Title: Energy saving potential of information and communication technology

Authors: Barbara Schlomann; Wolfgang Eichhammer; Lutz Stobbe

Addresses: Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (Fraunhofer ISI), Breslauer Strasse 48, 76139 Karlsruhe, Germany ' Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (Fraunhofer ISI), Breslauer Strasse 48, 76139 Karlsruhe, Germany ' Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration (Fraunhofer IZM), Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, 13355 Berlin, Germany

Abstract: Information and communication technology (ICT) strongly contributed to the rising global electricity demand in past years. On the other hand, technology dynamics produces a large potential for energy saving which is being discussed under the heading 'green IT'. In this paper, we use a bottom-up stock modelling approach to determine the net impact of these opposite trends on the future development of electricity consumption in Germany. We show that there is a high technological improvement potential to reduce electricity consumption for ICT equipment, which can at least slow down the consumption increase or even stabilise consumption until 2020. However, whether these saving potentials will be exploited, also depends on the policies which countries introduce to stimulate the uptake of very efficient products and network solutions.

Keywords: information and communications technology; ICT; information technology; energy saving potential; consumer electronics; standby; networked standby; green IT; greening; modelling; electricity consumption; Germany.

DOI: 10.1504/IJDSS.2015.067565

International Journal of Decision Support Systems, 2015 Vol.1 No.2, pp.152 - 163

Received: 27 Mar 2014
Accepted: 05 Aug 2014
Published online: 18 Mar 2015 *

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