Alina Oprea • 25 July, 2023 at 2:30 PM
Orange Romania announced the installation of over 200 new solar panels on the roof of the communication interconnection center in Timișoara, in line with the Orange Group's commitment to achieve CO2 neutrality by 2040. This is in addition to the centers in Constanța (November 2022) and Brașov (May 2023), on the roof of which the first solar panels were put into operation. In total, at the moment, about 650 solar panels are installed and operational.
The estimated annual energy production for the three centers is equivalent to an average annual consumption of 300 households with an average monthly consumption of 100kWh each. On sunny days (summer days, in the time intervals with maximum radiation), the panels can cover 80% of the Data Centers' consumption.
At the same time, 133 telecommunications stations (sites) already have solar panels, with an estimated annual energy production equivalent to an annual consumption of 650 households that each have an average monthly consumption of 100 kWh. Also, in the case of sites, on sunny days (summer days, in the time intervals with maximum irradiation), the panels can cover 80% of the consumption.
To reduce the carbon dioxide footprint associated with the Orange network, the company announced at the end of last year a 4-year program. According to the strategy, the first phase of the initiative runs until 2024 and aims to equip 300 network sites with solar panels, along with 4 communication interconnection centers and data centers, with their number continuing to grow in the second phase, which will last until 2026.
This program is complementary to other environmental protection actions, which contributed to a reduction in energy consumption in 2022 of approximately 4GWh, such as: replacing direct current sources at Orange telecommunications locations with newer, energy-efficient ones; replacing the compressor-type cooling installations in the technical rooms of the data centers with free-cooling type installations; decommissioning technologically outdated IT or network equipment and replacing it with new ones that perform multiple functions and are more energy efficient; turning off the radio capabilities of older technologies whose function is found in new radio technologies.
"As the leader of the telecommunications market in Romania, we recognize the urgent need to be much more attentive to the impact we have on the environment, which requires collective action from all sectors of society. We invest in network infrastructure to offer our customers the best connectivity experience and the fastest fixed and mobile 5G+ networks nationwide, but also in solutions to make our consumption more responsible. We understand that our operations have an impact on the environment, so we implement measures to reduce our carbon footprint, with the increase of renewable energy in the Orange network being just one of our priority actions. Orange's commitment is to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040", said Marius Maican, Technology Director, Orange Romania.
The Orange Group's target is to reduce CO2 emissions by more than 30% for goals 1 and 2 by 2025 (compared to 2015) and by 45% emissions for all 3 goals by 2030 (compared to 2020). The grid is part of Goal 2: indirect emissions generated in the process of producing electricity that a company consumes in its operations.
In addition, as part of the Orange Forward local strategy, by 2026, Orange aims to be the top choice for sustainable connectivity solutions and integrated digital services in Romania.