Abstract
Most part of the “Green IT“ or “Green ICT“ discussion is addressing issues of energy efficiency, implicitly assuming that more energy-efficient technologies will substantially contribute to a reduction of total energy consumption and, as a consequence, of CO2 emissions. This assumption is usually challenged by historical evidence for the rebound effect. This paper presents a case study on smart vending machines, showing that the ocurrence and size of the rebound effect can vary greatly depending on several factors. Some suggestions on how to avoid rebound effects when applying “smarter” technologies to save energy are derived.
Hilty, Lorenz