energy efficiency
Optimizing energy efficiency in telecom networks is not only helping to reduce environmental impacts, but is also helping to cuts costs and make communication technology more accessible to more people. We are driving the development of new energy-efficient solutions, including the installation of radio base stations in more sustainable and low-impact ways.
- Mobile communication networks can be dimensioned with fewer equipment sites without sacrificing coverage, capacity or quality leading to energy optimization on the network level.
- Energy optimization of the site as such can further improve energy efficiency of radio networks.
- Renewable energy sources such as solar power and bio fuels are replacing energy-intensive fossil fuels to power telecom networks, lowering costs and emissions.
- Read more at the Innovating Energy Efficiency site
Technology improvements have kept energy use low, but there are still many opportunities for the information and communications industry to reduce its CO2 emissions. Environmental impact assessments we have conducted show that less than 0.2 percent of today’s global CO2 emissions are caused by mobile telecommunications.
The use of renewable energy sources such as solar power, wind power and biofuels is replacing the need for fossil fuels to power telecom networks. This helps to reduce both costs and emissions.
Using alternative sources of energy such as solar power, wind power and biofuels can help in this effort, while making communications more accessible.
Our life-cycle assessment of our products shows that the radio access network (particularly radio base stations) is the highest contributor to CO2 emissions.
It is therefore logical that any serious attempt to make mobile communications more energy efficient should focus on the radio network’s performance, while also continuing to make improvements in other areas, such as the core network.
One such innovation is our Base Transceiver Station (BTS) Power Savings, a software feature that reduces energy consumption during low traffic periods by putting radio-network resources that are not needed into standby mode.
Our hybrid energy solution featuring diesel and batteries is a self-contained power system with a new type of battery that optimizes charge and discharge levels, extending the lifetime of both the battery and the diesel generator. This energy-efficient solution reduces diesel consumption by up to 50 percent, cutting fuel bills, fuel transport cost and maintenance requirements.
Another innovation is the Ericsson Tower Tube, an innovative radio base station site concept. The concrete tower has a lower environmental impact than traditional steel, consuming up to 40 percent less power from a life-cycle perspective. Concrete produces less CO2 than steel during the manufacturing process, means feeder loss is substantially reduced during operation, and requires no active cooling.
The use of renewable energy sources such as solar power, wind power and biofuels is replacing the need for fossil fuels to power telecom networks. This helps to reduce both costs and emissions.
Using alternative sources of energy such as solar power, wind power and biofuels can help in this effort, while making communications more accessible.
Our life-cycle assessment of our products shows that the radio access network (particularly radio base stations) is the highest contributor to CO2 emissions.
It is therefore logical that any serious attempt to make mobile communications more energy efficient should focus on the radio network’s performance, while also continuing to make improvements in other areas, such as the core network.
One such innovation is our Base Transceiver Station (BTS) Power Savings, a software feature that reduces energy consumption during low traffic periods by putting radio-network resources that are not needed into standby mode.
Our hybrid energy solution featuring diesel and batteries is a self-contained power system with a new type of battery that optimizes charge and discharge levels, extending the lifetime of both the battery and the diesel generator. This energy-efficient solution reduces diesel consumption by up to 50 percent, cutting fuel bills, fuel transport cost and maintenance requirements.
Another innovation is the Ericsson Tower Tube, an innovative radio base station site concept. The concrete tower has a lower environmental impact than traditional steel, consuming up to 40 percent less power from a life-cycle perspective. Concrete produces less CO2 than steel during the manufacturing process, means feeder loss is substantially reduced during operation, and requires no active cooling.
