Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM
The IT2Green technology research program was initiated by the German federal ministry of economics and technology (BMWi) to address rising energy consumption by ICT.
In 2009, a previous study, entitled “Assessing the energy needs of the German information society” had already found that ICT accounts for more than 10% of energy consumption in Germany. Analysis showed that net-based services and ICT infrastructure were developing into a large energy consumer.
As part of IT2Green, 10 pilot projects were then funded to develop energy-efficient solutions for telecommunication networks, computing centers and clouds, and monitoring and management.
IT2Green was designed to cover a complex range of topics, in which technical and economic aspects are addressed. The systematic improvement of the energy efficiency of ICT infrastructure and ICT-based services requires a holistic understanding of the interrelationships between these factors. The research by Fraunhofer IZM (together with Fraunhofer ISI and VDIVDE-IT) is helping both BMWi and the funded projects in equal measure to successfully implement their program goals.
The aims of our research are quality assurance and development of universally applicable know-how for politics, commerce and research, as well as national and international networking between stakeholders. Our tasks include the cross-project identification and research of interdisciplinary issues, fostering of networks and the design of cross-media public relations. Based on an analysis of the potential scope of political and regulatory action, we are developing recommendations for strengthening sustainable ICT in Germany.
Our project will form 3 expert groups for the discussion of interdisciplinary topics and recommendation, to promote efficient information sharing and joint topic-specific development. The three groups will tackle the following aspects:3
- Measurement and assessment of energy efficiency in ICT
- New networks and technologies
- Techno-economic factors in competition