We are looking at solar energy as a viable source of green energy

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YOU Broadband has laid over 1,155 Km of optic fiber cable and 4,000 Km of cable network. The company has so far invested Rs 4 bn on broadband cable infrastructure to offer high speed Internet, voice and video services through cable modem platform in eleven cities. YOU has over 1,50,000 registered users making it the sixth largest broadband player in the country. The SP has initiated Project Prakriti in its bid to save the ecosystem and go-green. The first phase of the project has begun with the focus on conserving water, power and paper. YOU Telecom Broadband & Cable India, CEO, EVS Chakravarthy spoke to VOICE&DATA about his efforts and future plans for green. Excerpts

That led YOU Broadband to start on green initiatives? What are the different practices for power management that the company is planning in the telecom infrastructure space?
Industrialization and technological developments may have taken the human race forward, but in the process there has been massive environmental destruction. Our own acts of mindless deforestation, pollution and emissions across the globe have led us to this scary situation where we cannot guarantee water and food for the next generation.

The direct impact of climate change and other related affects is felt by all now. Organizations being the torch bearers of development have started realizing the magnitude of the problem and the need to take action. YOU being a part of the set up has decided to do its bit towards environment conservation. Project Prakriti is our endeavor towards this objective. Phase I is focused on conservation of water, power and paper.

While energy conservation has always been an important focus for us, special attention was given to this aspect since 2008 when You Broadband adopted energy management process as a measure to reduce the impact of global warming and an avenue for reduction in operational expenditure. Also, effective and optimal usage of energy resources is done to support the government in its efforts to reduce grid load during peak hours.

The objective of YOU's energy management program is to identify areas of improvement which would result in lower energy consumption, and thus reduce energy spent in all the eleven operational locations of YOU Broadband.

It is implemented at two levels. One, from general power usage at office premises; and second specific to IT infrastructure. For effective energy usage in IT, a detailed study on standby and staging was done whereby staging systems and non critical standby equipments are kept off power. To make the program more effective, references were taken from BSI Energy management team, Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), regulatory requirements from Central and State Regulatory Commissions.

We monitor the results on a daily basis. Analysis is done on the electricity billing pattern.

What is the company doing to reduce power consumption in various segments?
The maximum amount of power is consumed by the IT infrastructure followed by the broadband network infrastructure on the field. From the IT side, our approach is to reduce the number of servers and equipments where all the software applications are loaded. Servers consume a lot of power, so does our complete Internet data center and disaster recovery systems base at Surat. By applying consolidation and virtualization methodology and adopting the latest available technological advancement, we intend to achieve this which will help YOU Broadband to reduce the current power consumption by 50 to 60%. For our broadband infrastructure that mainly comprises our network operating centers and nodes, we are exploring the possibility of using solar energy solutions.

One more segment of power consumption, and often overlooked in our day to day operations is office equipments like lights, AC, PCs, laptops, micro ovens, etc. Thus, these should be switched off when not in use, or used only when required. This saves lot of power. This again is an individual initiative rather than having any external pressure from the organization.

What difference can renewable sources of energy make in the power management?
Renewable sources would certainly help us overcome the current energy supply shortage. It is quite normal to have gensets as standby for power cuts. If renewable sources are able to meet the growing demand, usage of diesel to operate generators will also reduce leading to a cleaner environment. Also the heat and smoke generated from gensets have the potential to cause damage to the expensive broadband infrastructure. Renewable energy can save organization assets that are crucial for business continuity.

From the service provider's point of view, renewable sources will help us increase the service up-time as there will be less power cuts, one of the main reasons for service issues. Also, being less dependent on the current power solutions gives us the control to manage business better.

What are the various challenges that YOU Broadband identifies while deploying green power solutions?
Today the only green power solution available in most areas is solar energy. Space for keeping the Photovoltaic cells is the biggest challenge. It becomes operationally difficulty to get permission from the landlord, and the cost of rental is also high. This makes it a negative proposition despite its advantages. There is a need to do more R&D on this, and come out with innovative solutions.
On the people front, it is the mindset and lifestyle issues. Many are still not concerned about the magnitude of the problem. They don't want to change the status quo. Willingness to change lifestyle will give more push to all the initiatives that organizations and the government are taking to go green.

What are the various green power management plans that you are planning to implement in the next two years?
Solar energy to provide power to our offices in eleven locations is one thing that we are keen on. Also, we will be particular about deploying only energy efficient power systems to save power. Reducing the usage of ACs and micro ovens; fans instead of ACs; better ventilation systems to ensure that natural light comes in to reduce the power usage-these are some of the steps already taken.

How will the Indian government's recent commitment in Copenhagen impact the 'green initiative' in Indian enterprises?
Even before the Copenhagen summit, enough has been said and read about global warming and the need to go green. While regulatory changes are welcome, what is more important is individual and organizational concern and commitment to the cause.

We at YOU Broadband have realized this, and have started doing our bit. A lot of them have also started their own initiatives. Yes, if regulatory bodies implement with an iron fist, then we can expect to see some changes.

Akhilesh Shukla
akhileshs@cybermedia.co.in