avanade and NTT DATA for supporting this project. Chris Lloyd-Jones, Head of Open Innovation at Avanade, added:
"UCL EnergyGuard shows what the future of green technology should be - seamlessly integrating emissions reduction into the everyday use of the PC, making sustainability user-friendly, intuitive, and the easiest path to take. I believe that projects like these encapsulate the vision of the Green Software Foundation, driving forward a more sustainable tech landscape for all."