Technologies

Green IT

Resource efficiency meets innovation: We support you in your core business with sustainable software solutions.
Ein digitaler Globus schwebt über einer Leiterplatte, die die Verbindung zwischen Technologie und globaler Vernetzung symbolisiert. Die Erdoberfläche ist mit leuchtenden, grünen Punkten dargestellt, die Städte und Verbindungen darstellen. Der Hintergrund ist unscharf, mit einem Fokus auf den hellen, leuchtenden Details des Globus und der darunter liegenden Schaltkreise.

The challenge: sustainability in IT

The IT industry is responsible for a significant share of global CO₂ emissions and consumes immense resources in the process. Software was responsible for up to 3% of global energy consumption in 2021 and, according to a Bitkom study, will rise to up to 23% by 2030. Climate change makes it clear that sustainable IT solutions are not a “nice-to-have”, but a necessity.

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Ein gestapeltes Flächendiagramm zeigt das erwartete Fallzenario für den Stromverbrauch im Bereich der Kommunikationstechnologie (CT) von 2010 bis 2030. Die Achse links zeigt den Stromverbrauch in Terawattstunden pro Jahr (TWh/a). Verschiedene Farben repräsentieren unterschiedliche Kategorien: Produktion, Rechenzentren, Zugriff auf drahtlose Netzwerke, fester Zugang mit WiFi-Nutzung, fester Zugang im verdrahteten Betrieb und die Verwendung von Consumer-Geräten. Der Stromverbrauch steigt im Laufe der Jahre deutlich an, wobei alle Kategorien zunehmen, insbesondere die Nutzung von Rechenzentren.

This is precisely where Green IT comes in: with a combination of innovative technology and a holistic approach, companies can reduce their ecological footprint without necessarily sacrificing performance. A study by the German Environment Agency shows that up to 90% of a server's energy consumption is influenced by the software.

Resource efficiency in the sense of sustainability must become as self-evident in software engineering as Agile or DevOps. Even small changes can quickly and easily implement energy-saving measures.

“Sustainability in software development goes far beyond energy savings – it starts with the mindset and extends to every phase of the software lifecycle.”Kollin Freise, Green IT Community

Three pillars of green software development

The Green Software Foundation has identified the following three pillars for green software: energy efficiency, hardware efficiency and carbon awareness.

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Eine Infografik mit dem Titel "Green Software Principles" präsentiert drei Hauptkonzepte: Energieeffizienz: Dargestellt mit einem Batterie- und Blatt-Symbol, betont den geringstmöglichen Stromverbrauch. Hardwareeffizienz: Repräsentiert durch ein Server-Symbol, fokussiert auf die Nutzung der geringstmöglichen Menge an verkörpertem Kohlenstoff. Kohlenstoffbewusstsein: Gezeigt mit einem CO2-Symbol, rät dazu, mehr zu tun, wenn der Strom sauber ist, und weniger, wenn er schmutzig ist.
Energy efficiencymeans developing applications in such a way that they consume as little energy as possible.

Software should be developed in such a way that it consumes as little energy as possible. Since energy production is often CO₂-intensive, it is worth making every effort to save and take a look at consumption.

Hardware efficiencymeans that devices such as laptops, computers and servers should be used for as long as possible.

Hardware efficiency means that devices such as laptops, computers and servers should be used for as long as possible. Moving applications to the cloud helps to optimize the use of existing hardware and reduce the need for hardware. The cloud is the Car Sharing of the IT industry.

Carbon Awarenessbelieves that applications should be run where the share of green energy is highest.

Software processes and applications with high power consumption should be run when the share of green energy is high – e.g. when the sun is shining or the wind is blowing strongly. APIs like the one from Energy-Charts (see image) help us to predict the share of green energy and then run tasks.

At Accso, we focus primarily on the first point, energy efficiency. As a custom software developer, we see this as the biggest lever for making a positive impact on CO₂ reduction.

“We can only improve what can be measured.” – Kristine Schaal, Green IT Community

That is why our approach is to test and actively use measuring instruments. Carbon awareness can also help us to execute recurring and non-time-critical tasks when green electricity is available. But we can also improve hardware efficiency by taking care to program software in such a way that a hardware upgrade is not necessary and the software remains expandable and maintainable.

With Accso to your sustainable software solution

Creating sustainable software solutions is a matter close to our hearts. That is why we make Green IT accessible and are committed to establishing sustainable IT solutions in all areas. We want to accompany our customers on their journey of digital transformation and do so in the most resource-efficient way possible. 

“The most abundant source of energy, just waiting to be tapped, is energy efficiency.”Doris Bures, former Austrian Minister of Infrastructure

What is Green IT at Accso?

For us, Green IT means more than just energy-efficient software. It is a comprehensive approach that encompasses all levels of IT:

ArchitectureRethink sustainability as a new challenge.

The basis for resource-efficient IT begins with well-thought-out software architecture and optimized development processes. Energy efficiency is increasingly becoming a central requirement that must be weighed against other criteria such as performance or scalability.

MeasuringMaking energy efficiency visible.

Energy efficiency can be measured both in operation and in development. Early measurements help to assess trends and promote energy-efficient software design. During operation, savings measures can be realistically tested and optimized.

OperationUtilize efficiency potential in ongoing operations.

The operation of software and hardware offers numerous opportunities to save energy. Resources can be shut down when they are not needed, or computing power can be flexibly adjusted to the software load.

DevelopmentAlign algorithms with energy efficiency.

Measuring systems can be used to identify energy-intensive areas of software. Targeted optimization of these areas can achieve significant energy savings with little effort. The focus here is on energy-efficient algorithms and resource-saving programming.

Cloud infrastructuresSustainability in the cloud.

Switching to cloud solutions can significantly reduce both CO₂ emissions and operating costs. By switching off unneeded resources, enormous savings are possible without sacrificing flexibility.

According to a study, up to 87% of energy could be saved by moving US corporate applications to the cloud. This saving is possible primarily due to the elimination of server operation in companies. At the time of the study, there were around 3.5 million e-mail servers in the USA, the task of which could be taken over by around 50,000 servers in the cloud. The operation and manufacture of server hardware is energy-intensive.

CertificationLabel sustainable software.

The Blue Angel for software can be used to make sustainable applications visible. We are happy to advise you and support you through the certification process in collaboration with experienced auditors.

NetworkingTogether for green IT.

Whether at green IT meetups, in trade publications, through cooperation on theses or as speakers at conferences – we share our knowledge, build expertise and promote the exchange of ideas for more sustainability in IT.

Since the end of 2024, we have been a member of the Federal Association Green Software in order to intensify networking and collaboration on the topic. We are also driving the topic of green IT at Accso in our internal Green IT Community, a community of committed colleagues.

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Talk

Green code for a sustainable future

A talk by Kollin Freise at the ITCS in Darmstadt.

Watch the video
Ein Vortrag auf dem ITCS IT & Career Summit behandelt das Thema Energieverbrauch von Software. Der Sprecher steht neben einem Bildschirm, auf dem die Motivation für die Messung des Energieverbrauchs von Software erläutert wird. Es wird betont, dass es wichtig ist, Energieeffizienz und CO2-Ausstoß gegenüber anderen Anforderungen abzuwägen. Herausforderungen wie die Schwierigkeit der Messung und die Vergleichbarkeit von Ergebnissen werden angesprochen. Im Publikum sitzen mehrere Personen, die dem Vortrag aufmerksam folgen.

If you would like to find out more about green IT at Accso and what we offer, please feel free to contact us!

Select contact

Dr. Kristine Schaal

Partner
Your contact person for Green IT at Accso
info@accso.de
Porträt einer Frau mit weißen Haaren, Brille und dunklem Schal mit Anker-Muster. Sie trägt eine rote Strickjacke und lächelt. Das Bild ist in ein modernes, grafisches Design mit grünen und grauen Elementen eingebettet.