10 Programming Languages that are Energy Efficient

What is a Programming Language?

A programming language is any set of various languages used to describe a set of comprehensive instructions for a digital computer.

Of 27 programming languages, C is the most powerful programming language, followed by Python. According to a survey by Pereira et al., the most popular programming languages in 2022 in terms of energy efficiency are:

● C
● Rust
● C++
● Ada
● Java
● Pascal
● Chapel
● Lisp
● Ocaml
● Fortran

Python ranked 26 out of the 27 surveyed, using 59 times more energy than the most energy-efficient programming language in one instance.

ML engineers or data experts find it challenging to avoid Python altogether as it is the best option for developing, building and training neural networks. Employing a more energy-efficient language for building your surrounding applications or pipelines saves a considerable amount of energy. While it may not be surprising, Python is unpopular for its slowness and energy inefficiency. Interestingly, however, speed is not always directly proportional to energy performance.

A research article explains the methodology of programming languages as follows:

The authors chose the most common programming languages, of which R did not make the cut. Each programming language's electricity consumption requirement was measured based on the completion of 10 computing challenges. Intel's Running Average Power Limit (RAPL) tool facilitates readings of detailed energy consumption rates by the DRAM, Core and Uncore.

The standard measurement criteria for a programming language's energy performance feature memory usage and execution time. C is the best programming solution with every single benchmark. However, Pascal and C are the optimal set for both energy and memory preferences. As engineers study more than one efficiency trait and typically have scarce resources at their disposal, lists are ranked using a previous combination of three features: Time and Peak Memory, Energy and Time, and Energy and Peak Memory.