Archive notice: This article was originally published on September 8, 2009. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
The VDE forecasts up to 30 percent more electricity consumption in Germany by 2025. The reason is the growing number of electronic devices and IT applications in households. More energy-efficient devices and energy-saving consumer behaviour are intended to counter rising electricity consumption. Technological developments in Green IT, Green CE and microelectronics promise potential savings - as the example of electronics group
Samsung shows.
According to a current VDE calculation, technological developments in consumer electronics, IT and home appliances promise substantial energy-saving potential.
Electricity savings of up to 40 percent are possible in selected product groups. In particular, the use of microelectronics in so-called “embedded systems” promises significantly more energy-efficient devices in the future. “As a fundamental technology, microelectronics offers great opportunities for saving energy,” says Dr.-Ing. Hans Heinz Zimmer, Chairman of the VDE. “We will experience immense technological leaps in this field in the future.”
Samsung, for example, demonstrates the scale of potential energy savings in consumer electronics. Selected television sets from the electronics group use up to 40 percent less electricity than the previous year’s models. This is shown by a comparison conducted by the VDE Institute according to the internationally recognised IEC 62087 method. In televisions, new technologies such as the use of LEDs for display backlighting minimise electricity consumption. That is good not only for the wallet, but also for the environment. Lower electricity consumption simultaneously reduces harmful CO2 emissions.
Consumers Are Needed
Industry and its technological developments are not the only factors required.
The VDE also sees savings potential among end consumers: households, commerce, trade and services consume around 140 TWh of electricity annually. The VDE estimates the savings potential from changes in consumer behaviour at around 10 to 15 percent. The use of low-consumption devices could reduce standby losses by 5 to 10 TWh per year. This is also noticeable in the wallet: the VDE has calculated that a household can save up to 300 euros annually in this way.
