In the wake of COP28, governments, companies and institutions are being challenged to do their part in meeting climate change mitigation goals. From new entrepreneurial innovations to legislation – there is a wide spectrum of action being taken. While the new initiatives being launched are truly admirable, it is equally if not more important to improve on the way we currently do things. That is why events like COP28 are so vital if we are to steer the course of environmental efforts – they spark the right conversations around how we can be better.
As a technology vendor, Extreme Networks feels this responsibility keenly. We believe that given the importance of networks as the backbone for company operations across the globe, technology vendors owe it to our customers and stakeholders, as well as for future generations, to reevaluate our products and solutions. It is essential that we develop sustainable network products as well as enable our customers to be more sustainable themselves.
Extreme Networks has taken its commitments to improve sustainability performance seriously. Part of our efforts include having properly recycled 23,182 pounds, or over 11 tons, of e-waste last year while integrating more recycled components into our products. We also encourage our customers to be part of this initiative as well, offering the choice to return products after their lifespan. In 2023 we also announced the AP3000 which has just 13.9W of power draw, making it the lowest power consumption Wi-Fi 6E access point in the market. Finally, we reduced our energy usage by 19 percent in fiscal year 2023 as well as our real estate footprint by over 50 percent over the past two years.
However, beyond our current actions, we are seeing immense potential for networks to play a role in global sustainability efforts.
Supporting Customer’s Environmental Strategies
By working with their customers, technology vendors can achieve significant impact beyond their own sustainability goals and agendas. We recently witnessed this firsthand with an environmentally-conscious customer in the education sector. This American-based school was the first school in the state of Colorado to shift all of its lighting to Power over Ethernet (PoE) to enable the seamless transmission of electricity through Ethernet cables, eliminating the need for extra wires and infrastructure. This innovative approach can significantly reduce power consumption as well as lower construction and maintenance costs.
PoE also supports LED lights, which are not only environmentally friendly but also energy-efficient, operating at lower voltages without the need for bulky transformers. The integration of PoE with sensors and building systems provides a holistic approach to building automation, making it indispensable in creating intelligent, energy-efficient, and adaptable spaces in modern buildings.
Extreme’s partnership with this school has enabled them to harness the power of PoE technology, paving the way for an educational future that is both efficient and environmentally friendly. Through ExtremeSwitching solutions, the school is employing network switches to deliver both power and data to each light source, eliminating the need for intricate electrical installations. As a result, the school district has found itself leading the charge in adopting a cost-effective and energy-efficient lighting solution across the state.
Developing innovative products and solutions
Beyond recycling and reducing our footprint and e-waste from our products, technology vendors should also ensure we are doing all we can to manage the energy consumption of new products and the way they are designed. We can do so by utilising more efficient power supplies and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) in switches and access points (APs).
Consequently, we also impact the sustainability performance of our customers through network refresh projects utilising products with higher efficiency ratings, which can lead to substantial energy savings. Given the vast number of switches that each customer deploys, even a 10 percent improvement in efficiency across multiple clients from different industries and countries leads to a positive global impact.
Sustainable networks in the future
PoE will likely continue to gain traction as a sustainable networking solution. Utilising PoE for as many functions as possible centralises power and data control. PoE allows devices to receive power directly from the network switch, simplifying deployment. Many customers leverage this by using PoE to integrate smart LED lights, IP cameras, voice-over IP (VoIP) phones, and APs.
Additionally, artificial intelligence will be vital to our efforts and will be used to optimise systems to prioritise sustainability. It can also analyse the network context–from switches to APs—and configure it for maximum sustainability. The cloud will also play a significant role in managing functionalities, centralising management for location data from Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices, insights into room and floor usage, and automatically controlling lights and HVAC systems, which will result in energy savings, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and improved sustainability overall.
As COP28 is showing us, sustainability is not an isolated activity but one that demands collaboration and partnerships for new innovations. By working with our partners and customers, and investing in the appropriate technologies and product design, we can set the blueprint for sustainable practices in the industries where we operate and, hopefully, realise a better future where we all advance.
