Comments on: Google is the largest consumer of electricity in the world http://english.martinvarsavsky.net/general/google-is-the-largest-consumer-of-electricity-in-the-world.html Blog of an entrepreneur Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:31:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Reg http://english.martinvarsavsky.net/general/google-is-the-largest-consumer-of-electricity-in-the-world.html#comment-188984 Reg Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:42:55 +0000 http://192.168.1.2/en/?p=302#comment-188984 Putting things into perspective: Google does not disclose any figures about their environmental impact - but it's still a fraction of what other industries are polluting. Let's compare Yahoo to Intel for example: Intel (85k employees - 3.6 MTCO2 per year) - spits out twice as much CO2 per employee as Cisco or Yahoo. Other like-for-like comparisons can be made on http://co2benchmark.com/production/info . The cost of serving a page is still a fraction of the cost of building, shipping, and retailing the hardware you’re using. Outside of the tech world: manufacturing cement alone is responsible for 5% of all CO2 produced by mankind on earth - just check out http://co2benchmark.com/top-carbon-emitting-companies Only a couple of manufacturers dominate the cement industry (Cemex, Lafarge, Eiffage....) - so each of these have massive impacts. Anyway - Google is still a small drop in the ocean compared to the more pressing need for change in other industries. Putting things into perspective:

Google does not disclose any figures about their environmental impact – but it’s still a fraction of what other industries are polluting. Let’s compare Yahoo to Intel for example: Intel (85k employees – 3.6 MTCO2 per year) – spits out twice as much CO2 per employee as Cisco or Yahoo. Other like-for-like comparisons can be made on http://co2benchmark.com/production/info . The cost of serving a page is still a fraction of the cost of building, shipping, and retailing the hardware you’re using.

Outside of the tech world: manufacturing cement alone is responsible for 5% of all CO2 produced by mankind on earth – just check out http://co2benchmark.com/top-carbon-emitting-companies Only a couple of manufacturers dominate the cement industry (Cemex, Lafarge, Eiffage….) – so each of these have massive impacts.

Anyway – Google is still a small drop in the ocean compared to the more pressing need for change in other industries.

]]> By: Vincent http://english.martinvarsavsky.net/general/google-is-the-largest-consumer-of-electricity-in-the-world.html#comment-111651 Vincent Mon, 04 Feb 2008 06:08:04 +0000 http://192.168.1.2/en/?p=302#comment-111651 Google is the largest electricity consumer for <b>IT companies</b>. Big deal. Of course they are, they have more computers than most. They make tons of money because they have very low costs. An easy way to increase profits is to reduce electricity consumption. Google is the largest electricity consumer for IT companies.

Big deal. Of course they are, they have more computers than most.

They make tons of money because they have very low costs. An easy way to increase profits is to reduce electricity consumption.

]]> By: eqycw7f@search.com http://english.martinvarsavsky.net/general/google-is-the-largest-consumer-of-electricity-in-the-world.html#comment-686 eqycw7f@search.com Tue, 20 Mar 2007 00:48:32 +0000 http://192.168.1.2/en/?p=302#comment-686 funny ringtones funny ringtones

]]> By: Futrbllnr http://english.martinvarsavsky.net/general/google-is-the-largest-consumer-of-electricity-in-the-world.html#comment-685 Futrbllnr Sun, 11 Jun 2006 19:53:14 +0000 http://192.168.1.2/en/?p=302#comment-685 I just wanted to point out that that Alcoa website says that they generate, not consume, 96 GWH. I just wanted to point out that that Alcoa website says that they generate, not consume, 96 GWH.

]]> By: Martín Varsavsky http://english.martinvarsavsky.net/general/google-is-the-largest-consumer-of-electricity-in-the-world.html#comment-684 Martín Varsavsky Thu, 01 Jun 2006 10:24:15 +0000 http://192.168.1.2/en/?p=302#comment-684 It would make sense that Alcoa be the largest consumer in the world, as aluminum smelting is basically one huge electricity bill combined with a similar alumina bill. Regards, It would make sense that Alcoa be the largest consumer in the world, as aluminum smelting is basically one huge electricity bill combined with a similar alumina bill.

Regards,

]]> By: Rainer Wasserfuhr http://english.martinvarsavsky.net/general/google-is-the-largest-consumer-of-electricity-in-the-world.html#comment-683 Rainer Wasserfuhr Wed, 31 May 2006 23:05:25 +0000 http://192.168.1.2/en/?p=302#comment-683 Alcoa, one of the current world market leaders in aluminium production consumes <a href="http://www.alcoa.com/global/en/about_alcoa/overview.asp" rel="nofollow">96 GigaWh</a> per day, so in average 4 GigaWatt. So following the numbers of Baruk, Google would only consume 1% of Alcoa. Alcoa, one of the current world market leaders in aluminium production consumes 96 GigaWh per day, so in average 4 GigaWatt. So following the numbers of Baruk, Google would only consume 1% of Alcoa.

]]> By: Martín Varsavsky http://english.martinvarsavsky.net/general/google-is-the-largest-consumer-of-electricity-in-the-world.html#comment-682 Martín Varsavsky Tue, 09 May 2006 11:43:52 +0000 http://192.168.1.2/en/?p=302#comment-682 Thanks Koen, David´s story is very relevant and emphasizes how important electricity is for these giants. Regards, Thanks Koen, David´s story is very relevant and emphasizes how important electricity is for these giants.

Regards,

]]> By: Koen http://english.martinvarsavsky.net/general/google-is-the-largest-consumer-of-electricity-in-the-world.html#comment-681 Koen Sat, 06 May 2006 16:00:14 +0000 http://192.168.1.2/en/?p=302#comment-681 Hi Martin, Check also following article related to this topic: "Microsoft's cash versus Google" <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2006/05/05/technology/fastforward_fortune/index.htm?source=yahoo_quote" rel="nofollow">http://money.cnn.com/2006/05/05/technology/fastforward_fortune/index.htm?source=yahoo_quote</a> Quite an interesting read! BR Koen Hi Martin,

Check also following article related to this topic:

“Microsoft’s cash versus Google”
http://money.cnn.com/2006/05/05/technology/fastforward_fortune/index.htm?source=yahoo_quote

Quite an interesting read!

BR
Koen

]]> By: Doug Toombs http://english.martinvarsavsky.net/general/google-is-the-largest-consumer-of-electricity-in-the-world.html#comment-680 Doug Toombs Fri, 28 Apr 2006 23:59:16 +0000 http://192.168.1.2/en/?p=302#comment-680 Ah, I can just see it now. The first headline would read "Google opens new datacenter at Southern Pole", and then the last headline that YOU would be alive to read would go something like "Google accidentally melts polar ice cap - planetwide flooding inevitable." That's it, I'm moving to Denver. :-) Ah, I can just see it now. The first headline would read “Google opens new datacenter at Southern Pole”, and then the last headline that YOU would be alive to read would go something like “Google accidentally melts polar ice cap – planetwide flooding inevitable.”

That’s it, I’m moving to Denver.
:-)

]]> By: baruk http://english.martinvarsavsky.net/general/google-is-the-largest-consumer-of-electricity-in-the-world.html#comment-679 baruk Fri, 28 Apr 2006 12:14:46 +0000 http://192.168.1.2/en/?p=302#comment-679 I'm sorry to say this, but <strong>I really doubt</strong> Google being the biggest electricity consumer. If Google has 100k computers (according to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_platform" rel="nofollow">Wikipedia</a>), or even 200k, consuming 200W each, they are consuming <strong>20 or 40 MegaWatts</strong>. Which is not that much at all. I’m sorry to say this, but I really doubt Google being the biggest electricity consumer.

If Google has 100k computers (according to Wikipedia), or even 200k, consuming 200W each, they are consuming 20 or 40 MegaWatts. Which is not that much at all.

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