March 05, 2022 – Since 1998, World Energy Efficiency Day has been celebrated every March 5th, a date used to reflect on the abusive use of fossil fuels and the importance of harnessing renewable energy sources. Furukawa Electric, manufacturer of complete solutions for the Communications and Energy Network infrastructure, joins in the celebration of this important day and shares information on how fiber optics provide environmentally friendly solutions for the network. 

Energy efficiency poses the challenge of consuming and producing energy in an intelligent and innovative manner with the aim of mitigating the effects of climate change. So how does this relate to fiber optics? When it comes to the environment, it is better to use fiber optics over copper cables, since the latter generate a greater loss of data transmission with higher energy consumption, given their poor performance during transmission. 

In addition, these consume a total of 3.5 W for every 100 meters, compared to just 1 W consumed when using fiber optic cables, which conduct light beams over a distance of 300 meters. Fiber optic cables are immune to electromagnetic interference, unlike copper tubes, which consume a lot of power and have poor performance. The latter affects the environment when fossil fuels are used to operate the cooling systems that require assembly and maintenance.

Finally, one of the biggest advantages for the environment when using an optics solution is due to the resistance of its materials. The glass threads that make up its interior are the thickness of a strand of hair and, even so, last for many years, while those made of copper suffer oxidation and overheating due to the temperature changes this metal undergoes.

Furukawa Electric offers sustainable technology and high-bandwidth transmission technology solutions, known as Green Solutions. These are characterized by their innovation, performance and greater sustainability, all in one technology, allowing users to responsibly choose the solutions that can best meet the technological demands of their company for the future.