How is the carbon footprint of BOINC worked out?
The electricity a computer uses while running BOINC, multiplied by the carbon intensity of the grid that feeds it, gives its emissions. Aster estimates this; here is the method.
The computer’s power
- CPU: the maker’s rated power (TDP). With every core busy, AMD desktop processors run at their package power limit (about 1.35 × TDP) and Intel K-series at their turbo limit (about 1.6 ×).
- Graphics card: the card’s total board power, at 85 % under a compute load.
- Memory: about 2 W per module (DDR4), 3 W (DDR5). Drives: NVMe 5 W, SATA SSD 3 W, HDD 7 W.
- Base: a form-factor base (board, fans); desktops and servers lose about 10 % in the power supply.
Grid carbon
The country’s yearly average carbon intensity (grams of CO₂ per kWh) is used: about 470 for Türkiye, about 56 for France, for example. The intensity is assumed to fall about 3 % a year.
Result
Energy (kWh) = power × hours per day BOINC runs. Carbon = energy × grid intensity. If you type a wall power you measured, it is used instead of the estimate. With the assumption that a tree absorbs about 21 kg of CO₂ a year, a “tree-days” equivalent is shown too.