Although IoT lays down several solutions and possibilities for the energy business, and is created with the aim of increasing efficiency in energy usage, it can cause more harm than benefit if its use is not properly administered. Thus, in the pre-, during-, and post-deployment phases of IoT, it is crucial to monitor the associated levels of energy consumption. And of course, corporations and end-users must consciously look for ways to keep environmental and energy risks to a minimum.

Energy consumption with IoT

IoT has had its positive impact on several industrial sectors – agriculture, logistics, healthcare, production, and manufacturing, to name a few. However, it seems we have forgotten that the more devices we engage in, to ease our lives, the more energy-hungry our ecosystem becomes. Devices that are connected to servers, as in the case of IoT, consume the most electricity. Apart from increasing our bills, careless consumption of energy resources creates a shortage of its supply. Therefore, while such devices are designed and manufactured, sustainability should be awarded highest priority.

Carbon footprint

The amount of carbon dioxide released from industries is alarmingly high. In the need to stay ahead of competitors, companies deploy resources rapidly and callously. Customers, on the other hand, are heedless of the constituents of the IoT products they use, more so, because there is a dearth of accurate information on the lifetime and energy efficiency levels of these products. Very few companies take the effort to provide insight on the manufacturing process or overall lifecycle of a product.

E-waste

According to the United Nations University, in 2013, “53 million metric tons of e‑waste (waste electrical and electronic equipment) were disposed of worldwide.” However, it is shocking to know that despite the alarmingly high rates of e-waste generated, technology companies still disregard its damaging side effects. Companies are used to brainwashing their customers by releasing new gadgets and devices year-on-year (now, even in a span of few months). IoT is the latest addition to the list of such devices. The need to stay constantly updated is reducing the lifespan of our devices, directly contributing to high amounts of e-waste. Most of us don’t even realize how frequently we change our smart phones, or one-up our devices. It has, therefore, more important now than ever for manufacturers to consciously extend the lifespan of their products. For instance, they can sell new software updates instead of a whole new set of devices and use recyclable components, like environmentally-friendly batteries. This way, once the shelf life of the product is completed, the level of harm can be effectively minimized.

In a lot of ways, IoT has helped ease several chores in our daily lives. We cannot deny the multitude of benefits we’ve gained by IoT and its applications. However, it is crucial to remember that IoT development is still in its nascent phase, and if gone about carelessly, it can pose various environmental threats. And therefore, we need to ensure that the environment is not compromised in our quest for creating a networked future. We would love to hear of entrepreneurs who are working towards an energy-friendly goal in this space.