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Green IoT Design Trade-offs

Balancing various design criteria is critical to achieving optimal performance while minimising environmental impact in designing and implementing IoT devices and infrastructures. The concept of Green IoT (G-IoT) emphasises designing IoT systems that are energy-efficient, sustainable, and environmentally friendly, addressing the growing concern about the ecological footprint of IoT technologies. However, achieving these goals often involves trade-offs between competing priorities such as energy consumption, performance, security, cost, and sustainability (figure 1).

Green IoT Design Trade-offs
Figure 1: Green IoT Design Trade-offs

Energy Efficiency

One of the primary design goals of IoT is minimising energy consumption, as many IoT devices rely on limited-capacity batteries. Energy-efficient hardware components, software optimisations, and low-power communication protocols are widely adopted to prolong device operating lifetimes. For example:

These measures reduce energy demand and extend battery life. However, the benefit of energy savings often comes at the cost of reduced performance:

Security Trade-offs

Security is another critical consideration that often conflicts with energy efficiency in IoT design. Traditional robust security algorithms, such as those used in standard computing systems, are computationally intensive and consume significant energy. Applying such algorithms directly to IoT devices would rapidly deplete their batteries.

However, prioritising energy efficiency may compromise the level of security, leaving devices vulnerable to attacks such as data breaches, eavesdropping, or denial of service (DoS).

Cost Considerations

Cost is another key factor influencing IoT design. Manufacturers often strive to keep production costs low to ensure the affordability of devices, especially for mass-market applications. This focus on cost reduction may lead to the following:

While minimising cost is essential for market viability, it can compromise other critical aspects, such as reliability, durability, or security, leading to potential issues over the device's lifecycle.

Green IoT (G-IoT): A Holistic Approach

Green IoT aims to address the environmental and sustainability challenges associated with IoT systems. It focuses on:

Examples include precision farming, smart grids, and waste management systems. However, Green IoT design must also balance other key requirements:

Design Challenges and Trade-off Management

Achieving the goals of Green IoT requires careful consideration of trade-offs:

To navigate these trade-offs, designers can adopt strategies such as:

Green IoT represents a transformative approach to designing IoT systems that align with environmental and sustainability goals. By addressing energy efficiency, e-waste reduction, and sustainable resource management, Green IoT can contribute to a more sustainable future. However, realising these benefits requires a balanced approach considering the trade-offs between QoS, security, energy efficiency, and cost, ensuring that IoT systems are functional and eco-friendly.