Zero Energy Growth - Can We Continue to Achieve it?

For eight consecutive years since 1973, the Bell System has met its objective of zero energy growth. During this period the volume of business has grown by 86 percent and the cumulative savings in energy are equivalent to 37 million barrels of oil. Most of the savings to date have been made by improving building operations; however, substantial and growing savings have accrued from the introduction of energy-lean technologies in new network electronic systems. The energy consumption of power, switching, transmission, and equipment building systems is reviewed and an estimate is made of the future trends of energy for these systems. It is concluded that continuing zero energy growth will be based on the use of more environmentally tolerant systems and the continuing trend to lower power technologies that have steadily increased system capacity and performance without increasing energy requirements.