The energy and greenhouse-gas implications of internet video streaming in the United States

Abstract

The rapid growth of streaming video entertainment has recently received attention as a possibly less energy intensive alternative to the manufacturing and transportation of digital video discs (DVDs). This study utilizes a life-cycle assessment approach to estimate the primary energy use and greenhouse-gas emissions associated with video viewing through both traditional DVD methods and online video streaming. Base-case estimates for 2011 video viewing energy and CO 2 (e) emission intensities indicate video streaming can be more efficient than DVDs, depending on DVD viewing method. Video streaming benefits from relatively more efficient end-user devices than DVD viewing, though much of that savings is lost when accounting for the additional energy from network data transmission. Video streaming appears distinctly favorable when compared against any DVD viewing that includes consumer driving, which significantly increases the energy and CO 2 (e) emissions per viewing hour. Total US 2011 video viewing required about 192 PJ of primary energy and emitted about 10.5 billion kg of CO 2 (e). Shifting all 2011 DVD viewing to video streaming reduces the total primary energy use to about 162 PJ and the CO 2 (e) emissions to about 8.6 billion kg, representing a savings equivalent to the primary energy used to meet the electricity demand of nearly 200 000 US households each year. Sensitivity analysis indicates that results are most influenced by the end-user DVD player power demand, data transmission energy, and consumer travel for store DVDs. Data center energy use -both operational and embodied within the IT equipment-account for <1% of the total video streaming energy use. Results from this study indicate that designers and policy makers should focus on the efficiency of end-user devices and network transmission energy to curb future increases in energy use from the proliferation of video streaming.S Online supplementary data available from stacks.iop.org/ERL/9/054007/mmedia

Electricity Intensity of Internet Data Transmission: Untangling the Estimates

“… Notes : a) Calculated based on assumptions used in Koomey and colleagues (), see the Supporting Information available on the Journal's website; b) calculated based on assumptions used in Taylor and Koomey (), see the Supporting Information on the Web; c) estimate for low access rates; d) estimate for high access rates; e) calculated based on same assumptions used by Weber and colleagues (); f) estimates taken directly from Malmodin and colleagues (); g) calculated based on same assumptions used by Shehabi and colleagues (), see the Supporting Information on the Web; h) calculated based on discussions with authors from Krug and colleagues (), see the Supporting Information on the Web; i) assumed year in which data apply, although based on data from multiple source years; j) estimate provided by Malmodin () based on data from Malmodin and Lundén ().…”

Circular Economy Rebound

“…For instance, video‐on‐demand, which is a virtualization of media delivery, often has lower per‐use impacts than physical video delivery, that is, (Shehabi et al. ; Weber et al. ).…”

Digitalisation of goods: a systematic review of the determinants and magnitude of the impacts on energy consumption

“…Also, the broadcast contribution to energy consumption is largely fixed for DTT but depends upon the size of audience for VOD, especially if investment is required for network expansion. Shehabi et al (2014) compare the primary energy consumption associated with watching a one-hour movie delivered through online streaming, or via a DVD. They estimate that streaming consumes slightly (1.3%) more energy than mail-delivered DVDs (either rented or purchased), but 35% less energy than shoprented or shop-purchased DVDs.…”