Green internet of things is the future of technology.

Can you imagine yourself without the internet and related technologies?

The unanimous answer to the above is a no. With increased dependence on technology, one can understand this sentiment. Imagining a day without the internet can be taxing.

The same usage that is growing by leaps and bounds is putting a considerable strain on the environment. It is time we address the gaps and try to plug them before Mother Nature turns a back on us and gives us a lesson so hard, that the entire human race will remember it for ages. 

 But what is our contribution to this mess? When we think we’re sitting home peacefully, avoiding burning fuel and consuming mindfully?

The answer is not that hard but it often goes ignored. 

How do you think the technology that connects everything to everything else around you, the so-called internet of things, works? Do you really feel the internet is only about what you see or experience on your screens? 

 Let’s take this discussion a little further and go back to where we started.

What is the Green Internet of Things?

We claim that it will be the future of technologies that have already enslaved the human race. However, contrary to the popular belief that the World Wide Web is driven by digital marketing, the search engine rankings, the likes and comments, and the ways consumers respond to the online world, the truth is that it is the routers, switches, and even the servers that run the whole show. Interestingly, it all operates on electricity most of which is sourced from non-renewable energy sources. 

So, the hard fact is no matter, how far you are from making a direct impact on the environment and are following most of the guidelines, you still make a huge difference to the way environment functions by just sitting at home, and chatting with your besties. Hence, the need for green internet of things was felt by scientists around the world and instead of switching to any other new mode, to reduce this impact. 

Green internet of things will considerably bring down the network usage, the resources needed for implementation of all different elements of the network and also their operation. 

Thus, it can be safely stated that the Green Internet of Things is significant for a sustainable smart world and lessening the CO2 and GHG emissions by sensors, servers, and other devices.

The next big question is it feasible and if it is then how?

Let us explore that.

Key Technologies for Green Internet of Things

Before we jump to the technologies, it becomes necessary to state that the Green IoT follows a set lifecycle beginning from the design phase to design, production, utilization, and finally recycling. Every step is critical and has to be catered to achieve the ultimate aim. 

The most promising technologies that will lead you towards the green internet of things can be spread across three categories:

Green RFID Tags

The Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is an electronic device that has many RFID tags and a small tag reader. There are many types of research being carried out to decrease the size of RFID tags that will help reduce the amount of material that is non-biodegradable. Even RFID tags that are printable are being proposed.

Green Networks for Sensing

Another significant technology that will make inroads is the green wireless sensor network or WSN. Many different technologies like energy-efficient techniques for optimization, and also routing techniques, etc. have to be considered for achieving green WSN. Latter contains many different sensor nodes with restricted power and storage capacity.

Green Hardware and Software Technologies

Many hardware and software technologies have to be developed by the manufacturers and design systems that consume less energy without affecting the performance. Even power-saving virtual machine techniques have to be developed and implemented. 

The future will witness a heavy impact of 5G technologies and cause a proportionate increase in energy demand. Data centers can also act as new power stations and can be instrumental in both the processing of data and also act as new-age heating systems. As of now, only 19 percent of data centers are able to utilize their waste energy. These data centers can be used for supplying heat to all the housing estates or the city districts. Additionally, green energy sources have to be considered for supplying power, decentralization of power generation, using photovoltaics, etc. 

So next time when you plug into Netflix, you should have no doubts that all this has significant repercussions on your environment!