Environmental Assessment of Digital Infrastructure in Decentralized Smart Grids

This paper examines the life cycle-based direct environmental impact of information and communication technology (ICT) in German smart grids. Specifically, it explores the global warming potential associated with smart metering infrastructure and the use case of decentralized flexibility markets. Results show an annual footprint of 513,679 t CO2-eq. for the intelligent metering infrastructure expected in low-voltage levels by 2030. Digitalization measures required for a household to provide flexibility from decentralized assets cause approx. 27 to 43 kg CO2-eq. per household and year. Given the marginal data volume associated with the use case, the operation and production phases of hardware cause the greatest impact. Accordingly, considerable reduction potentials lie in decarbonizing the electricity mix and ensuring high energy efficiency and longevity of components. As more data-intensive use cases emerge, the method provided in this paper enables further environmental assessments of direct effects and the derivation of recommendations for a sustainable technical design. First qualitative estimations of indirect environmental effects indicate the need for subsequent research in the context of smart grids, including behavioral research and energy system modeling approaches.