sustainabletimes
05
greenAgenda
A new report from Juniper Research states that the
amount of greenhouse gas emissions generated by
charging mobile phones will double over the next
five years, from 6.4 megatonnes of CO2e (CO2
equivalent) in 2014 to 13 megatonnes in 2019.
Nearly half the 2019 emissions – equivalent to
annual emissions from 1.1 million cars – will come
from coal-fired Asian electricity grids powering growing
smartphone use.
Green Mobile: The Complete Guide to Vendor
Strategies & Future Prospects 2014-2019
argues
that vendors should encourage energy companies to
provide more green electricity and improve the energy
efficiency of their own devices. Doing so, it says, will
have the added benefit of prolonging battery life, which
has long been a consumer pain point.
Emissions from mobile phone charging to
double in five years
greenAgenda…
More efficient standby mode needed to cut
network device electricity use by two thirds
Inefficient technology used in the world’s 14
billion online electronic devices, including set-
top boxes, modems, printers and game consoles,
wastes around $80 billion each year – and this
figure could rise to $120 billion by 2020 as
more of the world’s population becomes wired
and network connectivity spreads to items that
weren’t previously connected, such as washing
machines, refrigerators, lights and thermostats.
In its report
More Data, Less Energy: Making
Network Standby More Efficient in Billions of
Connected Devices
, the International Energy Agency
(IEA) argues that inefficient network standby mode, in
which a network connection is maintained even when
a device is in standby, continues to cost consumers
money and generate greenhouse gas emissions.
The IEA points out that in many devices the term
‘standby’ is misleading, as it suggests that a device
has gone to sleep and is almost off, whereas in reality
most network-enabled devices draw as much power
in this mode as when activated to perform their
primary function.
IEA Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven said:
“Consumers are losing money in the form of wasted
energy, which is leading to more costly power stations
and more distribution infrastructure being built than we
would otherwise need – not to mention all the extra
greenhouse gases that are being emitted.
“The problem is not that these devices are often
in standby mode, but rather that they typically use
much more power than they should to maintain
a connection and communicate with the network.
Just by using today’s best available technology, such
devices could perform exactly the same tasks in
standby while consuming around 65% less power.”
In 2013, networked devices consumed around
616 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity, most of it
in standby mode. Of that total, around 400 TWh –
equivalent to the electricity consumed annually by
the UK and Norway combined – was wasted because
of inefficient technology.
The report describes technologies, technical
solutions and policy options that are available to
reduce energy waste. It projects that if better energy
efficiency measures were applied to online devices in
the future, 600 TWh of energy would be saved – the
equivalent, it says, of shutting 200 standard 500MW
coal-fired power plants.
All the cleaning and
75% less water
Xeros, a virtually waterless
washing machine, has
saved customers 2.5 million
litres of water in its first
six months of operation
– that’s enough to meet
the daily drinking needs of
the combined populations
of Sheffield, Manchester
and Oxford. The washing
machine uses a bead
cleaning system that
replaces 75% of the water
with re-usable polymer
beads that gently agitate
clothing, lifting dirt and
stains off the fabric. It also cuts detergent use and
energy consumption by 50% compared to standard
aqueous washing machines. Xeros washing machines
are currently being used by customers in the hotel
and commercial laundry sectors, including Sterling
Linen Services andWhite Rose Laundries. Xeros claims
that washing clothes in the UK uses approximately
340 billion litres of water a year, equivalent to
draining LakeWindermere 20 times, and costs UK
households over £2 billion in electricity.
Orchid nursery cuts
energy bill
Devon-based orchid nursery Burnham Nurseries
has reduced energy consumption by 27% and cut
its energy bill by £5,500 after installing an energy
management system fromVickers Energy Group.
The system controls the gas heaters used
throughout the nursery and monitors the temperature
in all buildings to ensure they are working at optimum
efficiency.
Within the first year of installation the family-run
business has cut its gas consumption by 152,906 kWh,
saving 28 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
Vickers has won the Environment and Energy
Awards 2014 Energy Product of the Year, a Gold Green
Apple Award and the Trafford Business Awards Green
Business of the Year.
0800 0933 588
Furniture upcycling
Waste management specialist B&M
Waste Services has launched an
initiative to supply Shelter with
recycled furniture. The company,
which has sites inWirral, Manchester
and Norwich, provides a range of
carbon-neutral services including
trade waste, hazardous waste, secure
shredding, drainage, recycling and
office/building clearance. Instead
of recycling furniture from offices
and student accommodation, it
is donating it to Shelter to be
restored, upcycled and sold in the
charity’s network of retail shops.
B&MWaste is also working with its
clients and supply chain to source
new household goods that can be
donated to Shelter for use in the
‘Furniture Starter Packs’ it gives
to people who need assistance in
equipping their new home.
The Swich wireless charging stand
from Lutman Design Studio is
made from American walnut and
fine ceramics.
