Analyzing Streaming Habits and Residential Energy Peaks : A Study on How Digital Streaming Demand Coincides with Household Electricity Consumption

This thesis investigates the interplay between digital streaming demand and household electricity consumption in Swedish households, focusing on how peak streaming activities and residential energy peaks coincide. With streaming services like Netflix, YouTube, and Twitch dominating internet traffic, this study explores their role as the most bandwidth-intensive activity and their environmental implications. Utilizing the Internet Microscope device, network traffic data was collected over a 30-hour period from five diverse Swedish households, complemented by time-use diaries and interviews. Findings reveal that streaming accounts for a significant portion of household data consumption, with volumes ranging from 21 GB to 102 GB, translating to an upper-bound electricity use of 0.84 kWh to 4.12 kWh per household. Sweden’s evening electricity demand peaks, particularly between 5 PM and 10 PM, align closely with peak streaming hours. Demographic factors, such as age and lifestyle, shape streaming habits, with younger users favoring data-intensive live platforms and older adults leaning toward TV-based on-demand content. While direct streaming-related energy use appears modest, the cumulative impact, including unquantified data center and device consumption, underscores sustainability challenges. This research highlights the need for energy-efficient streaming practices and strategies for sustainable digital consumption, contributing to discussions on network infrastructure, energy policy, and digital sustainability in Sweden.