The IoT heralds an age of continuously streaming data. Billions of sensors will be using the internet without any direct human action required. As ever, change on such scale brings opportunity as well as risk. In the context of tackling climate change by limiting greenhouse gas emissions, some of these opportunities and risks have already been looked at.
The rise in internet growth and energy consumption of data centres featured in the Digital Footprint article. This post will expand on those topics, with a greater focus on the IoT.
Internet-related energy consumption goes beyond data centres. And whilst energy efficiency is increasing, the rate of advancement in technologies (4G mobile data, 4K video, 3D TV etc.) means consumption continues to rise. Researchers from Lancaster University's DEMAND Centre argue that the primary constraints on internet use - population and waking hours - will be weakened with the IoT, as autonomous sensors and processors proliferate: 'some predictions suggest that production and use of information and communication technologies might grow to around 20% of global supply by 2030' (Hazas et al., 2016: 1). They highlight the fact that nobody is 'paying attention' to the devices and algorithms that are quietly building up in number and increasing energy consumption.
A recent Cisco white paper pointed to the 74% increase in mobile data growth from 2014 to 2015. It further stated that '4G connections represented only 14 percent of mobile connections in 2015, [but] account for 47 percent of mobile data traffic'. Faster mobile data connections will only serve to increase internet use, and change users' ideas of "low", "normal" and "high" data levels. This is coupled with projections for rapid growth in "smart" devices (see Figure 1). Faster mobile data therefore presents more opportunities for connected cars, health devices etc., further driving up energy consumption.
The disconnection between internet use and direct/obvious human interaction presents a serious challenge in attempting to limit energy consumption. Turning lights off and unplugging electrical appliances are behavioural changes that have come from people (you, me and everyone else) being aware of their energy use and attributing value to it beyond the pennies it costs in electricity bills. Generating awareness about the impact of the internet, which is arguably more intangible than the lights, will present significant difficulties.
Internet-related energy consumption goes beyond data centres. And whilst energy efficiency is increasing, the rate of advancement in technologies (4G mobile data, 4K video, 3D TV etc.) means consumption continues to rise. Researchers from Lancaster University's DEMAND Centre argue that the primary constraints on internet use - population and waking hours - will be weakened with the IoT, as autonomous sensors and processors proliferate: 'some predictions suggest that production and use of information and communication technologies might grow to around 20% of global supply by 2030' (Hazas et al., 2016: 1). They highlight the fact that nobody is 'paying attention' to the devices and algorithms that are quietly building up in number and increasing energy consumption.
A recent Cisco white paper pointed to the 74% increase in mobile data growth from 2014 to 2015. It further stated that '4G connections represented only 14 percent of mobile connections in 2015, [but] account for 47 percent of mobile data traffic'. Faster mobile data connections will only serve to increase internet use, and change users' ideas of "low", "normal" and "high" data levels. This is coupled with projections for rapid growth in "smart" devices (see Figure 1). Faster mobile data therefore presents more opportunities for connected cars, health devices etc., further driving up energy consumption.
Over the last decade, data growth has been dramatic, and forecasts
predict a similar ongoing pattern. Since this is associated with increasing
electricity consumption, such a trend is significant to global efforts to
reduce carbon emissions. (Hazas et al., 2016)
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| Fig 1 Global Growth of Smart Mobile Devices and Connections |
The disconnection between internet use and direct/obvious human interaction presents a serious challenge in attempting to limit energy consumption. Turning lights off and unplugging electrical appliances are behavioural changes that have come from people (you, me and everyone else) being aware of their energy use and attributing value to it beyond the pennies it costs in electricity bills. Generating awareness about the impact of the internet, which is arguably more intangible than the lights, will present significant difficulties.
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