The energy transition has increased scrutiny on the energy efficiency of digital infrastructures. Rising energy costs and limited power grid capacity have put pressure on data centers and network operators to reduce power and cooling demands. Simultaneously, as Moore’s Law slows, chip miniaturization faces physical limits, making efficiency gains from smaller nodes (e.g. 5nm to 3nm) increasingly marginal. With bandwidth demand growing at 25% annually, future performance improvements will depend on higher power input, intensifying thermal management challenges.

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To address the need for energy-efficient operations, adaptive energy-saving strategies are being explored. Such strategies include approaches such as router tuning and powering down unused systems supported by standards like Energy-Efficient Ethernet and green computing practices. As traffic patterns are predictable, automated energy optimization could yield major savings.

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In the Netherlands and beyond, rising power and cooling costs are prompting institutions to consider energy-efficient hardware for long-term investments. Devices with built-in power-saving capabilities could offer lower total cost of ownership over their 5–10-year lifecycle, aligning performance needs with sustainability goals.