Power measurements in emissions.csv

• CodeCarbon version: 2.3.1
• Python version: 3.9.2
• Operating System: Debian GNU/Linux 11

Description

I have a question regarding the cpu_power, gpu_power, and ram_power values in the emissions.csv file generated by CodeCarbon. I noticed that these values represent the latest instantaneous power measurements for each component. Is this the normal operating behavior, or is it an error? If not, it would be helpful to clarify this in the documentation, as it can be misleading. Users might mistakenly assume that these values reflect the mean power consumption of each component over the measurement period.

Alternatively, would it be more useful to compute these power values as the mean power? This would involve dividing the energy consumption of each component by the duration of the measurement period. However, I realize that this approach may not be as informative, given that this information is already available in the emissions.csv file.

Start by reviewing how cpu_power, gpu_power, and ram_power are described and generated for emissions.csv. Confirm whether they are instantaneous values or means, then update the relevant documentation so the units and measurement semantics are explicit; the issue is done when users cannot mistake these fields for average power.