Abstract: For quite some years now, there has been a growing debate under the label of âGreen I(C)Tâ about reducing the energy consumption of ICT equipment. More recently, the discourse started to partly shift towards a novel discussion on using ICT to induce energy savings in sectors other than ICT. Advocates suggest that the cumulated potential for ICT-induced savings is several times larger than the entire energy consumption of ICT itself.
Numerous studies on ICT-related energy consumption exist, and also an increasing number of studies looking at ICT-induced energy efficiency. The few studies, however, considering both aspects, typically do so independently, without relating the two aspects. Moreover, in the energy efficiency discourse, ICT is usually treated as a monolithic block of technologies â only the application areas that are expected to benefit from it being differentiated.
In this paper, we make the case that ICT energy consumption and ICTâs potential for inducing energy efficiency can â and should â be related to each other. We further argue that this can only be obtained by decomposing the âICT monolithâ and look at its (naturally heterogeneous) parts separately. Based on a first round of expert interviews, we show that it is possible to qualitatively determine for every single technology subsumed under ICT its potential for inducing energy efficiency. We finally argue that only by consequently following low energy consumption targets for technologies with a low energy efficiency potential, while at the same time not suffocating technologies with a high energy efficiency potential through restrictive consumption targets, the full ICT-related energy saving potential can be unleashed.
Abstract: Despite the fact that Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are responsible for only a small part of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions â current estimations attribute around 2 % of man made emissions to ICT â this sector is the one with the fastest growing emissions. As a result, there is an increasing concern about the environmental impact of ICT, especially the climate change potential induced by ICT related energy consumption. At the same time, there is a growing perception that ICT can also substantially reduce the environmental impacts of other sectors, in particular by increasing their energy efficiency. ICT can help all economic sectors to become more energy efficient â since ICT allows existing processes to be optimized or enables entirely new, more energy efficient processes. The energy that could be saved by ICT induced energy efficiency is estimated to be several times larger than the overall energy consumption of ICT itself. The European Commission recognizes this potential and hopes that Europe will go a long way toward achieving its target of 20 % greenhouse gas reduction by 2020 by deploying ICT for energy efficiency. The present study looks at the field spawned by these two main issues at the intersection between ICT and energy: ICTâs own energy consumption and ICTâs potential to induce energy efficiency across the economy. In its approach to these issues, the study looks both at todayâs situation, as well as future opportunities and risks. The study discusses the following research questions: a) estimates of the current energy consumption of ICT, b) prospective future developments in this energy consumption, and c) future energy efficiency potentials induced by ICT in various economic sectors. [...]
