Techniques for implementing an energy-aware ABR algorithm for adaptive streaming may include determining whether a buffer level is less than a threshold buffer, selecting a lowest bitrate representation for playback of a segment of a video in a conservative mode when the buffer level is less than the threshold buffer, calculating a cost of a representation in an operative mode when the buffer level exceeds the threshold buffer, the cost of the representation comprising a weighted sum of a throughput cost, a buffer cost, a quality cost, and optionally also an energy cost, selecting a bitrate for a next segment of the video based on the cost of the representation, and providing to a client device a selected representation. The energy-aware ABR algorithm may be implemented when an ECO mode is selected in a client device.