- Energy savings worth more than £10m.
- Range of energy management solutions key to savings.
- Rapid hibernation of buildings during lockdown helped minimise energy usage.
Vodafone UK today announced it has reduced its carbon footprint, saving 100 gigawatt hours (GWh) of energy, equivalent to 25,000 tonnes of CO2,, in just three years. The energy saved could power a town with a population of 65,000 people for a year and represents a financial saving of around £10m.
The energy savings were achieved by optimising heating and cooling systems in offices and managing air flow to keep technical sites cool in the most energy efficient way; and were validated by third-party energy auditor Energy Efficiency Verification Specialists (EEVS).
Vodafone has pledged to power its network using 100% renewable electricity by July 2021 and to help its customers save 350 million tonnes of CO2 by 2030 through its connectivity and Internet of Things (IoT) technology.
Working with facilities management company Mitie, and as part of its Energy Performance Contract, Vodafone has so far audited 90 of its buildings, including offices, contact centres, data centres and Mobile Telephone Exchange (MTX) network sites, to assess energy usage and ensure efficiencies.
The audits checked that a building’s lighting, heating and air conditioning systems were operating at the highest energy efficiency rating. At more complex locations, such as data centres and MTX sites, where 24/7 power is essential to keep the network running, sensors providing real-time data were used to identify energy saving opportunities.
For example, temperature sensors in data centres enabled the airflow to be automatically adjusted up or down remotely, ensuring the correct environment for this critical equipment in the most energy efficient way.
In offices and call centres, sensors in air conditioning systems enabled ‘dynamic controls’ so the air temperature could be managed remotely and at speed dependent on weather and conditions. Vodafone had already reduced the number of buildings it opens at weekends and on bank holidays, which achieves significant energy savings.
During the COVID-19 lockdown, all but essential technical staff were moved to home working, meaning more buildings could be hibernated.
Scott Petty, Chief Technology Officer, Vodafone UK, said: “Not everything we’ve done here is revolutionary; we’ve achieved these staggering savings by doing the basics well and making energy reduction something we think about each and every day. Combined with our commitment to power our network with 100% renewable electricity by 2021 – and helping our customers reduce their own carbon footprints with our connectivity and Internet of Things technology – this will ensure we are helping to build a more sustainable future.”
Pradyumna Pandit, Managing Director, Sustainability and Energy Services, Mitie, said: “This landmark energy saving – and impressive 25,000 tonne reduction in CO2 emissions – was made possible thanks to the collaboration between Mitie and Vodafone UK teams. Thank you to our energy managers, sustainability experts and colleagues on the frontline, who have all contributed to this achievement. We’re proud to be helping UK businesses achieve ambitious environmental targets and look forward to continuing our work with Vodafone UK to help it meet its next energy reduction goal.”
Vodafone will continue to assess its buildings and sites to identify further energy saving opportunities.
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For more information, please contact:
Vodafone UK Media Relations Team
Tel: 01635 693693
Email: ukmediarelations@vodafone.com
Website: https://newscentre.vodafone.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/vodafoneuknews
