Better Network investments, less C02, better opex

HAMPSHIRE, ENGLAND: A new study from Juniper Research stresses the need for networks which are reliant on off-grid electricity to utilize renewable resources rather than diesel-powered generators, arguing that not only do the deployment of environmentally sustainable solutions substantial erode carbon footprints but also result in a dramatic reduction in operating costs.

Indeed, as report author Dr Windsor Holden noted, “There is both an environmental and economic incentive for network operators to migrate to renewable energy. Greater reliance on diesel will not only result in an increase of CO2 emissions, but also, given the rising price at the pump allied to fuel transport costs, a level of opex which is simply not sustainable in the longer term.”

It claims that Mobile Operators have the opportunity to reduce base station CO2 emissions from 22 Mega tonnes (Mt) today to 15.6MT by 2014 if ‘transformational’ strategies are put in place to reduce both site inefficiencies and non-renewable energy sources.

The report which utilised scenario-based models to derive estimates of base station power consumption, CO2 emissions and implied electricity costs, found that under the ‘transformational model’, wherein operators invest substantially in power reduction in the base station, and place greater emphasis on addressing issues such as cooling, network planning and power management; the total base station emissions would peak in 2010 and fall to 15.6Mt by 2014, achieving a 30 per cent reduction.

On the other side, it also found that if an incremental approach was adopted - whereby operators and vendors do not become fully proactive in pursuing green policies, above and beyond delivering short/medium-term objectives outlined within current corporate social responsibility documentation, emissions would rise at an average annual rate of more than six per cent over the next five years to nearly 35Mt.