Covering all telecommunication bases
Translating energy demand into sustainable and reliable service is as simple as one stop, one shop, says Norman Moyo, CEO of Distributed Power Africa (DPA)
Africa is home to some of the world’s most complex operating environments. Companies have to navigate extensive distances between satellite towers, telecom towers and base stations, reduce the risk of theft, maintain service delivery and do all this while consistently investing into new solutions and services for a geographically diverse customer base. For the telecommunications industry these unique challenges are part and parcel of managing networks and ensuring robust and reliable service delivery. What the telecoms industry wants is technology that’s trustworthy and solutions that translate energy complexity into seamless efficiency that’s both sustainable and reliable.
Mobile telephone operators, internet service providers, telecommunication companies – they all rely on these towers and base stations to ensure that they maintain connectivity for their customers. These bases have to be connected 24/7 which means they rely on several different power sources to ensure that they have constant access to energy in the event that one or two sources fail. These hybrid solutions blend solar, batteries, diesel and grid power to ensure that there is reliable backup in the event of a failure, and are one of the key solutions developed by DPA for the Telco sector.
DPA has curated a highly customisable solution, and is a full ESCO (Energy Service Company) – that goes beyond just the installation and maintenance of reliable power by deploying the latest grid and off-grid hybrid power solutions alongside a Service Level Agreement (SLA) that guarantees network uptime. The DPA ESCO solution blends market leading Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and technology alongside emergent technologies such as the Tesla Powerwall, to deliver an intelligent hybrid power solution to telecom organisations.
It involves a 360-degree solution, including the transport and refuelling of diesel generators on site, and blends this with batteries and a PV system for generating and storing energy. The solution design combines solar, batteries, diesel generators and grid in ways that suit specific sites and client requirements to ensure constant power provision. If one source goes down, the system automatically switches from one source to the next to ensure constant service uptime for the telecom company, and is designed with the challenging African landscape in mind.
Collaborating with telecom companies, DPA’s solution allows for them to invest into a holistic energy solution that aligns with their renewable energy goals, improves their energy security, and reduces the cost barrier with innovative finance solutions. Companies can benefit from a reduced reliance on the fossil fuel-generated grid power without the initial capital outlay usually required for renewable energy installations.
The ESCO service also assures companies the management of energy assets effectively removing the admin that comes with power management from the corporate To Do list. Companies can enjoy power stability and security of their power assets with DPA’s extensive team of more than 90 power experts and more than 20 years of experience in building and managing towers in Africa.
The solution removes the traditional challenges of limited visibility, lack of monitoring tools, high grid costs, slow power connections in remote areas, and unexpected power failures. With experience in Africa and a commitment to investing into full-service energy solutions, DPA has developed an ESCO solution that’s optimised specifically for the African market.
For all inquiries, please contact the DPA team on enquiries@dpaafrica.com.
