Green Internet of Things (GIoT): Vision, applications and research challenges

Abstract Internet of Things (IoT) as an emerging technology provides interconnections between various objects with three features, i.e., anything, anyplace, and anytime. Due to the high number of objects in the IoT and their proximity to humans, energy efficiency is a fundamental requirement for this technology. In general, paying attention to energy efficiency at various levels of IoT leads to Green IoT (GIoT), which decreases costs while reducing human health threats. In this paper, the effective measures that can be taken to achieve GIoT are investigated at various levels, including hardware, software, communication, and network architecture. In addition, opportunities, challenges, and applications of GIoT in various aspects are considered to clarify its limitations. Given the crucial significance of environmental preservation in human life, business models and business platforms of this technology are investigated that have introduced by active IT companies. Moreover, open issues and directions of GIoT, including standardization, technical challenges, innovations, and security are reviewed for further research. It is hoped that effective policies for GIoT development will be provided by addressing the salient challenges and formulating appropriate standards. The investigations indicate that the green goal should certainly be addressed in the overall cycle of GIoT, including design, production, utilization, and ultimately disposal/recycling.