Green Edge Computing Architectures for Real-Time Environmental Monitoring Systems

Abstract

Environmental monitoring facilitates solutions to major worldwide challenges, including air pollution, climate change, and water resource degradation. Yet, conventional cloud-based IoT systems are unable to provide real-time solutions because of issues like latency, increased energy consumption, and limited scalability. This paper aims to present a positive environmental impact of edge computing for real-time environmental monitoring and provide a sustainable, energy-efficient, low-latency environmental monitoring solution. The Edge Computing Real-Time Environmental Monitoring (ECRM) framework of the paper achieves local data processing and decision-making through the integration of edge intelligence, collective, and low-power machine learning models at edge gateways. The framework achieves system responsiveness and low energy consumption through the integration of energy-aware task scheduling and adaptive data transmission strategies. Processed data for air quality (AQI), CO₂, humidity, and temperature levels substantially reduce the framework's reliance on cloud computing. The framework provides a 39% reduction in energy consumption and a 40% reduction in latency in comparison to established cloud system models. The reductions improve real-time system responsiveness and reduce network traffic. The research demonstrates that combining edge architecture and green computing is a potential solution for sustainable environmental monitoring. The proposed systems align with the goals of computing sustainability and future smart city solutions.