36. Set up ultra eco-mode
Why does it matter?
When the grid has a high carbon intensity, also known as a “dirty grid”, your product emits more carbon emissions and greenhouse gases compared to when it’s powered by clean energy, which has a low carbon intensity. High carbon intensity is often associated with fossil fuel-powered grids, where the production of a kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity results in significant emissions. It’s important to note that using energy during peak hours is directly linked to higher electricity costs, higher-emitting energy sources, and higher air pollution. To mitigate this impact, there are ways to adapt your product experience and activate an ultra eco-mode. By making your experience responsive to these fluctuations, you can greatly impact your business, your users, and the environment.
What can I do?
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Identify users’ location and use existing tools to know users’ carbon intensity (Carbon Aware SDK, Watttime or Electricity Maps)
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Avoid loading media content when the grid is dirty and show alt text instead (let users click to open media), check out Branch Magazine, it is a great example
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Use darker colors and themes (less energy-intensive, especially on OLED screens), as a rule of thumb, follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
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Encourage users to delay high-energy activities for low-carbon-intensity times and offer incentives, discounts, or rewards
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Enable users to revert to the default experience if they want or need to
What does success look like?
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🧑 Increased adoption of product features that promote sustainability
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💰 Optimization leading to reduced cloud expenditure
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🌍💰 Adoption of cleaner electricity sources for operations
Things to consider
Before deciding what to keep, downgrade, or pause for your ultra eco-mode, it is important to balance the impact of your measures on both their sustainable goal and the user experience. This requires a delicate balancing act, which can be achieved by gathering feedback before and after implementation. As users may resist change, it is important to anticipate and mitigate these concerns by explaining why these measures are necessary, letting them know when they happen, and sharing how these changes and adaptations make a difference. This will mitigate the negative impact on your brand. A helpful approach is to implement changes gradually over time rather than making abrupt modifications. Additionally, it is important to have a plan for when carbon intensity data is unavailable, including a fallback mode.