Standards / Software Carbon Efficiency Rating
Summary
This project aims to develop a standard for a benchmark platform and test metrics for evaluating the carbon efficiency of software. The initiative will provide comparable scores for software with the same functionality, informing procurement decisions and potentially shaping regulations similar to ENERGY STAR or EPA Fuel Economy Ratings.
Scope
Scope: The working group will focus on the following key areas, including the development of a software carbon efficiency rating (SCER) standard:
Software Carbon Efficiency Rating (SCER) Standard: Develop a standardized software carbon efficiency rating system that can assess and rate the carbon efficiency of software products. This standard will provide a framework for evaluating and comparing the environmental impact of different software applications, through the inclusion of a benchmark and a rating algorithm which can be used for decision making around carbon-efficiency of the software applications.
Creating a Green Software Certification Lab (GSCL), a standardized testing and certification lab for green software, similar to UL (Underwriters Laboratories) for hardware and electrical systems, involves defining specific criteria, processes, and requirements to evaluate and certify the environmental sustainability and efficiency of software applications. Here is a set of specifications for the lab: Certification Framework, Energy Efficiency, Environmental Impact, Resource Optimization, Power Efficiency, Green Data Management, Renewable Energy Compatibility, Sustainable Development Practices, Certification Levels, etc.
Documentation and Guidelines: Create comprehensive documentation and guidelines that detail the carbon-efficient software development process and the SCER rating system.
Community Engagement: blogs and conferences promoting SCER.
Key people & links
PM: Sean Mcilroy (LI) | Green Software Foundation
Chair: Marco Valtas | Thoughtworks
Chair: Chris Xie | Futurewie
Website: Standards Working Group
Repository: SCER repo
Readme: SCER
Contact
Email: scer@greensoftware.foundation (for members only)
Discussions: GitHub (for members and public)
If you work for a GSF member organisation, you also need to:
Fill out the https://grnsft.org/onboarding/register form if you are new to the GSF; or
Fill out the https://grnsft.org/onboarding/subscribe form if you are already part of the GSF but want to join this working group.
After that, you will:
Be added to the scer mailing list.
Receive invitations to our regular meetings.
If you don’t work for a GSF member organisation, then please encourage your employer to https://greensoftware.foundation/join-us. In the meantime, you are welcome to contribute to any of our conversations or projects on as an individual contributor.
Getting Involved
Are you ready to join the fun and make a difference? The first thing you should do is go to the GitHub discussions forum and say “Hi” in the Introductions category and/or read & comment on any of the discussions. You can also browse and join any of the lively discussions there. This is the best way to learn and get involved with this awesome working group and the wider GSF community.
Do you have a brilliant project idea that you want to share with the world? Then start a discussion on the Ideas board and get the interest of at least three people from 2 different member organisations. You can then reach out to the chairs or PM who will add your idea to the next working group meeting agenda.
Our SCER meets are bi-weekly on Wednesday 09:00 am PT / 17:00 pm GMT.