Although the internet accounts for only 2% to 3% of the energy consumed around the world, the rate at which it is growing means this figure is climbing rapidly. Researchers are looking for ways to improve the efficiency of the internet and lessen its environmental impact.

The amount of energy used to power internet surfing and all that the internet entails is roughly the same as that used by the aviation industry – estimated to be as much as 20 or 30 gigawatts. Attitude to the rate of growth needs to change. The rate at which we use one of our most basic raw materials (oil) is going to have to decline.

Researchers are working on a number of projects to investigate ways in which the internet’s energy efficiency can be increased and what effects this will have on its performance. They will examine how the mechanism within a computer responsible for controlling processing speed can be manipulated to make PCs’ energy use more efficient while holding the time a computer takes to complete a job within reasonable limits.

In another project researchers are looking at how components of some switches located within routers used to provide internet connectivity can be shut down at certain periods to save energy. They will also examine how putting computers used in commercial peer-to-peer file sharing networks into a ‘sleep state’ for periods of time will affect energy consumption and the network’s performance.