Workshop: Green software use on HPC

3 February 2026

This workshop introduces environmental sustainability principles in the context of high performance computing systems.

10:00–15:30, 26 February 2026
The Alan Turing Institute, British Library, London

Understanding the scale of emissions from different sources is critical to being able to make changes to work in a more environmentally sustainable way. This workshop, taught by EPCC's Andrew Turner, will give you the ability to understand emissions arising from use of high performance computing (HPC) systems and how to quantify them. We will use practical examples and real data from an existing HPC facility to illustrate the concepts.

By the end of this workshop you should:

  • Be able to understand the concept of carbon efficiency and how it relates to energy efficiency, including cases where energy efficiency can be at odds with carbon efficiency
  • Know about how HPC systems potentially reduce emissions
  • Understand carbon intensity of electricity generation and the implications for carbon aware use of HPC
  • Appreciate the embodied emissions associated with HPC hardware and how they impact carbon aware use of HPC
  • Be aware of the frameworks used to measure and report on carbon emissions and how the terms used in these frameworks map onto HPC
  • Gain practical advice on how you can measure and improve the carbon efficiency of your use of HPC.

ARCHER2, the UK National Supercomputing Service, will be used as an example throughout this workshop but the principles and learning should be applicable to any HPC system.

Agenda

This workshop will cover the six key areas of green use of HPC systems (based on the principles of green software engineering):

  • Carbon Efficiency: Emit the least amount of carbon possible.
  • Energy Efficiency: Use the least amount of energy possible.
  • Carbon Awareness: Do more when the electricity is cleaner and do less when the electricity is dirtier.
  • Hardware Efficiency: Use the least amount of embodied carbon possible.
  • Measurement: What you cannot measure, you cannot improve.
  • Reducing Emissions: Understand mechanisms of carbon reduction.

Register now

Please register via the Alan Turing Institute website.