RSS Feeds
Studies Clash over Energy Consumption
Watchdog says electronic devices use too much power; industry says semiconductors boost efficiency
Charles J. Murray, Senior Technical Editor -- Design News, May 18, 2009
Two recently released studies clashed last week over the effects of electronics on energy consumption.
Gadgets and Gigawatts, a publication of the International Energy Agency (IEA), warned that the energy consumed by electronic devices will double by 2022 and triple by 2030, requiring the addition of about 280 GW of new generating capacity worldwide. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) meanwhile weighed in with a study saying the U.S. economy could expand by more than 70 percent through 2030 and still use 11 percent less electricity than it did in 2008. With the right policies in place, the study says, the U.S. could eliminate the need for 296 power plants.
At an ACEEE press conference last week, representatives from the organization and from such companies as Texas Instruments, National Semiconductor and Xilinx described a disparity between the way the public views high technology and the reality of high-tech energy consumption. "One of the reasons we were interested in doing this particular report was to test the notion many people have about high-tech," said John A. Laitner, director of economic and social analysis for the ACEEE. He said the organization and its members use the term "high-tech energy paradox" to describe the "disconnect" between the perception and the reality.
Although ACEEE members did not cite Gadgets and Gigawatts by name, the IEC study appears to project the kind of public perception that's raising their concerns. Gadgets says electronic devices such as televisions, laptops and mobile phones could jeopardize efforts to reduce emission of greenhouse gases. The Paris-based watchdog agency says during the next seven months, the number of people using personal computers will pass the one billion mark. It says there are nearly two billion television sets already in use. IEA executive director Nobuo Tanaka declared in a press release that electronic products "would also cost households around the world USD 200 billion in electricity bills and require the addition of approximately 280 Gigawatts of new generating capacity between now and 2030."
The ACEEE says it has been fighting such perceptions for some time. Its study, called Semiconductor Technologies: The Potential To Revolutionize U.S. Energy Productivity, says while semiconductor-enabled technology does require electricity to drive it, it actually reduces the level of energy that would have otherwise been consumed without it. Laitner told listeners if the U.S. had relied on the technology available in 1976 to support today's economy, the country would have had to build another 184 power plants to satisfy the growing demands.
"When people focus narrowly on specific semiconductor-enabled devices, they are literally missing the big picture about how the industry is performing," Laitner said.
Representatives of the ACEEE argued that much of the information in consumer media articles has misstated the facts about electronic energy consumption and has used "scare tactics" to deter consumers. John Perzow, a marketing director for Analog Devices' Power Management Group who worked on the ACEEE study, cited media articles that incorrectly stated that LCD televisions use more energy than their CRT counterparts. Recent studies have shown that LCD monitors use 30 percent less energy in full-power mode and 40 percent less in standby, he said.
Industry proponents also pointed to last week's Associated Press story about Gadgets and Gigawatts that employed a photo of a polar bear and declared, "Charge your iPod, kill a polar bear?"
"The public is led to believe that new gadgets waste power, when actually they can help reduce energy consumption while helping the economy," Perzow said.
