Using a refreshed analysis, the IEA report emphasised that streaming a Netflix video in 2019 usually consumed around 0.077kWh of electricity per hour, around 80 times less than the original estimate by The Shift Project (6.1kWh) and even ten times less than the corrected estimate (0.78kWh) – as shown in the chart.
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At FEED , we failed to do our homework,
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too. In issue 24 ( online.bright- publishing.com/ view/1031820/34/ ), we explored the Lean ICT report based on The Shift Project’s analyses.
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Shift Project (corrected)
IEA average (original)
IEA average (updated)
50in TV, Wi-Fi, 4K
Laptop, Wi-Fi, HD
Phone, 4G, ‘Auto’
Shift Project (original)
Data centre
Data transmission
Devices
The short answer is: low. Especially in countries with a fairly low-carbon electricity grid, like nuclear-powered France. When looking at the global average electricity mix, streaming a 30-minute show on Netflix in 2019 released 90 times less than The Shift Project’s original, erroneous 1.6kg figure, and 11 times less than its corrected figure of 0.2kg. WHAT IS THE ACTUAL CARBON FOOTPRINT OF STREAMING?
The graph estimates the CO2 emissions of watching 30 minutes of Netflix, according to the methodologies of the IEA, The Shift Project, and analyses by Rabih Bashroush and consumer advice site Save On Energy. The emissions of other activities are shown as a comparison.
...in France ...in the UK 30 mins Netflix in Australia
Shift Project (original) IEA average (updated) IEA average (original)
Shift Project (corrected)
...versus boiling a kettle once ...versus driving 5km Bashroush analysis Save On Energy analysis
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Other activities
IEA
Other estimates
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