It’s evident how technological advancements revolutionized the world’s way of living. But all of these modernized technologies will be worthless if the earth is no longer a suitable place to live in. Hence, it is the developers’ responsibility to protect the environment as they innovate.
One of the many eco-friendly technologies existing today is fiber optics. According to the Sustainable Technology Environments Program (STEP) foundation, optical fiber has the capacity to provide a greener IT environment along with its capabilities to deliver higher bandwidth and faster internet connections.
Read on to know how fiber optic technology does this.
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Energy Consumption Reduction
If you take the time to ask certified fiber optic technicians, they will be able to attest that fiber optic cables have the capacity to conserve energy. Unlike its copper wire cable counterpart, fiber cables consume less energy. While coaxial cables take up to 3.5 watts to transmit light pulses over 100 meters, fiber optic technology only consumes 1 watt to do this. With that said, it is undeniable how this technology can help companies reduce their energy consumption during business operations.
Lesser power consumption is equivalent to a smaller scale of carbon dioxide emission and heat generation. So aside from helping companies to have an eco-friendly network, it also enables them to eliminate the need to put several cooling systems in place.
- Support for Sustainable Architectures
Other than its energy consumption reduction capabilities, fiber technology also has the ability to support sustainable architectures. With a fiber network in place, your local area network (LAN) architectures that can minimize the utilization of electronics will be able to support future applications. The high bandwidth and long link lengths that are supported by your network will enable you to create a new network that can help you save energy and reduce the materials needed in the future. Hence, it is an ideal IT infrastructure for companies that perform several changes over time.
- Lower Usage of Copper
Every accredited fiber optic technician knows that coaxial cables contain copper. Furthermore, it has also been renowned that copper’s extraction is highly contaminating and dangerous to the environment. According to the research of experts, copper mining has affected vegetation, biological life, and water bodies in many ways. In some cases, it contaminated a certain area too much that it was no longer able to sustain life. One way that you can avoid this problem is by using fiber optic cables for your corporate network.
Fiber optics is composed of Silicon Dioxide that is stable and the most abundant principal component after Oxygen. With that said, it is evident that it will take a long time before this material runs out. Aside from that, the extraction method of silicon is environmental-friendly as well.
- Compliance to Environment-Friendly Policies
Before a company can operate, they are required to adhere to rules and regulations related to environment and health concerns. These policies are often referred to by organizations as the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS). Usually, they are encouraged to make use of fiber optics in order to make their company more environmental-friendly. By using fiber optics, companies get the option to minimize their utilization of high levels of heavy metal. Through this, they’ll be able to lessen the occurrences of serious illnesses and environment pollution.
- Lesser Repair Rate
When you compare the rate of repairs for fiber optics to the one made for copper wires, you will see that it is up to 50 percent less than the latter. The companies that made use of fiber optics were able to reduce the need for replacement equipment and repair trips. Hence, it has been renowned in the business world that this technology has the ability to reduce the required resources and lower associated costs during manufacturing. Furthermore, it was also seen that this technology lessened the users’ susceptibility to the degradation caused by moisture, freezing, and electrical interference. With that said, it is unmistakable how fiber optics has the capacity to aid companies in achieving their business’ continuity.
Fiber Optic Technology with Eco-Friendly Applications
Now that you know how fiber optics contribute to a greener IT environment, it’s time that you learn more about the technology’s eco-friendly applications. With this knowledge, you’ll be able to maximize the power of fiber optics for business success while helping the environment.
To discuss further regarding this matter, here are some of the fiber optic technologies with environmental-friendly applications:
- Underwater Fiber Optic Cables
As the demand for connectivity increased in the business world, fiber optic technicians started to install underwater fiber optic communication cables. With fiber optic cables as wide as a garden hose laid on the sea bed between two or more land-based stations, technicians were able to deliver telecommunications signals across the sea. Furthermore. The paths taken by these cables are often chosen after comprehensive marine surveys. By doing that, accredited fiber technicians are able to ensure that the cable routes they chose are away from hazardous conditions that can potentially damage the cables.
In the research conducted by Craig Denovan, he found out that fiber optic installations underwater require lesser resources per unit length. That said, underwater fiber optic cables have the capacity to transmit data with a small environmental impact for every unit of data delivered. Moreover, it has also been prevalent that these cables release lesser carbon dioxide emissions. With that in mind, it is undeniable how this fiber optic application helps pave the way for an environmentally friendly IT environment.
- Fiber Optic Sensors
Although resources may be abundant in certain areas, it is still limited. Hence, it is essential to monitor the utilization of resources regularly in order to ensure that they are used safely and efficiently. With the help of fiber optic sensors, several environmental organizations were able to accomplish this without compromising the environment. According to experts, this fiber technology has the capability to deliver advantages such as electromagnetic interference resistance, extreme temperature durability, and high transmission rate as they monitor their resources. With that said, it is evident that this technology enables its users to effectively detect changes in the environment under harsh conditions.
As it is renowned across the business world, fiber optic technology uses light signals to transmit data. So unlike the traditional communication systems that utilize an excessive amount of energy power that’s harmful to the environment, it is clear that fiber optic sensors are more sustainable than the other kinds of remote sensors.
- Passive Optical LANs
Over the past few years, architects have been looking for ways to reduce electrical and fuel consumption to create buildings that are environmentally friendlier. In their effort to do that, they discovered that Passive Optical LANs is one way to achieve this. According to experts, this technology is the leading alternative businesses can use instead of traditional LAN networks.
With the eco-friendly materials passive optical LANs utilize, this technology enables business sites to significantly reduce energy consumption along with the other expenses associated with traditional LAN architectures. With that said, it is undeniable that this technology offers several advantages to both the end-users and the environment.
The Role of the STEP Foundation in Promoting a Greener IT Environment
Without any doubt, fiber optic technology effectively provided business organizations the opportunity to acquire an eco-friendly corporate network. Even though this is true, this movement can never be executed properly without the help of individuals that promote eco-friendly IT environments.
One of the many organizations that played a role in accomplishing this goal is the STEP Foundation. Envisioned to encompass low-voltage buildings and communication technologies, the STEP program was able to create a sustainable deployment process for innovations. With their help, companies were able to reduce their IT systems’ energy consumption while ensuring the betterment of the environment.
Evidently, one of the things the STEP program is focusing on is the implementation of guidelines in helping companies develop sustainable cabling systems. To delve into detail, here are few of the key goals found in the STEP guidelines that are related to cabling infrastructures:
- Cabling Should Keep Energy Consumption at a Minimum
As you can see, it’s fundamental to lessen energy consumption to protect the environment. One way that you can ensure that it is kept at a minimum is by analyzing your current energy use and the expenses associated with it. Furthermore, it’s also helpful if you determine strategies that can help you minimize your energy consumption in the future.
- Cabling Must Reduce Equipment Waste
Apart from reducing your company’s energy consumption, it’s also a good practice to reduce the number of equipment you throw away. You can do this easily by identifying the existing equipment you can re-use, recycle, or throw away. By adopting this practice in your organization, you’ll be able to maximize your current tools and equipment before you buy new ones to replace those that are decommissioning.
As the STEP program became well-known across the business world, several companies were able to optimize their cabling infrastructure designs to become effective and sustainable. If you want to have an environmental friendly network, it is recommended by experts that you follow the STEP guidelines. The best way to comply with its requirements is by empowering your business organization with fiber optics.
