Orange Romania has announced significant advancements in its journey towards sustainability in a determined effort to align with the Group Orange's commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2040. Orange Romania has announced the installation of more than 200 new solar panels on the rooftops of its communication interconnection centres in Timisoara.
Also Read: Orange Romania Expands 5G Network Coverage to Baia Mare
Solar-Powered Communication Centers
Orange Romania stated that the milestone adds to the existing solar installations at centres in Constanta (November 2022) and Brasov (May 2023), where the first solar panels were put into operation. Presently, approximately 650 solar panels are operational across these facilities.
According to Orange, the new solar panels are expected to generate an estimated annual energy production equivalent to powering approximately 300 households, each with an average monthly consumption of 100kWh. On sunny days, particularly during the summer months and peak irradiation hours, the panels can cover 80 percent of the Data Center's energy consumption, significantly reducing reliance on traditional energy sources.
Also Read: Orange Romania Expands 5G Coverage to Oradea
Environmental Responsibility in Action
Moreover, in an environmentally-conscious move, Orange Romania stated that it has already equipped 133 telecom stations (site locations) with solar panels. The combined energy production from these stations is estimated to be equivalent to powering about 650 households annually, each with an average monthly consumption of 100kWh. Like the communication centres, the solar panels on the telecom stations can cover up to 80 percent of their energy consumption on sunny days.
Comprehensive Sustainability Program
Orange Romania's stated that it embarked on a comprehensive four-year program at the end of the last year. Orange plans to equip 300 network sites, four communication interconnection centres, and data centres with solar panels as part of this strategy. The company says this plan is poised to significantly impact its carbon emissions.
Also Read: Ericsson and MTN Bring Solar-Powered Connectivity to Remote Areas in Benin
Upgrading with Energy Efficient Choices
Orange Romania is replacing older direct current sources at Orange's telecommunication sites with more energy-efficient ones, adopting free-cooling systems to replace compressor-based cooling systems in data centres, replacing outdated IT and network equipment with energy-efficient alternatives, implementing energy-saving functions on radio equipment, and decommissioning older radio technologies in favour of newer and more efficient ones.
Orange group aims to reduce CO2 emissions by over 30 percent for Scope 1 and Scope 2 purposes by 2025 (compared to 2015), and by 45 percent for all three scopes by 2030 (compared to 2020). The network infrastructure falls under Scope 2, which refers to indirect emissions generated during the production of electricity consumed by the company's operations.
Also Read: Telia Estonia Partners With Sunly to Operate 100 Solar Powered Mobile Sites
Moreover, as part of its local strategy OrangeForward, Orange Romania aims to be the top choice for sustainable connectivity solutions and integrated digital services in the country by 2026.
