Evolution of Computing Energy Efficiency: Koomey’s Law Revisited

Abstract

For information and communication technology power consumption to be sustainable, the energy efficiency of computing systems must grow at least as fast as the demand for computing services. It is therefore crucial to understand how energy efficiency is evolving and how it will trend in the future, in order to take appropriate measures where possible. This article analyses the evolution of this parameter by analysing high-performance computers from 2008 to 2023, contrasting the results with those from Koomey’s Law. It is concluded, after comparing the two that in the studied period and in the near future, energy efficiency continues to grow exponentially but at a slower rate than that established by Koomey’s Law (maximum energy efficiency doubles every 2.29 years instead of every 1.57 years). Another interesting result is that energy efficiency grows at a slower rate (doubling every 2.29 years) than performance (doubling every 1.85 years).