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Yes, it's absolutely a reason to consider not making something more efficient. It's not free to do the things this author recommends. Increasing efficiency has
by Pfhreak 6y ago
Yes, it's absolutely a reason to consider not making something more efficient. It's not free to do the things this author recommends.
Increasing efficiency has both a cost (how many hours did it take to improve this, and how much power was spent on competing to develop them) and and opportunity cost (what could we have spent those hours on instead). If the efficiency gain never repays the cost, you've actually made the system worse by making it more efficient.
There are no claims from the author about what is saved, it seems like the amount of energy spent reclaiming a small amount of energy will lately be worthwhile.
- dehrmann 6y ago> Yes, it's absolutely a reason to consider not making something more efficient. Let's assume a smartphone has a battery capacity of 10WH (3000mAH * 3.7v), and you're charging your phone once per day to make up for aggregate inefficiency. If retail electric is priced at $0.10 per KWH, that's 36 cents per year? On the emissions front, that's negligible.
- e2le 6y agoIs it worth considering the pollution and financial costs of replacing a battery? I suspect writing more efficient software would allow batteries to last longer and manufacturing new lithium batteries is anything but easy on the environment.
- Shared404 6y agoIt may or may not have a noticeable impact on emissions overall, I won't try to argue that. However, at least hitting the low hanging fruit seems like a good idea.