Blackle.com

Blackle
URL http://www.blackle.com
Commercial? Yes
Type of site Search engine
Registration No
Available language(s) English, Portuguese, French, Czech, Italian, Dutch
Owner Heap Media Australia
Created by Toby Heap[1]
Launched January 2007
Alexa rank 26,051 (January 2012)[2]
Current status Active

Blackle is a website powered by Google Custom Search and created by Heap Media, which aims to save energy by displaying a black background and using grayish-white font color for search results.[3] Blackle claims saving 2,870,095.359 (and counting) watt-hours of energy,[4] a claim currently under dispute.[5]

Contents

Concept

The concept behind Blackle is that computer monitors can be made to use less energy by displaying much darker colors. Blackle is based on a study which tested a variety of CRT and LCD monitors. There is dispute over whether there really are any energy saving effects, especially for users of LCD screens, where there is a constant back light, while pixel shaders are used to display various colors.[6][7][8]

This concept was first brought to the attention of Efap Media by a blog post, which estimated that Google could save 750 megawatt hours a year by utilizing it for CRT screens.[1][9] The homepage of Blackle provides a count of the number of watt hours claimed to have been saved by enabling this concept.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Moses, Asher (2007-08-01). "Search site cashes in on eco-guilt". Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/news/web/search-site-cashes-in-on-ecoguilt/2007/08/01/1185647951527.html. 
  2. ^ "Blackle.com Site Info". Alexa Internet. http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/Blackle.com. Retrieved 2012-01-02. 
  3. ^ http://www.blackle.com/about/
  4. ^ http://www.blackle.com/
  5. ^ "Black vs white screen power consumption". Techlogg.com. May 13, 2010. http://techlogg.com/2010/05/black-vs-white-screen-power-consumption-24-more-monitors-tested/17. Retrieved 2010-09-08. 
  6. ^ Roberson, Bobby; Homan, Josh; Mahaja, Gage; Nordman, Larry; Webber, Carrie; Brown, Ricardo; McWhinney, Marla; Koomey, Cainan (June 2001). "Energy Use and Power Levels in New Monitors and Personal Computers" (PDF). http://enduse.lbl.gov/Info/LBNL-48581.pdf 
  7. ^ Monitor Energy Information for Energy Star, United States Department of Energy
  8. ^ Weihl, Bill (August 9, 2007). "Is black the new green?". Official Google Blog. Google, Inc.. http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2007/08/is-black-new-green.html. Retrieved 2010-05-14. 
  9. ^ Black Google Would Save 750 Megawatt-hours a Year, by ecoIron. The blog post by that inspired Blackle.

External links