ISO/IEC 14763-5:2025

Information technology - Implementation and operation of customer premises cabling - Part 5: Sustainability

This document specifies requirements and recommendations to maximize the sustainability of cabling systems including both customer premises infrastructure and the accommodation of information technology equipment by addressing the a) cabling design; b) selection, packaging and transportation of components and related materials; c) installation, operation and maintenance; d) management of waste materials, and e) skill sets necessary for designers, installers and users.

Titre manque — Partie 5: Titre manque

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 04-May-2025
• ICS: 13.020.20 - Environmental economics. Sustainability
• ICS: 35.110 - Networking
• Technical Committee: ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 25 - Interconnection of information technology equipment
• Drafting Committee: ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 25 - Interconnection of information technology equipment
• Current Stage: 6060 - International Standard published
• Start Date: 05-May-2025
• Due Date: 29-Oct-2026
• Completion Date: 05-May-2025

Overview

ISO/IEC 14763-5:2025 - Information technology - Implementation and operation of customer premises cabling - Part 5: Sustainability - provides requirements and recommendations to maximize the environmental, economic and social sustainability of cabling systems. The scope covers both the physical customer premises infrastructure and accommodation of IT equipment, addressing cabling design, selection, packaging and transportation of components, installation, operation and maintenance, waste management, and skill sets and training for stakeholders.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Cabling design: Guidance on design choices that extend service life, reduce rework and lower environmental impact. The standard lists consideration criteria, renovation approaches and infrastructure planning to reduce lifetime waste.
• Selection, packaging and transportation: Criteria to choose materials and components with reduced environmental footprints; recommendations for minimal and recyclable packaging and sustainable transport practices.
• Installation, operation and maintenance: Process flow from design to disposal, pre‑/during/post‑installation best practices, operational requirements and recommendations to optimize energy and material use over the system lifecycle.
• Waste management: A cabling waste hierarchy (reuse, repurpose, recycle, dispose), treatment of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), waste assessment, storage/handling, documentation (waste management plan, proof of assessment, certificates of recycling).
• Metrics & transparency: The standard recommends metrics for evaluating cabling sustainability and stresses transparency of documents to support supplier and stakeholder decisions.
• Skills and training: Defined work performance abilities, competencies and training objectives - including collaboration, SDG awareness and specialized tasks (design, installation, operation) - plus examples of skill sets and syllabi.

Practical applications and who uses it

• IT infrastructure designers and cabling consultants: use the standard to specify sustainable cabling architectures and reduce lifecycle impacts.
• Installers and contractors: apply recommended installation practices, waste handling and documentation to meet client sustainability goals.
• Facility and operations managers: implement operation and maintenance regimes that reduce energy consumption and waste.
• Procurement and sustainability officers: evaluate supplier packaging, transport, recycling certificates and lifecycle costs.
• Training organizations and certification bodies: develop syllabi and competency frameworks aligned with the standard.

Practical outcomes include longer‑lasting cabling systems, reduced waste and WEEE, lower energy and lifecycle costs, and documented evidence (waste plans/certificates) for compliance and corporate sustainability reporting.

Related standards

• ISO/IEC 14763 series (implementation and operation of customer premises cabling)
• ISO/IEC 11801 (generic cabling standards referenced in the standard’s introduction)

Keywords: ISO/IEC 14763-5:2025, customer premises cabling, sustainable cabling systems, cabling design, waste management, installation best practices, WEEE, skill sets, lifecycle sustainability.

Standards Content (Sample)

ISO/IEC 14763-5
Edition 1.0 2025-04
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
Information technology – Implementation and operation of customer premises
cabling –
Part 5: Sustainability
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ISO/IEC 14763-5
Edition 1.0 2025-04
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
Information technology – Implementation and operation of customer premises

cabling –
Part 5: Sustainability
INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
ICS 35.200; 13.020.20 ISBN 978-2-8327-0382-3

– 2 – ISO/IEC 14763-5:2025 © ISO/IEC 2025
CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 5
INTRODUCTION . 7
1 Scope . 10
2 Normative references . 10
3 Terms, definitions and abbreviated terms . 10
3.1 Terms and definitions . 10
3.2 Abbreviated terms . 12
4 Conformance . 12
5 Cabling design . 12
5.1 Overview. 12
5.1.1 General . 12
5.1.2 Consideration criteria to sustainable cabling systems . 13
5.2 Cabling design selection criteria . 14
5.3 Considerations for renovation . 14
5.4 Reduction of waste materials during the lifetime of the installation . 15
5.5 Cabling infrastructure installation planning and practices . 15
5.6 Impact of cabling infrastructure on energy requirements . 15
5.7 Designing for quality to reduce rework . 16
5.8 Balancing sustainability and other considerations . 16
5.9 Recommended metrics to evaluate cabling sustainability . 16
5.10 Creating sustainability mind-set among stakeholders . 16
5.11 Economic aspects of sustainability . 17
5.12 Transparency of documents for sustainable cabling system . 17
6 Selection, packaging and transportation of components and related materials . 17
6.1 General . 17
6.2 Selection of components and related material . 18
6.3 Packaging of components and related material . 18
6.4 Transportation of components and related material . 18
7 Installation, operation and maintenance . 19
7.1 General . 19
7.2 Process of installation, maintenance and operation . 19
7.2.1 General . 19
7.3 Installation practices . 20
7.3.1 Recommendations for installation practices . 20
7.3.2 Pre-installation step requirements. 20
7.3.3 Installation step . 20
7.3.4 Post-installation step . 21
7.4 Operation . 22
7.4.1 Requirements . 22
7.4.2 Recommendations . 22
7.5 Maintenance . 23
7.5.1 Requirements . 23
7.5.2 Recommendations . 23
8 Management of waste materials . 24
8.1 General . 24
8.2 Cabling waste hierarchy . 24

8.3 Waste electrical and electronic equipment . 25
8.4 Waste assessment . 25
8.5 Documentation . 25
8.5.1 Waste management plan . 25
8.5.2 Proof of assessment . 26
8.5.3 Certificate of recycling . 27
8.6 Waste storage and handling . 27
8.6.1 Storage and handling . 27
8.6.2 Risks . 27
8.7 Waste actions . 27
8.7.1 General . 27
8.7.2 Reuse . 28
8.7.3 Repurpose . 28
8.7.4 Recycle . 28
8.7.5 Dispose . 29
9 Skill sets and training objectives . 29
9.1 Overview. 29
9.1.1 General . 29
9.1.2 Needs of stakeholders . 29
9.2 Work performance abilities, competencies and skill sets . 30
9.3 Generic work performance ability requirements . 30
9.3.1 General . 30
9.3.2 Understanding of and contribution to SDGs . 31
9.3.3 Collaboration with stakeholders . 31
9.3.4 Education and training . 31
9.4 Specialized work performance ability requirements . 31
9.4.1 General . 31
9.4.2 Understanding of requirements for sustainable cabling systems . 32
9.4.3 Approaches for reduction of environmental footprints. 32
9.4.4 Designing practices . 32
9.4.5 Installation management and evaluation practice . 32
9.4.6 Installation practice. 33
9.4.7 Operation, management and maintenance of sustainable cabling
systems . 34
9.5 Best practices, education and training . 35
9.5.1 Collection and publication of best practices . 35
9.5.2 Sustainability specialist for sustainable cabling system and training . 35
9.5.3 Criteria and means of evaluation . 35
Annex A (informative) Example of skill sets for work performance . 37
Annex B (informative) Example of syllabus . 39
Bibliography . 40

Figure 1 – Schematic representation of cabling standards in system lifecycle . 8
Figure 2 – Schematic relationship between ISO/IEC 14763-5 and other relevant
standards . 9
Figure 3 – Process flow from design to disposal . 19
Figure 4 – Cabling waste hierarchy . 24
Figure 5 – Work performance ability requirements designated for stakeholders . 30

– 4 – ISO/IEC 14763-5:2025 © ISO/IEC 2025

Table 1 – Sustainability criteria . 13
Table 2 – Aspects valued by stakeholders and satisfaction indexes . 29

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY –
IMPLEMENTATION AND OPERATION OF
CUSTOMER PREMISES CABLING –
Part 5: Sustainability
FOREWORD
1) ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical Commission)
form the specialized system for worldwide standardization. National bodies that are members of ISO or IEC
participate in the development of International Standards through technical committees established by the
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2) The formal decisions or agreements of IEC and ISO on technical matters express, as nearly as possible, an
international consensus of opinion on the relevant subjects since each technical committee has representation
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8) Attention is drawn to the Normative references cited in this document. Use of the referenced publications is
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all such patent rights.
ISO/IEC 14763-5 has been prepared by subcommittee 25: Interconnection of information
technology equipment, of ISO/IEC joint technical committee 1: Information technology. It is an
International Standard.
The text of this International Standard is based on the following documents:
Draft Report on voting
JTC1-SC25/3302/FDIS JTC1-SC25/3313/RVD

Full information on the voting for its approval can be found in the report on voting indicated in
the above table.
The language used for the development of this International Standard is English.

– 6 – ISO/IEC 14763-5:2025 © ISO/IEC 2025
This document was drafted in accordance with ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2, and developed in
accordance with ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1, available at www.iec.ch/members_experts/refdocs
and www.iso.org/directives.
A list of all parts in the ISO/IEC 14763 series, published under the general title Information
technology – Implementation and operation of customer premises cabling, can be found on the
IEC website.
INTRODUCTION
Sustainability is most often defined as meeting the needs of the present without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet theirs. It has three main pillars: economic,
environmental, and social. Although there appears to be no recorded origin of this concept, true
sustainability is generally recognized as being where the three pillars (objectives) overlap.
Focusing on sustainability, it is widely recognized that generic cabling in accordance with
ISO/IEC 11801 standards is intended to provide the user with an information technology
infrastructure, to support both wired and wireless solutions, with extended life expectancy.
IT cabling systems are not only defined to transport data. They are more and more used for
remote powering. Therefore, energy efficiency and power loss are becoming an important
aspect of sustainability during operation.
As highlighted in the Introduction of many standards in the ISO/IEC 11801 series (e.g.
ISO/IEC 11801-2), “life expectancy of generic cabling systems can vary depending on
environmental conditions, supporting applications, aging of materials used in cables, and other
factors, such as access to pathways (campus pathways are more difficult to access than
building pathways)” and “a lack of design foresight, the use of inappropriate components,
incorrect installation, poor administration or inadequate support can threaten quality of service
and have commercial consequence for all types of users”.
Those purchasing cabling infrastructures, and the interconnected information technology
equipment, seek solutions which meet their business, technical and social objectives.
Commercial pressures can result in a reduction of environmental sustainability of the cabling
infrastructure by forcing imminent requirements to take priority over strategic planning resulting
in short-term decisions being taken regarding design, installation and quality assurance of the
cabling infrastructure. In such cases, design choices can be made which, while reducing initial
installation costs, can frequently incur medium- to long-term losses due to substantial repair
and maintenance costs. There are numerous cases in which the standards have not been
complied with even if they are understood, which results in a reduction of sustainability.
To support the long-term viability of the infrastructure, the skill levels of those involved in the
design and installation process are addressed by improving:
• the definition of the necessary skill sets to support the application of ISO/IEC 14763-2 and
associated standards rather than relying on proprietary knowledge and specifications used
by individual companies:
• The clarity of these defined skill sets to support the training and employment of skilled
workers;
• the understanding of the cabling design and installation standards along with how they
balance the sustainability pillars;
• the selection, use, and support of equipment needed in the cabling lifecycle, including for
test and maintenance purposes.
Recognizing that elements of the cabling infrastructure and information technology equipment
will likely be replaced during their lifetime, a reduction of both the impact of material usage and
of disruption of services provided by the cabling infrastructure is pursued.

– 8 – ISO/IEC 14763-5:2025 © ISO/IEC 2025
This document is intended for all the following stakeholders of cabling systems:
supplier: cabling component and infrastructure supplier;
owner: building owner and manager;
operator: operator of information technology cabling installations;
constructor: designer, installer of information technology cabling installations;
user: user of information technology cabling installations;
educator: organization delivering training to improve the skill sets of designers, installers
and users of information technology cabling installations.
Figure 1 shows a schematic relationship between the general procedure for installing the
sustainable cabling system and the contents of each clause of this document.

Figure 1 – Schematic representation of cabling standards in system lifecycle
This document is one of several documents prepared in support of international standards and
technical reports for cabling design produced by ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 25. Figure 2 shows the
inter-relationship between these standards and technical reports.
Users of this document should be familiar with the applicable cabling design standard of the
ISO/IEC 11801 series and ISO/IEC 14763-2.

Figure 2 – Schematic relationship between ISO/IEC 14763-5
and other relevant standards
NOTE Telecommunications and cabling infrastructure affects raw material consumption. The cabling infrastructure
design and installation process can influence the product life and sustainability of the system. It is important to
research local building practices for a sustainable environment and conservation of fossil fuels.

– 10 – ISO/IEC 14763-5:2025 © ISO/IEC 2025
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY –
IMPLEMENTATION AND OPERATION OF
CUSTOMER PREMISES CABLING –
Part 5: Sustainability
1 Scope
This document specifies requirements and recommendations to maximize the sustainability of
cabling systems including both customer premises infrastructure and the accommodation of
information technology equipment by addressing the
a) cabling design;
b) selection, packaging and transportation of components and related materials;
c) installation, operation and maintenance;
d) management of waste materials;
e) skill sets necessary for designers, installers and users.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies.
For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any
amendments) applies.
IEC TR 62839-1, Environmental declaration – Part 1: Wires, cables and accessory products –
Specific rules
ISO/IEC 14763-2:2019, Information technology – Implementation and operation of customer
premises cabling – Part 2: Planning and installation
ISO/IEC TS 29125, Information technology Telecommunications cabling requirements for
remote powering of terminal equipment
ISO 11014, Safety data sheet for chemical products Content and order of sections
3 Terms, definitions and abbreviated terms
3.1 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following
addresses:
• IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
• ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp

3.1.1
cabling
system of telecommunications cables, cords and connecting hardware that supports the
connection of information technology equipment
3.1.2
campus
premises containing one or more buildings
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 11801-1: 2017, 3.1.23]
3.1.3
distributor
functional element enabling the termination and connection of cabling subsystems to other
cabling subsystems or transmission equipment
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 11801-1:2017, 3.1.41]
3.1.4
recyclable
characteristic of a product or associated component that can be diverted from the waste stream
through available processes and programmes and can be collected, processed, and returned
to use in the form of raw materials or products
3.1.5
repurpose
operation by which cabling and associated infrastructure is used for a purpose for which it was
not conceived, with or without the support of auxiliary products present on the market
3.1.6
reuse
operation by which cabling and associated infrastructure is used for the same purpose for which
it was conceived, with or without the support of auxiliary products present on the market
3.1.7
stakeholders
all counterparts in direct or indirect interests (impacts) for an information technology cabling
system
3.1.8
sustainable cabling system
cabling system composed of technology planned with attention to affordability, energy efficiency,
and resource optimization
3.1.9
sustainable cabling system plan
document prepared to support and ensure a sustainable cabling system within its lifecycle
Note 1 to entry: It is provided by the facility owner for design, operation, and maintenance of the sustainable cabling
system.
3.1.10
sustainability specialist
specialized expert qualified by the education specified in Clause 9 of this document
3.1.11
waste management plan
document prepared to provide actions plans and check points for waste management of a
sustainable cabling system within its lifecycle

– 12 – ISO/IEC 14763-5:2025 © ISO/IEC 2025
3.2 Abbreviated terms
AIM automated Infrastructure management
CPD continuing professional development
EPD environmental product declarations
OTDR optical time domain reflectometer
PCR product category rules
PSR product specific rules
SDG sustainable development goal
WEEE waste electrical and electronic equipment
4 Conformance
This document specifies requirements to maximize sustainability of the generic cabling systems,
including both infrastructure in customers’ premises and application of information technologies.
The cabling system that claims conformance to this document shall meet the following
requirements:
a) the cabling design and installation planning shall meet the requirements of Clause 5,
b) the selection, packaging and transportation of components and related materials shall meet
the requirements of Clause 6,
c) the installation, operation and maintenance of the cabling system shall meet the
requirements of Clause 7,
d) the treatment of components and related materials removed from the installation shall meet
the requirements of Clause 8,
e) the skills development programmes shall meet the requirements of Clause 9.
All the cases listed above can be subject to local regulations.
In addition to the installation requirements specified by ISO/IEC 14763-2, a sustainability
document shall be prepared by the facility owner, or a party entrusted by the facility owner, and
approved by a sustainability specialist.
5 Cabling design
5.1 Overview
5.1.1 General
Clause 5 provides requirements, recommendations and considerations for cabling design to
realize sustainability of generic cabling systems.
In order to maintain and enhance added values of a cabling system, the following consideration
should be made in the design process.
a) For the distributed part on the consumer side, move, add, or update necessary equipment
to adapt to the latest standard and applications.
b) For the general-purpose part, which is the core of a system, design and construction should
enable operation and maintenance to minimize environmental footprint during the system
lifecycle.
c) Maintenance needed to minimize environmental footprint should be conducted regularly.

Awareness and consideration of sustainability during generic cabling design is fast becoming
as equally important as the other considerations that have defined cabling design in the
ISO/IEC 11801 series. Clause 5 describes additional cabling design considerations that impact
sustainability as a critical aspect of the complete cabling infrastructure ecosystem. These
considerations include:
1) considering sustainability at every step of the cabling design;
2) encouraging sustainability as a long-term strategic design innovation;
3) prioritizing sustainability considerations with other design considerations;
4) performing the necessary trade-offs between the various cabling design considerations to
optimize the complete cabling ecosystem.
A key objective is to equip cabling system designers with the necessary skills and sensitivity
regarding the environmental impact of cabling infrastructure design, including the environmental
impact of supported information technology equipment.
In addition, in the case of additional construction to an existing cabling system, an investigation
of the cabling facilities is also required before the redesign.
5.1.2 Consideration criteria to sustainable cabling systems
There are several criteria related to the sustainability of cabling systems including
considerations for minimizing environmental impact and maintaining reliability over time.
See Table 1.
Considering these criteria, the design, operation, and maintenance of cabling systems should
be conducted in a way that makes them sustainable and environmentally friendly. Sustainable
cable systems optimize energy and resource efficiency and provide long-term reliability.
Table 1 – Sustainability criteria
Criteria Impact (view from sustainability) Clause
Cables and related equipment shall be designed and
Longevity manufactured for long-term use. It is essential to select 5, 6
durable cables that do not require frequent replacement.
The design and operation of cable systems should
minimize energy consumption. This includes the adoption
Energy efficiency 5
of energy-efficient equipment, cables and technologies,
as well as the optimization of cooling systems.
There should be measures in place to promote the
recycling and reuse of used cables and related
equipment. Consideration should be given to minimizing
Reuse and recycling 8
material waste and disposing of waste in an
environmentally friendly manner.
When burying or installing cables, processes that
Burial and environmental minimize environmental impact shall be adhered to. It is
consideration crucial to assess potential environmental impacts and
take appropriate measures to mitigate them as necessary.
Cable systems shall be flexible enough to accommodate
future changes and upgrades. The ability to adapt to new
Upgradeability 5, 7
technologies and communication standards is
recommended.
The design of cable systems should be considered to
provide optimal performance and reliability. Regular
Appropriate design and maintenance 5, 7
maintenance and inspections should be conducted to
ensure early detection and correction of any issues.
In the design and operation of cable systems, methods
that minimize resource waste should be employed. This
Efficient resource use 5
includes efforts to promote the conservation of materials
and energy.
– 14 – ISO/IEC 14763-5:2025 © ISO/IEC 2025
Criteria Impact (view from sustainability) Clause
Investing in the continuous training and development of
personnel is crucial. This includes providing education on
the latest technologies, best practices in sustainability,
Human resource development and safety procedures. Skilled and knowledgeable 9
workforce ensures the efficient and effective
implementation of cable systems, adhering to these
standards.
5.2 Cabling design selection criteria
This hierarchical star topology divides the cabling into:
a) campus backbone,
b) building backbone, and
c) horizontal distribution (floor cabling).
The sustainability approach can be applied to all three sub-systems using sustainability
principles of minimizing the short-term and long-term impact to the environment. The cabling
design selection criteria listed below should include:
1) the selection of a generic cabling design based on the ISO/IEC 11801 series to support
multiple applications over multiple life cycles of equipment. ISO 14040 and ISO 14044, in
addition to ISO 14025, provide rules for the development of type 3 environmental
declarations, also called environmental product declarations (EPD). Environmental product
declarations have to be established based on certain product category rules (PCR),
complimented by product specific rules (PSR). IEC 63366 provides PCR for all electric and
electronic products and systems in general. It is complemented by IEC TR 62839-1 and
IEC TR 63839-2 PSR for wires, cables and accessories used for communication and
telecommunication;
2) the selection of a quality and flexible generic cabling system that can easily be re-purposed
for changing information technology requirements;
3) the consideration of cabling designs that will minimize materials while providing the needed
functionality;
4) the consideration of lowest loss cabling designs for remote powered channels to optimize
energy efficiency;
5) the application of flexible and accessible installation practices in accordance with
ISO/IEC 14763-2 to maximize the utility and lifetime of the cabling infrastructure, while
reducing additional cabling for supported information technology equipment by deploying
effective administration systems such as AIM in accordance with ISO/IEC 18598;
6) the planning of the cabling infrastructure, including pre-cabling to support current and
forecasted information technology functions.
5.3 Considerations for renovation
In order to reduce waste and encourage sustainability of a cabling system, the following
consideration should be made in designing for a renovation request:
a) management of removed waste materials should conform to Clause 8 of this document;
b) investigation of the existing cabling system/components to see if a new request can still be
supported within the new proposed application lifespan. Reuse or repurpose of existing
cabling components or partial cabling system is recommended. Refer to 8.7 for more
information regarding reuse or repurpose. In case of reuse or repurpose, retesting should
be conducted to ensure performance of designed cabling class is respected.

5.4 Reduction of waste materials during the lifetime of the installation
A fundamental principle of sustainability is to reduce materials used to provide a given
information technology functionality. Reducing materials includes reducing waste materials
generated during the installation that have to be removed from the installation, resulting in
negative impact on the environment. Key items to consider include:
a) when channel or link lengths smaller than 100 m are needed, cables packaged in boxes
instead of reels can result in reducing packaging material;
b) calculating exact channel/link lengths using computer-aided design software can reduce
cable waste;
c) source materials utilising sustainable supply chains can lead to spares being available;
d) supply chains with flexible delivery and return options can be utilized to optimize the
availability of correct amount and type of material during the installation, and minimize
excess material on-site at the end of the project, thus improving sustainability;
e) local supply chains improve sustainability;
f) consider deploying an AIM solution to enable ongoing sustainable processes by maximizing
the use of the existing cables or outlets to reduce the need for new cables or outlets.
5.5 Cabling infrastructure installation planning and practices
Infrastructure planning is the foundation of a robust long-lasting cabling system supporting a
large range of information technology functions in buildings. With proper routing, spare capacity,
and easy access, the cabling infrastructure can enable sustainable practices adapting to the
evolving needs of information technology in the building. Sustainability considerations for
cabling infrastructure installation planning and practices include:
a) the use of drawings to layout known and anticipated equipment outlet locations;
b) the calculation of the number of cables for each location and the combinations of these
going back to the distributor;
c) sufficient sizing of the pathways with spare space for anticipated applications and
associated cabling;
d) a cabling design compliant with ISO/IEC 11801-6 that can generally provide full coverage
for building services in the building and allow flexibility for future changes;
e) remote powering can require additional separation to prevent overheating of cables (further
information is provided in ISO/IEC TS 29125).
5.6 Impact of cabling infrastructure on energy requirements
Reducing energy consumption with associated carbon dioxide emission is a fundamental
principle of environmental sustainability. While supporting information technology functionality
is essential in the modern era, the designer of the cabling system shall review the impact of
cabling infrastructure on energy requirements of the building. Some specific considerations and
recommendations to optimize energy consumption caused by the cabling infrastructure,
including associated information technology equipment, are shown below:
a) allowing equipment to run at the appropriate temperature as per its technical specifications
to minimize energy consumption;
b) cabling system supporting remote power should be optimized for reduced heat generation;
c) media choices should consider overall energy efficiency;
d) localized cooling of racks can be more efficient than cooling the whole space;
e) free air cooling or liquid cooling can be an energy efficient option;
f) ISO/IEC TS 29125 gives requirements on deploying energy efficient power delivery
networks when remote powering to terminal equipment;
g) AIM systems should be used for optimization where possible.

– 16 – ISO/IEC 14763-5:2025 © ISO/IEC 2025
5.7 Designing for quality to reduce rework
Building sustainability into cabling design requires engineering at every step of the design,
installation, test, commission, operation and maintenance processes. Reducing rework during
these steps means less time, less materials, and less churn to the cabling system resulting in
greater availability and sustainability. The list below shows items that can reduce waste:
a) the review and refinement of the cabling design by peers from different perspectives
including performance, material and energy resources, installation, testing and
commissioning;
b) the use of simulations, modelling, and virtual reality systems to help visualize an installation
to avoid mistakes and re-work;
c) periodic inspections of the installation to compare the work during construction with the as-
built drawings.
5.8 Balancing sustainability and other considerations
Sustainability is equally important and requires similar focus, attention, and execution as the
other design metrics, among others modularity, scalability, cost, performance, convenient
installation, testability, maintainability, and ability to support multiple applications.
5.9 Recommended metrics to evaluate cabling sustainability
It is recommended to develop specific guidelines and recommendations that will result in
sustainability best practices. The following is a list of recommended practices to achieve
sustainability:
a) reviewing conformance to the cabling infrastructure design, installation, and operation
guidelines. ISO/IEC 14763-2 contains information on how to plan and install cabling that
has a long lifetime,
b) installation planning should plan for future needs and the use of materials to ensure the
installed cable will support future application goals during its life span.
5.10 Creating sustainability mind-set among stakeholders
There is a growing awareness of and willingness to reduce the impact of society’s consumption
on the environment. Sustainable designs shall be incorporated into standards, training
programmes, and local regulations so that they become an integral part of the cabling design.
It is likely that many stakeholders in the cabling industry will be eager to acquire sustainability
design skills and mind-set. Ways to do this are listed below:
a) visit sites and installations where sustainability has been implemented effectively to
appreciate the value and impact;
b) participate in education programmes that provide detailed description of sustainability;
c) develop sustainability articles, use cases, to spread the word;
d) make sustainability part of the culture and creed of a company like cost or performance.
Each component in the cabling system shall have a Materials Ingredient Report or Full Materials
Disclosure so that the sustainability impact of the materials used to construct the cabling system
can be assessed.
5.11 Economic aspects of sustainability
Initially, sustainability needs some help from standards, regulations, and market preference to
encourage adoption and growth. The positive attitude and mind-set for all stakeholders is to
make information technology systems environment friendly by minimizing their impact on the
environment. In addition to protecting the environment, there are tangible economic benefits
including those listed below that will make sustainability “self-sustaining” in the long term:
a) lower cabling and installation costs because of high-performance cabling l
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