Smart software, lower carbon emissions

First8 Conclusion

Arjan Lamers is co-founder and CTO of First8 Conclusion, a company specialising in bespoke Java solutions, which is part of the Conclusion ecosystem. “We’re real techies here. So, when our organisation committed to becoming more sustainable, we wanted to do something in keeping with our identity. A technical, tangible project. And the idea we came up with was the Carbon Aware Scheduler. In IT, sustainability initiatives are often policy-based. Whereas what we wanted was a tool that you could get to work with without having to read any hefty reports or do any complex migrations.”

Smart plans, greener performance

Software runs on servers, which consume energy. However, the type of energy differs, depending on when the software runs. At certain times, the energy comes from renewable sources, at others from fossil fuels. The Carbon Aware Scheduler is a smart tool that fits the consumption pattern to the availability of cleaner energy. “Instead of being performed at fixed times, tasks such as report generation and batch processing jobs are scheduled for a time window,” explains Arjan. “The scheduler then automatically identifies the most eco-friendly time within the window, based on current data on the Dutch energy mix. All a developer has to do is make a very minor edit to the code. You change a single line, and the tool does the rest.”

Open-source code

“The Carbon Aware Scheduler is available on GitHub as open-source code,” says Arjan. “The first version – for Spring, the popular Java framework – was released at the end of 2024. The team is now working on support for other frameworks, such as Quarkus, while other developers are looking at versions for .NET and C#. We want to get as many developers as possible to pick it up.”

Between 5 and 20 per cent emission reductions

How effective the scheduler is varies according to the job and the circumstances, but in experiments First8 has observed significant savings. “Depending on how much leeway you give it, it can reduce carbon emissions by 5 to 20 per cent per job,” reports Arjan. “That’s quite a lot, especially in relation to the most energy-intensive jobs. And, if you can get savings like that on a large scale, it can really make a difference.”

Support from SIDN Fund

A grant from SIDN Fund enabled the team to deliver a working tool in a short time frame. “Without the Fund’s support, we would have had to work on the project on and off, when the opportunity arose. So it would have taken much longer. As it was, we could dedicate a team to it and get off to a flying start.”

SIDN Fund's Elise van Schaik: “The internet has a big influence on our environment and natural resources. It’s supported by immense infrastructures and data centres that operate day and night to keep everything running. So, in 2024, SIDN Fund invited proposals for projects aimed at making the internet more sustainable. First8’s pioneering project is a great example of a straightforward, creative energy conservation initiative.”

Testing partners wanted

First8 is now using its tool internally and talking to some big customers about deployment. “We’re mainly looking for organisations interested in trying out the tool. The idea isn’t just to see whether it works – we already know it does – but more to establish what real-world users need in terms of technology, integration or reporting.” According to Arjan, the ultimate objective isn’t perfect optimisation, but awareness and action. “You don’t need to go green with everything all at once. You just need to make a start somewhere. This tool makes it easy to do that. And the more people start using it, the bigger the difference it’ll make.”

Want to find out more or get involved? The Carbon Aware Scheduler is available on GitHub and free to use. First8 would love to hear from organisations interested in testing, providing ideas or contributing to development. Check out the additional information online or drop a line to info@carbonintensity.io.