High electric bill? – Save energy when streaming music, films and series – this is how it works

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Streaming music, films and series has taken the boredom out of many people, especially during the Corona lockdown. Streaming is also becoming increasingly popular in other ways. According to the ARD/ZDF online study 2021, which was carried out as part of the “Studies on media and their audience (MiP)”, the total population in Germany aged 14 and over uses YouTube, media libraries and streaming services for 64 minutes a day. When it comes to video streaming services, Netflix is ​​the most popular. 32 percent of people use the offer at least once a week. Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ came second and third with 18 and 8 percent respectively. “The ARD/ZDF online study shows: Almost everyone in Germany is online, video usage is the most important growth driver and TV providers achieve the highest growth with their media libraries and YouTube in the middle age groups,” says Dr. Florian Kumb, ZDF planning chief in a press release on the results of the ARD/ZDF online study. As convenient as streaming is, it consumes a lot of energy. So how can you effectively save electricity when streaming for the benefit of the climate?

Streaming as a climate sinner

According to the energy advice of the consumer advice center, huge server farms are required to store audio and video content. Millions of people accessing streaming content every day and running the farms consumes a lot of energy and is bad for the climate. After all, streaming a film for one hour roughly corresponds to the emissions of a small car driving one kilometer. “Rejecting streaming for these reasons is unrealistic. However, anyone who uses these services should know how energy-hungry everyday digital processes are,” said Martin Brandis, an expert in energy advice from the consumer advice center in a press release.

Measures to reduce energy consumption during streaming

For those who still want to do something about their personal ecological footprint when streaming, the energy advice service of the consumer advice center has some tips ready on their website. For example, the favorite music should not be streamed again and again, but downloaded once and then played locally. In addition, the Internet connection via mobile communications is more harmful to the climate than data transmissions with a LAN cable. The energy consumption can also be reduced by setting the image quality correctly. The energy advice of the consumer advice center recommends opting for 720p or 480p instead of the full HD resolution. In addition, it is generally the case that smaller screens consume less energy than larger screens and that energy-efficient devices should be used when it is necessary to buy new consumer electronics. The use of green electricity can also reduce the ecological footprint.

Streaming service Zattoo is already climate-neutral

In addition, it can also be useful to compare the carbon footprints of different streaming services. Since the beginning of the year, Netflix has set itself the goal of becoming climate-neutral. In addition, more investments are to be made in regeneration projects. According to its own statements, the streaming service from the USA generated around 1.1 million tons of CO2 in 2020. “Scientists around the world agree that if temperatures rise by no more than 1.5ºC, we must stabilize the climate to avoid the worst impacts of climate change and ensure healthy living conditions for our children. Therefore, Netflix will be closed by the end of 2022 and from since achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions every year,” said Emma Stewart, Netflix’s sustainability officer in a press release.

The streaming service Zattoo has already achieved what Netflix still wants to achieve. The company from Switzerland is climate neutral. Together with the environmental consulting company ClimatePartner, the streaming service calculates its CO2 balance annually, which is then fully offset by supporting certified climate projects. The company also operates its data centers with green electricity. A data center is even located directly in a wind turbine. “We know that we can do our part to preserve our climate and our planet. That’s why we as a company see it as our responsibility to act,” the company said on its website.

Tim Adler / Editor finanzen.net

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