How Energy Efficient Networks Can Support Sustainable Development

"There are businesses that use at least one green technology or practice to make their production processes more environmentally friendly," writes Matthew NO Sadiku, author of the Taylor & Francis Group's book Emerging Green Technologies.

In 2021, Forbes estimates that 60% of businesses have already adopted sustainable practices. However, new reports suggest that those efforts have not lived up to expectations. According to a February 2022 press release from the New Climate Institute, several companies that claimed to be committed to sustainability were found to have fabricated the scope of their initiatives. According to the report, 25 of the world's top companies have pledged to cut their carbon emissions by just 40% - under the guise of a net-zero carbon target.

Some typical sustainable business practices include reducing waste, using sustainable materials and supporting hybrid work. But experts believe these strategies are not enough. By implementing the green technologies Sadiku discusses in his book, businesses may be able to minimize their environmental footprint to a greater extent.

For example, according to ScienceDaily, information and communication technology (ICT) accounts for nearly 4% of global carbon emissions. According to Sadiku, radio access network operations are a large part of ICT's environmental impact, creating 30 percent of the global mobile communications carbon footprint. Since both wired and wireless networks contribute a significant portion of global ICT emissions, businesses with green networks can reduce their footprints on a larger scale.

To some, a green network may sound impractical because the network requires a lot of energy to function fully. For example, while some sources claim that 5G will play a key role in reducing global corporate greenhouse gas emissions, other sources point out that this claim has yet to be confirmed. 5G base stations require more than three times the power consumed by previous-generation base stations, a sign that modern network technologies can be more taxing on the environment.

While traditional network strategies are demanding, green network strategies do exist and need to start with the initial design of the network. Network teams can deploy energy-efficient technologies in their network designs to support green networking and communication strategies, Sadiku wrote. Energy efficient networks support environmental protection and improve the overall efficiency of the network while reducing network management costs.

Network teams can reduce energy consumption by:

• Low-energy network equipment;
• Equipment with automatic shutdown function;
• and renewable energy.

From a network operations perspective, other green network technologies that improve energy efficiency and support sustainable development include network virtualization and server consolidation. Many suppliers also offer products and services to support sustainable networks.

In Chapter 10, "Green Communications and Networks," Sadiku identifies goals, strategies and advantages for green telecommunications. In this Q&A, he discusses how the Energy Efficient Network Strategy can promote green networks and support sustainable development efforts.

How do practices such as virtualization and server consolidation contribute to green networking?

Matthew NO Sadiku: Virtualization can help you understand if the network is working in a way that doesn't pollute the environment. With server consolidation, servers are no longer everywhere, but in the same place in a server center or data center, so pollution is reduced. There will be less pollution to the environment and less potential for environmental degradation.

What other strategies are there for promoting green networks?

Sadiku: The problem here is how the energy is generated. Any network needs energy, and the way you create energy to support the network is critical, and that way will determine whether the network is green or not. For example, using solar energy does not cause environmental degradation because you are harvesting energy from the sun. However, if you use oil or natural gas to produce energy, it will cause pollution.

What are the challenges of combining energy efficient technology with the network and how did the team overcome it?

Sadiku: When you build a system, it's hard to make changes and do what you want, because anything you design is designed with a business in mind. The problem is that over time, the system may not be compatible with future networks and new technologies. Something new comes out every day, so if you design a system today, it's probably about five years old. Everything will change. The old network (or node device) will not function properly with the new technology.

The only way to overcome this problem is to consider future technologies. When you design something, you should think about not just for today. If you want it to last as long as possible, you have to understand where the technology is going and design the system accordingly.