Bernard Aebischer

Energy efficiency: the challenges of policy design

Abstract This article is about the choice of policy instruments to promote electricity-efficient household appliances and office equipment. We analyse the design process of the energy-efficiency policies implemented by Canada, Denmark, the United States, Sweden and Switzerland from 1973 to 1996. The results of this comparative study suggest that a policy instrument is adopted (1) if the degree of coercion involved is compatible with the party ideology of the ruling majority, (2) if a specialized administrative institution already exists, which helps to minimize the costs of implementation, (3) if other political or administrative jurisdictions have already applied it with success and if the transfer of their experiences is desirable or necessary, or (4) if the groups which are targeted are not opposed to it. Finally (5), its adoption also depends on the structure of the market and the speed of technological developments affecting household appliances and office equipment. In conclusion, we recommend taking account of these considerations in designing new energy-efficiency policies at both national and international levels.

ICT for Sustainability: An Emerging Research Field

This introductory chapter provides definitions of sustainability, sustainable development, decoupling, and related terms; gives an overview of existing interdisciplinary research fields related to ICT for Sustainability, including Environmental Informatics, Computational Sustainability, Sustainable HCI, and Green ICT; introduces a conceptual framework to structure the effects of ICT on sustainability; and provides an overview of this book.

ICT Innovations for Sustainability

ICT Innovations for Sustainability is an investigation of how information and communication technology can contribute to sustainable development. It presents clear definitions of sustainability, suggesting conceptual frameworks for the positive and negative effects of ICT on sustainable development. It reviews methods of assessing the direct and indirect impact of ICT systems on energy and materials demand, and examines the results of such assessments. In addition, it investigates ICT-based approaches to supporting sustainable patterns of production and consumption, analyzing them at various levels of abstraction from end-user devices, Internet infrastructure, user behavior, and social practices to macro-economic indicators.Combining approaches from Computer Science, Information Systems, Human-Computer Interaction, Economics, and Environmental Sciences, the book presents a new, holistic perspective on ICT for Sustainability (ICT4S). It is an indispensable resource for anyone working in the area of ICT for Energy Efficiency, Life Cycle Assessment of ICT, Green IT, Green Information Systems, Environmental Informatics, Energy Informatics, Sustainable HCI, or Computational Sustainability.

The Energy Demand of ICT: A Historical Perspective and Current Methodological Challenges

This chapter provides an overview of energy demand issues in the field of ICT with a focus on the history of measuring, modelling and regulating ICT electricity consumption and the resulting methodological challenges. While the energy efficiency of ICT hardware has been dramatically improving and will continue to improve for some decades, the overall energy used for ICT is still increasing. The growing demand for ICT devices and services outpaces the efficiency gains of individual devices. Worldwide per capita ICT electricity consumption exceeded 100 kWh/year in 2007 (a value which roughly doubles if entertainment equipment is included) and is further increasing. Methodological challenges include issues of data collection and modelling ICT devices and services, assessing the entire life cycle of ICT devices and infrastructures, accounting for embedded ICT, and assessing the effect of software on ICT energy consumption.