Reliable statistics on energy production are generally available, but accurate data on energy consumption by major industrial sectors is much harder to come by. Even more challenging is obtaining precise figures on the energy consumed during the production of specific goods. These hidden energy costs are an essential part of the environmental impact we bear when owning and using products.
Calculating the implied energy in manufactured goods involves a lot of simplifications and assumptions. For example, when estimating the energy embedded in a car or a computer, we have to ask: which model? Which brand? The challenge lies in selecting values that are both reasonable and representative. The reward, however, is gaining a fresh perspective on the artificial systems we rely on daily.
Let’s focus on mobile devices and cars. Mobile devices are central to modern communication, driving instant messaging and endless access to information. Cars, on the other hand, represent freedom of movement in the physical world. Both are deeply integrated into our lives, yet their energy footprints tell a surprising story.
A 1.4-tonne car, like the Honda Accord LX, clearly uses far more energy than a 140-gram smartphone, such as the Samsung Galaxy. However, the difference in energy is not as extreme as the weight difference—only about 10,000 times less.
In 2015, global sales reached 1.9 billion mobile phones, 60 million laptops, and over 230 million tablets. Combined, these devices weighed around 550,000 tons. Assuming an average of 250 million joules of hidden energy per phone, 4.5 billion joules per laptop, and 1 billion joules per tablet, the total energy required for production was approximately 1 exajoule (1 EJ). For cars, the energy needed to produce each unit is about 100 billion joules. With 72 million cars sold globally that year, the total energy used was roughly 7 EJ. Despite the car’s weight being 180 times greater than all portable devices combined, its energy footprint was only seven times higher.
Surprisingly, the energy used annually in producing portable devices is about 0.5 exajoules, while cars account for around 0.7 exajoules—just 40% more. Even if we reverse the numbers, the overall totals remain in the same range, with differences likely within a factor of two.
Of course, the operational energy use of these products differs greatly. A typical American compact car uses about 500 billion joules of gasoline over its 10-year lifespan—five times the energy embedded in its production. A smartphone, in contrast, consumes just 4 kWh of electricity over two years—less than 30 megajoules. If this energy comes from renewable sources like wind or solar, it's even lower. But if it's from coal, the ratio can rise to 8%.
Yet, without a network, a smartphone becomes nearly useless. The infrastructure supporting digital connectivity—like data centers—has its own massive energy demand. In 2013, U.S. data centers consumed 91 billion kWh of electricity, or 2.2% of the national total. By 2020, that number was expected to reach 3.5%. Globally, information and communication networks accounted for 5% of electricity use in 2012, rising to nearly 10% by 2020. So, even though smartphones are small, they contribute significantly to the global energy budget—and the environmental impact that comes with it.
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