Trx on Solana [SOL] network takes less energy than two Google searches; Report claims

A detailed report on the Solana website shows the energy usage on this blockchain is very low compared to many technology-based operations. It’s another step toward showing blockchains can be green and don’t consume lots of energy for serving people.

The report shows that each transaction on the Solana blockchain consumes less energy than two searches on Google and 24 times less than charging a smartphone.

Comparing energy usage between blockchain operations and ordinary technology-based operations is interesting. It gives a clear sense of blockchains being environment-friendly or not. Solana is one of those blockchains with a considerable focus on being high-performance.

Besides, the network is designed to consume the least energy possible to be a reliable solution for users. The latest report by Solana Foundation shows that this blockchain has been very successful in staying as green as possible.

The latest report by Solana Foundation is the result of a partnership with Robert Murphy, an energy and climate advisor. He helped the Foundation frame the environmental impact of Solana’s global state machine by measuring transaction impacts.

Transactions are the primary operations in every blockchain. Every operation like buying NFTs, trading, and many others is done through transactions. Confirming these transactions is the main source of energy usage on blockchains.

Solana is a proof of state blockchain that is not dependant on energy usage for confirming transactions. There is no need for big miners on this blockchain, and the algorithms find the consensus with the least energy possible.

The latest report from Solana Foundation is based on network stats on November 2021. As the network grows, the calculations should be done again. At the current state, a single Solana transaction takes 0.00051 kWh, or 1,836 Joules, of energy. In comparison, two Google searches consume 2,160J. You can see the full list of comparisons in the report.

According to the report:

“In total, the entire Solana network — with 1,196 validator nodes and an estimated 20,000,000 transactions — uses an estimated 3,186,000 kWh per year. This is the equivalent of the average electricity usage of 986 American households. Even with this low energy consumption, the Solana Foundation vows to even further reduce the Solana ecosystem’s environmental impact.”

There are some plans in the Solana ecosystem to decrease energy usage more. The Foundation has plans to help the validator network become carbon neutral and offset the footprint of the ecosystem.