A step less of carbon footprint

In the latest report released by the U.S. EnergyInformation Administration (EIA), countries fromAsia and Oceana have an accumulated carbondioxide emission of 13,238.316 million metric tons.China is reported to account for 78 percent of thetotal coal-related carbon dioxide emissions fromthe data gathered from 2007 to the projections in2035. India has a total of 1.4 billion metric tons inthe same 2035 projections.

Following the Kyoto protocol, where 192 countriesare currently participating, environmentalists andgovernments around the world aim to reducegreenhouse gas emissions by fifty-five percent ofthe 1990 data by 2012.

The EIA report stated that majority of thecarbon emissions came from energy consumption.Consequently , the burden to lessen carbon footprintis unloaded to companies especially those in theenergy sector. Alcatel-Lucent, the leading supplierof mission critical communications solutions to theutility industry, among other segments, delineatesthree sample strategies that it employs to reducecarbon emissions and other greenhouse gases.

GreenTouch

Alcatel-Lucent is founding member of GreenTouch,a consortium with 45+ members including topInformation and Communications Technology(ICT) industry, academic and non-governmentalresearch expertswho are devoted to transformingcommunications and data networks eventuallyreducing carbon footprint of ICT devices, platformsand networks. Launched in January 2010, it aims toachieve a 1000-fold improvement of ICT networks.With it, Alcatel- ucent is looking to reduce theenergy consumption of its communication productsby 3 orders of magnitude. A bold but achievableendeavor,it hopes GreenTouch will specify by 2015the network architecture and demonstrate keycomponents needed to dramatically increase networkenergy efficiency.

GreenTouch harnesses expertise of the entire ICTindustry to create technologies that will be at thecentre of sustainable networks for the upcomingdecades. Within only a year, GreenTouch has alreadypresented a first technology proof-of-concept, alarge scale antenna system that demonstratesthedecrease in energy consumptionwith the increasein the number of antenna elements.

Working with cellular networks

Alcatel-Lucent also works with cellular networkoperators to use alternative sources of energy fortheir Base Station antennas. This option will expandtheir reach beyond that of electricity grids.Vodafone, for example, in its Qatar network,received Alcatel- ucent’s first hybrid Base Station inthe country, with an integration of solar and windenergy. This takes advantage of the fluctuating yetcomplementary weather conditions while reducingoperational costs and carbon footprints of the sites.By replacing the diesel generators, the alternativeenergy solutions enabled autonomous powerwithout dependency on fossil fuels.In this area, Alcatel- ucent serves as a mediatorbetween the alternative energy and telecomssectors.

Smart grid
Finally, Alcatel-Lucent is involved in a numberof smart grid projects with objectives to makecustomers more aware of their energy consumption.This smoothens out the peaks of demand commonin the energy network. Demand managementtechniques such as adjusting the air-conditioningacross a city area by 1 degree can save a utilityproduction capacity and the consumer the steepcosts that accompany the supply on such peaks ofdemand. It also reduces fossil fuel consumption.In the area of smart grids, Alcatel-Lucent developsinnovative data management for the increasingvolume of data in the clients’ IT systems to turn theminto useful, real-time information. Such solutionscan help them manage the supply and demand intheir network as well as maximize their assets.

Also, Alcatel-Lucent is working with utilities tohelp ensure that intermittent renewable energysources, such as wind and solar, can be readilymonitored and controlled by the utility. One ofthe challenges of renewable energy sources is thatthey tend to connect towards the periphery of theenergy network, where operators normally havefew or no controls built into their networks. Havingintermittent conditions, there exists possible voltageand power instability in the remoter networks.The operators therefore need to extend theirmeasurement and control to these sources.

These different initiatives can sum up to significantchanges in the environment. Alcatel-Lucent is inthe forefront of communications for the industrywhile retaining its responsibility for lessening carbonfootprints and impacting change to secure theworld’s future.