Electricity Intensity of Internet Data Transmission: Untangling the Estimates

Summary In order to understand the electricity use of Internet services, it is important to have accurate estimates for the average electricity intensity of transmitting data through the Internet (measured as kilowatt‐hours per gigabyte [kWh/GB]). This study identifies representative estimates for t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of industrial ecology 2018-08, Vol.22 (4), p.785-798
Main Authors: Aslan, Joshua, Mayers, Kieren, Koomey, Jonathan G., France, Chris
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Averages
Computing time
Criteria
Data transmission
Developed countries
Electricity
electricity intensity
energy
Estimates
industrial ecology
information and communication technology (ICT)
Internet
Meta-analysis
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Summary:Summary In order to understand the electricity use of Internet services, it is important to have accurate estimates for the average electricity intensity of transmitting data through the Internet (measured as kilowatt‐hours per gigabyte [kWh/GB]). This study identifies representative estimates for the average electricity intensity of fixed‐line Internet transmission networks over time and suggests criteria for making accurate estimates in the future. Differences in system boundary, assumptions used, and year to which the data apply significantly affect such estimates. Surprisingly, methodology used is not a major source of error, as has been suggested in the past. This article derives criteria to identify accurate estimates over time and provides a new estimate of 0.06 kWh/GB for 2015. By retroactively applying our criteria to existing studies, we were able to determine that the electricity intensity of data transmission (core and fixed‐line access networks) has decreased by half approximately every 2 years since 2000 (for developed countries), a rate of change comparable to that found in the efficiency of computing more generally.
ISSN:1088-1980
1530-9290
DOI:10.1111/jiec.12630