Energy-Efficient Protocol Design

Recent studies have shown that the total energy consumed by the Internet has followed an increasing trend over the years. A considerable part of this energy is wasted due to an inefficient utilization of edge devices, that is, Personal Computers (PCs) and other user equipment in homes and offices. PCs are often left on even when they are not used (e.g., overnight or during weekends), while other edge devices, such as printers, IP phones, and displays, are typically kept always on, especially in public buildings. A number of solutions have been proposed for eliminating, or reducing, energy wastes caused by edge devices. In this chapter, we propose a general taxonomy for their classification. Then, according to the introduced taxonomy, we survey the main proposals appeared in the literature. Finally, we highlight some open issues.