Energy Constraints

Infrastructure that ignores energy constraints externalizes costs onto the environment and creates hidden dependencies on energy providers. OnionHat acknowledges material limits rather than pretending they do not exist.

Energy Principles

Efficiency as Security

Lower energy requirements mean fewer dependencies on external providers. Efficient systems are more deployable in constrained environments.

Proportionality

Computational work should be proportional to the value it provides. Proof-of-work systems that consume energy for artificial scarcity are avoided.

Transparency

Energy consumption is documented. Claims about sustainability are verifiable, not aspirational.

Implementation

Hardware Selection

Preference for energy-efficient processors and components. Performance-per-watt is a selection criterion alongside raw performance.

Workload Management

Non-critical workloads are scheduled during periods of energy availability. Systems can scale down during constraints.

Backup Power

Critical systems have backup power for graceful degradation, not indefinite operation. The goal is orderly shutdown, not grid independence.

What OnionHat Does Not Do

• Operate proof-of-work systems
• Run compute-intensive operations without operational justification
• Claim carbon neutrality through offset purchases
• Externalize energy costs to users without disclosure

Energy use is a cost. Costs should be visible.