Orange will accelerate efforts to reduce energy consumption across its European footprint. IT and networks represent around 85% of the Group’s energy requirements, with the remaining 15% being concentrated on buildings, shops and vehicles.
The company said it is working to deploy the latest generation of equipment, in particular 5G with energy-optimization features, as well as free data center cooling technology.
In addition, mobile network sharing agreements between operators have already been set up in many of Orange’s European countries including Belgium, Poland and Spain. Such projects bring substantial savings in energy use for all partners, while optimizing the use of network equipment by avoiding duplication and reducing maintenance costs.
For the period 2019 to 2022, the program has led to energy savings equivalent to 19% of total IT and network consumption in Europe.
To reduce short-term stress on the national energy grid in France, Orange has also made a commitment to switch part of its network onto battery power during peak periods. Such operations would last around an hour and have no impact on network performance. By doing this, Orange will effectively remove 5-10% of its spot energy usage from the grid, saving up to 20MW or the equivalent of a medium-sized town.
Orange is also taking steps to reduce energy consumption in its shops and office buildings. Electricity used for heating has been cut dramatically by reducing the minimum ambient temperature to 19°C. In addition, in many offices, workspaces have been optimized as staff work more often from home. The Group has also made a Europe-wide commitment to switch off the lights in shop windows earlier. In France, the lights in shop fronts are now switched off 30 minutes after closing time. In Poland, internal and external lighting is switched off outside opening hours, while Orange Belgium is introducing a similar policy.
Finally, the Group is also working to encourage its employees and customers to join in the effort. In Poland for example, Orange has developed a dedicated website to share ideas on how to reduce the energy impact of digital devices and services. Orange’s operations in Moldova and France have also developed similar online tools or apps to help users be conscious of the impact of their digital usages. In France, the Group has signed the Ecowatt charter providing customers with a real-time view of energy consumption enabling them to adapt their own electricity usage responsibly.
Commenting on the Group’s efforts to reduce energy consumption, Marie-Noelle Jégo-Laveissière, Deputy CEO in charge of Orange’s operational activities in Europe (outside France), said: “With a solid baseline in energy efficiency actions, we will reinforce our ambitions in reducing energy consumption while also continuing to provide top connectivity to our customers. In today’s increasingly digital word, our networks and services have become a critical element of our society and economies. However, we also believe that we have a duty to minimize our impact on the planet. We are determined to continue to find creative ways to improve our energy consumption efficiency and encourage sobriety, while ensuring the resilience of our network and sites”.
