Contemporary computing resources are network intensive, and thus energy management is quite challenging. Energy management is important in the context of environmental factors. Any small contribution that saves energy and compensates for use through alternate renewable sources is always encouraging. However, there is also the need to avoid imposing severe constraints on network quality management when optimizing energy consumption. Therefore, costs and quality of service would of course be factors in the acceptance of any alternate technology-driven interventions.

This paper amply demonstrates the novel propositions in energy management for wired sensor networks. The authors emphatically assert the grounding hypotheses of energy-saving approaches that would influence network availability for critical applications. They also include a comprehensive literature review regarding the measures they present, including developing hardware designs for energy routers, building distributed energy storage devices through various optimized combinations of devices, building power-embedded sensor devices, and planning and sharing energy requirements.

The authors present the whole life cycle of the project, from the identification of tasks through the case-based validations. This provides the reader with a clear understanding of the process and the deliverables. However, there was scope to include discussions on worst-case scenarios in managing wire-based systems (such as wires getting snapped, voltage regulations due to distance, and the quality of wired connections) in which self-adaptive algorithms could learn the network situations and establish command and control under dynamic energy-sharing scenarios. Such projects also have ample scope for standardization and user acceptance. It would have been appropriate to include a section on benchmarking based on the findings of the cases with assessments on total cost of ownership, benefits, and return on investment.

The paper represents an important direction in the study of energy management in sensor networks. It would be beneficial reading for students, researchers, and practitioners interested in conceptualizing, designing, prototyping, and commercializing the concept.