Network efficiency can lead to energy savings of $2 bn: GSMA

GSMA has unvieled "Mobile Green Manifesto" report which outlines that there is a potential energy cost saving of $1 billion per annum at 2010 prices which can be improved to over $2 billion annually.

The MEE (Mobile Energy Efficiency) Benchmarking analysis shows that if all networks with above average energy consumption are improved to the industry average, there is a potential energy cost saving for mobile operators. The report used data and analysis from the GSMA's MEE service to calculate both energy costs and CO2 emissions that result from the electricity and diesel consumption.

The report describes that despite considerable growth in mobile connections and traffic, total network energy consumption has increased only slightly from 2009 to 2010. The analysis also shows that the total energy per unit traffic declined by approximately 20 per cent and energy per connection declined by five per cent over this period, indicating that the industry is making strong progress towards its goal of reducing its total global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per connection by 40 per cent by 2020.

“This is the first ever detailed global estimate of mobile network energy consumption and carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions and it shows that the mobile industry is making progress in reducing its own emissions and energy costs, as well as those in other industry sectors,” said Gabriel Solomon, head of regulatory policy, GSMA.

Approximately 26 million mobile M2M connections worldwide are enabling GHG emissions savings estimated to be about 3 million tonnes (Mt) of CO2e annually. On a regional basis: US and Canada together comprise 50 per cent of mobile M2M connections and 38 per cent of global GHG emissions savings; Asia Pacific accounts for 23 per cent of M2M connections and 30 per cent of emissions savings; and Western Europe represents 17 per cent of connections and 23 per cent of GHG savings.

Future savings come from smart applications, often as a result of M2M communications, particularly in applications such as smart grids and meters, as well as smart transportation and logistics. The mobile industry has the potential to contribute to an abatement of man-made GHG emissions.

Global mobile M2M connections in smart grids, smart meters and fleet management are forecast to grow strongly, at 30 to 40 per cent per annum, reaching approximately 100 million mobile M2M connections worldwide by 2015. This would result in possible GHG savings of 18 Mt CO2e, the equivalent of taking over 4 million cars off the road.

Mobile has the potential to enable much greater emissions savings of at least 900 Mt CO2e in 2020, which is 1.7 per cent of the global 2020 GHG emissions forecast by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in its “business-as-usual” scenario.

Emissions savings in 2020 will result from the use of 3.5 billion mobile M2M connections and also from mobile dematerialisation applications, where travel, products and processes are substituted by virtual alternatives.

The report analyzes data of 34 mobile networks worldwide.