Overview
Methodology for Cloud Compute Energy Measurement
Greenpixie's cloud compute methodology calculates the electricity drawn by the processor, memory, attached drives, and accelerators of a public cloud compute instance, at the granularity of individual units of cloud usage.
Greenpixie matches each cloud instance to published measurements of whole-server power for servers built on the same or a comparable processor. A server vendor takes each of those measurements at the point of alternating current supply, under a public benchmark's run rules. Greenpixie then corrects the matched measurement for the memory and drives the cloud host is modelled as carrying, and adds the accelerators.
A processor a cloud provider designs for its own fleet is never sold, so no server carrying one can be measured. Its figure comes instead from the measured curve of the closest related processor in those published measurements, scaled by clock speed and by a published per-core factor.
Facility overhead, grid carbon intensity, embodied emissions, and water are covered by the parent Cloud methodology. Storage sold as its own service is outside this methodology. The drives sold with an instance are inside it.
Start with the Introduction, or jump to any section from the sidebar.
1. Introduction
Purpose, audience, and context of the methodology.
2. Scope and Applicability
What is in scope, out of scope, and the evaluation boundary.
3. Definitions
Key terms used throughout the methodology.
4. Methodology Overview
How the methodology works at a high level.
5. Inputs and Evidence Sources
The data categories and evidence sources the methodology draws on.
6. Eligibility, Selection, and Inclusion Logic
What is included and how it is selected and mapped.
7. Assessment and Calculation
The calculation components and their outputs.
8. Monitoring, Updates, and Review Timing
How the methodology is kept current.
9. Quality Assurance and Oversight
Standards alignment, validation, and review controls.
10. Governance and Methodology Changes
Working group, review cadence, and version control.
11. Outputs and Interpretation
Primary outputs, intended use, and interpretation guidance.
12. Related Documents
Standards, research, and sources referenced by the methodology.
13. Notice on Intellectual Property and Permitted Use
IP notice and permitted use of this document.