SUSTAINABILITY IS TOP OF THE AGENDA FOR OPERATORS AROUND THE WORLD – NOT
LEAST BECAUSE TELCOS ARE ALSO UNDER PRESSURE
TO COMPLY WITH STRINGENT
LAWS AND REGULATIONS .
FEATURE
The GSMA estimates that telco operators account for up to 3 % of the total global energy demand and estimates that it will increase further in the months and years ahead . 5G is driving some of this increase – multiple new mobile stations will be needed to meet the expected exponential growth in data traffic from 5G-connected devices , as well as the growing demands of Edge capacity for high-performing services .
Sustainability is top of the agenda for operators around the world – not least because telcos are also under pressure to comply with stringent laws and regulations . For example , the EU requires listed companies with more than 500 employees to comply with the new Non-Financial Reporting Directive ( NFRD ) based on a unified Green Classification System called ‘ EU Taxonomy ’.
However , while there ’ s plenty of pressure on telecom operators to prove their
SUSTAINABILITY IS TOP OF THE AGENDA FOR OPERATORS AROUND THE WORLD – NOT
LEAST BECAUSE TELCOS ARE ALSO UNDER PRESSURE
TO COMPLY WITH STRINGENT
LAWS AND REGULATIONS .
green credentials , there ’ s also positive news to be had – as these organisations have already made significant strides in tackling their energy consumption . The industry was an early adopter of solar energy , for instance , and today telcos are looking to expand their adoption of renewables ( energy , solar PV and lithium battery storage ) to deliver a resilient , reliable and sustainable energy supply . Wind is another possibility but it is complex because it is not always understood when and where to use it well and is CapEx expensive .
Other internal sustainability initiatives , such as reuse and recycling of equipment , lowering water consumption in factories and offices or reducing office space and daily commute thanks to increased homeworking , are also happening at pace .
With a growing impetus to ‘ get sustainability right ’ and to do it quickly , what near and longer-term strategies can telcos deploy to help boost energy efficiency and make more strides in achieving sustainability ?
Transition to high-efficiency rectifiers
There are a number of immediate practical steps operators can take to reduce the power they use , shrink their electric bills and support the transition to a more sustainable future .
One of the most obvious routes to a greener future is to simply transition to high-efficiency rectifiers in the DC power systems present at every access site . Replacing legacy DC power systems with newer , high-efficiency models can improve energy efficiency by up to 6 %.
What ’ s more , modern equipment frequently includes energy-saving modes and features that are all too often ignored . Today ’ s DC power systems , for example , are more intelligent and capable of more advanced energy management than legacy systems , but in many instances , operators don ’ t harness those functions , favouring static operation . We urge operators to make the most of these systems ’ capabilities and reap immediate energy-saving benefits .
Align energy strategies to your access site
When it comes to energy management , location matters . When you consider geographies , climate , grid reliability , water availability , governmental regulations and countless other factors around the globe , it becomes clear that no single strategy is appropriate for every access site .
David Wilson , Global Offering Director for Solar and Telecom Energy Solutions , Vertiv
Energy and carbon management strategies must be linked to planning and real estate and operators must tailor their approach to the conditions across their networks .
For example , hybrid energy systems leveraging solar power to supplement unreliable or overtaxed grids are more commonplace in much of Africa , South America , the Middle East and parts of Asia than in the US , where grid service is usually reliable and affordable .
Use intelligent controls to manage the load
Thanks to the latest innovations in technology development , comprehensive real-time monitoring of AC and DC power network infrastructure is possible .
Intelligent controllers are available with advanced load management functionalities that enable telcos to visualise load location , power performance and distribution inefficiencies to optimise the DC power supply , maximise the use of cooling and avoid overload .
By proactively managing the load , operators can identify the location and power profile of every rack at a given site . This ability to map the site ’ s power distribution and thermal output enables operators to move the load from one rack to another to improve airflow and optimise thermal management .
With effective load management tools , high availability can be achieved while improving energy efficiencies and saving costs . www . intelligentdatacentres . com
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