Will Google Change From White to Black?
Energy conservation clearly has most people talking at the moment, especially with gas prices climbing every day. But have you ever considered how much energy your computer screen uses day to day? Surely computers are one of the business world’s highest necessities, so what would you be willing to do to cut down on your daily computer energy usage?
Researchers at the University of California Berkeley, originally introduced the theory in 2002, that a predominately black computer screen uses less energy than a predominately white screen. The UC Berkeley Energy Analysis Department wrote an extensive white paper explaining their argument. (That’s right, it is a white paper, so much for that energy conservation.) This same idea of a black versus a white screen has more recently been brought to our attention by a new take on Google called Blackle.
Blackle is a search page powered by Google, and instead of having a white background like Google, it uses a black background with a grayish colored font.
While it is slightly more difficult to read the grayish font, Blackle claims that “a black version of the Google search engine would save a fair bit of energy due to the search engine’s popularity.” Basically, they claim that a white web page uses about 74 watts to display, while it only takes 59 watts to display an all black page. Check out the blog entry titled Black Google Would Save 750 Megawatt-hours a Year, to learn more about its take on a black background versus a white Google background.
What is interesting to me, is how this may influence the world of web design in the future. Will energy aware client’s demand a more energy friendly predominately black page? Or will readability and the love of colorful, visually stimulating design win out? My guess is that just like energy efficient cars, it will take many years before function wins out over good design.
Category: General Thoughts, Cool World (Wide Web), Web Creative, Good Design
May 30th, 2007 at 4:27 pm
pure white page backgrounds also cause eye strain due to the fact that the eye is not evolved for looking directly at light sources.
June 12th, 2007 at 9:48 am
With all the environment friendly initiatives out there computer manufactures will catch onto this trend as well and start developing computers that claim to be “energy friendly” - I’m guessing Apple will be the first of course. My bet is it won’t be long before there is also an application - maybe from this new Firefox 3 - that will change your web screens to “black” or a more energy efficient display.
June 15th, 2007 at 11:49 am
Older people need the high contrast of black on white in order not to strain to read the copy. I had to get inches away from the screen to be able to read it. I would stop using Google if they switched to Blackle. My bet is more people would also switch. Therefore the savings vs the loss of hits would not be a good business move. Instead spend the time searching for ways to harness renewable energy.
We are always looking for the quick fix to solve our problems. Don’t jump on every idea. Just like the Hybrid cars that are suppose to save energy, we are now finding out the process to make their batteries poses an environmental risk. The mining & smelting of lead, copper, nickel & other heavy metals used in the batteries is an energy intensive process that creates more air pollution & deforestation. Not to mention the environmental challenge of disposing of the dead batteries which are expensive and not long lived. Also a used Hybrid which now needs a $5000 battery is not going to be easy to sell. Search “Problems Hybid Cars” on Googles white screen for more info on that subject.
June 26th, 2007 at 6:23 pm
www.BlackGoogle.com is easy on the eyes…
August 1st, 2007 at 8:36 pm
How about a browser plugin to auto-map a website’s colors to a different, but more energy conserving and still readable set of colors? Why put this onus on every web site, when it can be put into the browser once (or a few times, once per browser)?
September 17th, 2007 at 11:42 am
Um, no energy savings on LCD here. CRT?? debatable.
Check it out..
http://techlogg.com/content/view/360/31/
May 14th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
dear sirs,
this controversy is totally bogus. white or black is not where it is at. A screen that is either light khaki or slight tan will do. Not to mention, your makets in Singapore, Malaysia etc will really love you all if that is taken to heart.