Patterns and Energy Consumption: Design, Implementation, Studies, and Stories

Software patterns are well known to both researchers and practitioners. They emerge from the need to tackle problems that become ever more common in development activities. Thus, it is not surprising that patterns have also been explored as a means to address issues related to energy consumption. In this chapter, we discuss patterns at code and design level and address energy efficiency not only as the main concern of patterns but also as a side effect of patterns that were not originally intended to deal with this problem. We first elaborate on state-of-the-art energy-oriented and general-purpose patterns. Next, we present cases of how patterns appear naturally as part of decisions made in industrial projects. By looking at the two levels of abstraction, we identify recurrent issues and solutions. In addition, we illustrate how patterns take part in a network of interconnected components and address energetic concerns. The reporting and cases discussed in this chapter emphasize the importance of being aware of energy-efficient strategies to make informed decisions, especially when developing sustainable software systems.