This paper introduces Waste Factor (W), also denoted as Waste Figure (WF) in dB, a promising new metric for quantifying energy efficiency in a wide range of circuits and systems applications, including data centers and RANs. Also, the networks used to connect data centers and AI computing engines with users for ML applications must become more power efficient. This paper illustrates the limitations of existing energy efficiency metrics that inadequately capture the intricate energy dynamics of RAN components. We delineate the methodology for applying W across various network configurations, including MISO, SIMO, and MIMO systems, and demonstrate the effectiveness of W in identifying energy optimization opportunities. Our findings reveal that W not only offers nuanced insights into the energy performance of RANs but also facilitates informed decision-making for network design and operational efficiency. Furthermore, we show how W can be integrated with other KPIs to guide the development of optimal strategies for enhancing network energy efficiency under different operational conditions. Additionally, we present simulation results for a distributed multi-user MIMO system at 3.5, 17, and 28 GHz, demonstrating overall network power efficiency on a per square kilometer basis, and show how overall W decreases with an increasing number of base stations and increasing carrier frequency. This paper shows that adopting W as a figure of merit can significantly contribute to the sustainability and energy optimization of next-generation wireless communication networks, paving the way for greener and more sustainable, energy-efficient 5G and 6G technologies.

翻译：本文提出了一种用于量化广泛电路与系统（包括数据中心和无线接入网络）应用中能量效率的新指标——废物因子（W），其分贝表示形式为废物指数（WF）。此外，用于连接数据中心、人工智能计算引擎与机器学习应用用户的网络也必须提升功率效率。本文阐明了现有能效指标在捕捉无线接入网络组件复杂能量动态方面的局限性。我们系统阐述了在多输入单输出、单输入多输出及多输入多输出等不同网络配置中应用废物因子的方法论，并论证了该指标在识别能量优化机会方面的有效性。研究结果表明，废物因子不仅能深入揭示无线接入网络的能量性能特征，还能为网络设计与运营效率的决策提供依据。进一步地，我们展示了如何将废物因子与其他关键绩效指标结合，以指导制定不同运行条件下提升网络能效的最优策略。通过3.5GHz、17GHz和28GHz频段的分布式多用户多输入多输出系统仿真，我们展示了每平方公里范围内的整体网络功率效率，并证明整体废物因子随基站数量增加和载波频率升高而降低的趋势。本文论证了采用废物因子作为评价标准，能够显著促进下一代无线通信网络的可持续性与能量优化，为开发更绿色、更可持续且高能效的5G和6G技术开辟道路。