Estimates vary widely with the model, the hardware and the image size.
What research found
A 2023 study by researchers at Hugging Face and Carnegie Mellon measured an average of about 2.9 kWh per 1,000 images across the image models tested. The least efficient model used close to a full smartphone charge per image.
Putting it in proportion
One image is small. Thousands of throwaway generations add up. Generating with purpose, rather than rerolling endlessly, is the easiest habit to change.
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