Gemini Nano Environmental Impact
Google's on-device model for Pixel and Chrome
- Architecture
- Distilled Transformer (on-device)
- Parameters
- 3.25B
- Context
- 32,000 tokens
- Provider
Energy per query
0.01 Wh
about the same as a Google search (0.3 Wh)
CO2 per query
0.00 g
Global Average grid (475 gCO₂/kWh)
Water per query
0.00 mL
No water data available
Processing location
On-device (Pixel, Samsung, Chrome)
Provider
Category
Text / Chat
Grid carbon intensity
475 g CO2/kWh (27% renewable)
How does Gemini Nano compare?
Detailed Breakdown
Energy Consumption
Gemini Nano runs entirely on-device, consuming approximately 0.015 Wh per query — orders of magnitude less than cloud-based models. With only 3.25 billion parameters, it runs on mobile NPUs (Neural Processing Units) in devices like the Pixel 8 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S24. On-device inference eliminates network energy overhead entirely.
Power Source & Carbon
Running on-device, Gemini Nano's carbon footprint depends entirely on the user's local electricity grid. In a country with clean energy (e.g. France at 50 g CO2/kWh), its emissions are negligible. No data centre infrastructure is needed.
Water Usage
Gemini Nano uses zero water for cooling — personal devices use passive or fan-based cooling, not water-based systems. This makes it the most water-efficient model in our dataset.
About Gemini Nano
At 0.01 Wh per query, Gemini Nano is one of the most energy-efficient AI models in existence — ranked #1 across our entire dataset of 152 models. With just 3.25B parameters, it proves that useful AI doesn't have to be expensive to run. Google released it in February 8, 2024 as a text and chat model: google's on-device model for pixel and chrome.
These figures are estimates derived from hardware specifications and API benchmarks — Google has not published official energy data for Gemini Nano. Actual consumption may vary significantly depending on batching, quantisation, and infrastructure optimisations that we cannot observe from outside.
Key Insights
Google Gemini Family
How energy efficiency has evolved across versions.
What does your Gemini Nano usage cost the planet?
Use our calculator to estimate your personal environmental footprint based on how often you use Gemini Nano.
Calculate My ComputeFrequently Asked Questions
How much energy does Gemini Nano use per query?
Each Gemini Nano query consumes approximately 0.01 Wh of energy. This is about the same as a traditional Google search (~0.3 Wh).
What is Gemini Nano's carbon footprint?
Based on the carbon intensity of On-device (Pixel, Samsung, Chrome), each query produces approximately 0.00 g of CO2. The grid in this region has a carbon intensity of 475 g CO2/kWh with 27% renewable energy.
How much water does Gemini Nano use?
Each query consumes approximately 0.00 mL of water, primarily used for cooling the data centers that process the request.
How does Gemini Nano compare to a Google search?
A Gemini Nano query uses about the same as a Google search in terms of energy. A Google search uses approximately 0.3 Wh, while Gemini Nano uses 0.01 Wh.
Technical Details
Architecture
Distilled Transformer (on-device)
Parameters
3.25B
Context window
32,000 tokens
Release date
2024-02-08
Open source
No
Training data cutoff
2024-06