By Greentech Lead Team: The recent government regulation
asking telecom service providers to power at least 50 percent of all rural
towers and 20 percent of the urban towers by hybrid power (renewable energy
technologies and grid power) by 2015 will boost investment in renewable energy
in India.
Telecom operators, as per the new directive, need to use
hybrid power for 75 percent of rural towers and 33 percent of urban towers by
2020.
“The Government has struck a proper balance between a
practical approach and a concern for environment. Even a 25 percent shift from
Diesel to a hybrid technology can save a humungous amount of perhaps in the
region of $10 bn in its oil import Bill, considering that the Telecom sector is
the country’s largest consumer of Diesel today at over 3000 TBD perday. I think
this is import first step” said Bala K Chandran of Electro Power Systems SpA.
Green activists have been demanding for green regulations
for a long time. “The new guideline has the potential to increase investment in
renewable energy projects in India, analysts said.
According to a statement from Telecom Regulatory Authority
of India, all telecom products, equipments and services in the telecom network
should be certified Green Passport (GP) by the year 2015.
Telecommunication Engineering Centre will certify telecom
products, equipments and services on the basis of ECR ratings.
The statement says all telecom service providers should
declare to TRAI, the carbon footprint of their network operations. The
Declaration of the carbon footprints should be done twice in a year.
Service providers should adopt a Voluntary Code of Practice
encompassing energy efficient Network Planning, infra-sharing, deployment of
energy efficient technologies and adoption of Renewable Energy Technology (RET)
to reduce carbon footprints.
Service providers should evolve a ‘Carbon Credit Policy’ in
line with carbon credit norms with the ultimate objective of achieving a
maximum of 50 percent over the carbon footprint levels of the Base Year (2011)
in rural areas and 2 achieving a maximum of 66 percent over the carbon
footprint levels of the Base Year in urban areas by the year 2020.
Service providers should aim at Carbon emission reduction
targets for the mobile network at 5 percent by the year 2012-2013, 8 percent by
the year 2014-2015, 12 percent by the year 2016-2017 and 17 percent by the year
2018-2019.