Windows Update is now carbon aware in Windows 11 version 22H2


Starting with Windows 11, version 22H2, Windows Update is now carbon aware, making it easier for your devices to reduce carbon emissions. When devices are plugged in, turned on, connected to the internet and regional carbon intensity data is available, Windows Update will schedule installations at specific times of the day (when doing so may result in lower-carbon emissions because a higher proportion of electricity is coming from lower-carbon sources on the electric grid). We've also made some changes to the default power settings for Screen and sleep to help reduce carbon emissions when computers are idle.

You can always bypass this function and choose to install updates immediately on the Windows Update page in Settings.

When the feature is running, you’ll see the message shown in the following screenshot on the Windows Update Settings page.

9f07fdcc-ed7c-4505-a438-7b5fe267ede4.png

Source:
 
Yes I spotted that one today. The energy consumption of all the PC's globally doing Windows Updates for hours at a time is something I remember commenting on many years ago, perhaps as far back as on Vista Forums. Just think if every Windows PC spent 20 minutes churning away and added say 20 watts to its power consumption during that update time which was probably in the right ballpark all those years ago.
 

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System One

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    W11 Pro x64 24H2 Dev
    Computer type
    Laptop
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    Dell 7760 Mobile Precision 17"
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    Intel i5
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    Unknown
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    8Gb
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    Intel HD Graphics
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    Realtek
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    2 x 256Gb SSD
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    Dell 240 watt
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    Dell Premier Bluetooth
    Internet Speed
    50Mbps
    Browser
    Edge
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    Default Microsoft Security
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but MS is full of it.
It doesn't matter what time of day you update... it's still gonna add 20w to the electrical usage.

If nothing else... MS marketing is good for a laugh, now and then. :-)




If they really wanted to lower the carbon footprint for computers running Windows... they would get rid of things like Widgets, which are calling home every few minutes or seconds, so as to update themselves. :-)
 

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    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦26100.3775 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦24H2 ♦♦♦non-Insider
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® [May 2020]
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    Asus Pro WS X570-ACE (BIOS 5002)
    Memory
    G.Skill (F4-3200C14D-16GTZKW)
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    EVGA RTX 2070 (08G-P4-2171-KR)
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    Realtek ALC1220P / ALC S1220A
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    Dell U3011 30"
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1600
    Hard Drives
    2x Samsung 860 EVO 500GB,
    WD 4TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    WD 8TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    DRW-24B1ST CD/DVD Burner
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    PC Power & Cooling 750W Quad EPS12V
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    300/300
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    Speakers: Klipsch Pro Media 2.1
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    Windows XP Pro 32bit w/SP3
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    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® (not in use)
    CPU
    AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (OC'd @ 3.2Ghz)
    Motherboard
    ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition
    Memory
    TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX (2 x 1GB, DDR2 800)
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA 256-P2-N758-TR GeForce 8600GT SSC
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ViewSonic G90FB Black 19" Professional (CRT)
    Screen Resolution
    up to 2048 x 1536
    Hard Drives
    WD 36GB 10,000rpm Raptor SATA
    Seagate 80GB 7200rpm SATA
    Lite-On LTR-52246S CD/RW
    Lite-On LH-18A1P CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Generic Beige case, 80mm fans
    Cooling
    ZALMAN 9500A 92mm CPU Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-BT96a
    Keyboard
    Logitech Classic Keybooard 200
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox 3.x ??
    Antivirus
    Symantec (Norton)
    Other Info
    Still assembled, still runs. Haven't turned it on for 15 years?
Yes I spotted that one today. The energy consumption of all the PC's globally doing Windows Updates for hours at a time is something I remember commenting on many years ago, perhaps as far back as on Vista Forums. Just think if every Windows PC spent 20 minutes churning away and added say 20 watts to its power consumption during that update time which was probably in the right ballpark all those years ago.
Hi folks

Don't get fazed by this.

It's actually Server farms and the Internet backbone stuff etc that consume prodigous amounts of Energy. That's why Iceland has a huge amount of these servers which are served by almost unlimited amounts of geothermal and hydro electricity without a smidgen of nasty Nuclear stuff in sight and has given loads of 20 year fixed price energy deals.

If you want clean energy -- Iceland has it all "In Spades".

There's so much B/S gabbled over "Eco Energy". The world wide Internet stuff with server farms etc consumes a mega amount of more power than all the home computers on the world put together.

Of course we need to be concerned with "Eco Stuff" -- but do homework before condemning everybody and everything than isn't by "Woke definitions" 100% green.

And to Brits "I don't read the "Daily Wail" or the "Tory Graph", am not a guarduanista, and to those in the USA I used to enjoy the "National Enquirer" but it was for fun and enjoyment in a Supermarket line rather than using it as serious journalism. When as a young lad you made your first trip to L.A from Iceland (at that time quite a poor country) and saw 24 varieties of Lettuce in a Supermarket !!!! Anyway that's it. In the end the USA will with its ingenuity and "Can do attitude" will sort things out.

"God Bless America" even if the current crop of politicians (like elsewhere -- even here) are beyond speaking about..

That's my last word on this stuff as this is not a political forum of course -- even though Ms started it by the carbon stuff on Windows.

Cheers
jimbo
 
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    2 X Intel i7
If they really wanted to lower the carbon footprint for computers running Windows... they would get rid of things like Widgets, which are calling home every few minutes or seconds, so as to update themselves.

I'm also embarrassed to admit that I find the widgets do-dah one of the best and most used features of late.

Right then, carry on...
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    W11 Pro x64 24H2 Dev
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell 7760 Mobile Precision 17"
    CPU
    Intel i5
    Motherboard
    Unknown
    Memory
    8Gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Internal
    Hard Drives
    2 x 256Gb SSD
    PSU
    Dell 240 watt
    Mouse
    Dell Premier Bluetooth
    Internet Speed
    50Mbps
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Default Microsoft Security
Yeah... marketing depts. can get very creative sometimes. :-)

On a side note: I think that Earth's climatic conditions are something a bit too large for us to be able to control. We're actually in a fairly cool period when looked at over a realistic scale...


TEMPERATURE.png
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦26100.3775 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦24H2 ♦♦♦non-Insider
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® [May 2020]
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    Asus Pro WS X570-ACE (BIOS 5002)
    Memory
    G.Skill (F4-3200C14D-16GTZKW)
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA RTX 2070 (08G-P4-2171-KR)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220P / ALC S1220A
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell U3011 30"
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1600
    Hard Drives
    2x Samsung 860 EVO 500GB,
    WD 4TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    WD 8TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    DRW-24B1ST CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling 750W Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Cooler Master ATCS 840 Tower
    Cooling
    CM Hyper 212 EVO (push/pull)
    Keyboard
    Ducky DK9008 Shine II Blue LED
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-100
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox (latest)
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender Internet Security
    Other Info
    Speakers: Klipsch Pro Media 2.1
  • Operating System
    Windows XP Pro 32bit w/SP3
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® (not in use)
    CPU
    AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (OC'd @ 3.2Ghz)
    Motherboard
    ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition
    Memory
    TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX (2 x 1GB, DDR2 800)
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA 256-P2-N758-TR GeForce 8600GT SSC
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ViewSonic G90FB Black 19" Professional (CRT)
    Screen Resolution
    up to 2048 x 1536
    Hard Drives
    WD 36GB 10,000rpm Raptor SATA
    Seagate 80GB 7200rpm SATA
    Lite-On LTR-52246S CD/RW
    Lite-On LH-18A1P CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Generic Beige case, 80mm fans
    Cooling
    ZALMAN 9500A 92mm CPU Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-BT96a
    Keyboard
    Logitech Classic Keybooard 200
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox 3.x ??
    Antivirus
    Symantec (Norton)
    Other Info
    Still assembled, still runs. Haven't turned it on for 15 years?
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