Nokia Siemens is a European based telecommunications and data networking equipment provider. It is a joint venture partnership between Finland-based Nokia and Germany-based Siemens that was created in June 2006. Nokia Siemens operates in over 150 different countries around the world and has six central hubs in Finland, Germany, Poland, China, Portugal, and India. Clean technology and sustainability has been very important to Nokia Siemens. CEO of the company, Rajeev Suri, said, “Climate responsibility is simple. It’s just good business sense.” Nokia Siemens has worked with numerous other companies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 50 million tons while still maintaining their business advantage.”
1 ) Connectivity and Development. Nokia Siemens provides bundles of software, hardware, informed use and skills to provide ICT infrastructures with more efficient practices. Nokia Siemens’ Connectivity Scorecard provides information on the impact of ICTs all over the world. Nokia Siemens has also provided innovative solutions for rural areas in need of affordable connections. Their business model assists in increasing the overall viability of networks located in remote areas and makes them affordable for all low-income consumers in the rural regions.
2 ) Environmental Management. Nokia Siemens’ requires that all suppliers have their own environmental management system that satisfies all the requirements listed in the ISO 14001 and other internationally recognized standards. All suppliers need to be well-informed regarding environmental legislation and all applicable regulations. This includes raw material content data management and waste management. With waste management, for example, all suppliers of Nokia Siemens need to reduce waste generation and promote reuse and recycling of all Nokia Siemens and non- Nokia Siemens materials.
3 ) Energy Solutions for the Telecom Industry. In 2010, Nokia Siemens introduces a complete range of energy solutions geared toward telecom operators. The energy solutions are designed to decrease network operating costs and lower power consumption by telecom networks by looking into renewable energy and energy efficient technologies. These solutions consist of six different elements combining products and services – energy modernization, bad-grid site solutions, off-grid site solutions, energy efficiency consulting, energy OPEX management, and green energy control. Each of these elements targets a specific location of telecom networks, including energy consumption, sourcing and management. One technology is an intelligent energy control system that offers remote monitoring capabilities of all included power sources. The system looks to increase gas savings.
4 ) Power Solutions. Nokia Siemens is providing a number of solutions to assist power utilities meet rising competition, manage capacity, balance efficiency and safety, and fulfill all customers’ needs. One way is by offering a number of smart grid solutions. Nokia Siemens has expertise in different communications infrastructure and has the assets required to support different smart grids to assist in managing capacity, improving efficiency, helping in the management in energy use, enabling EV charging stations, and integrating distributed power sources.
5 ) Managed Energy Solutions. Nokia Siemens Managed Energy Solutions provides CSPs with necessary solutions for a number of primary concerns. One of the areas is expanded coverage. The Managed Energy Solutions provide potential to reach remote locations where there is no or a weak electricity grid. The solutions provided bypass the utilization of diesel generators that are expensive and emit increased carbon dioxide emissions.
6 ) Nokia Siemens and E-Plus Build First German-based Off-Grid Base Station. E-Plus, a mobile service provider in Germany started a collaboration with Nokia Siemens in April 2011 to operate a base station that does not utilize grid electricity. The station rather relies on a combination using wind and solar power, supported by the use of deep cycle battery and fuel cell technology. Nokia Siemens provided a solar tracking system to increase the production of solar energy. As well, Nokia Siemens’ Green Energy Controller manages the wind turbine, solar energy, deep cycle battery technology and a fuel cell system of the station.
7 ) 2007 Launch of Energy Efficiency Solutions. In 2007, Nokia Siemens launched a new energy efficiency solution to optimize energy utilization throughout mobile networks. This new solutions set to provide a maximum of 70 percent savings in total energy consumption to mobile base stations around the world. The four primary parts of this solution include, “Minimizing the number of base station sites; minimizing the need for air conditioning to cool the sites; using the latest base station technology; and deploying software features that optimize the use of radio access for wireless communications.”
8 ) Design for Environment. Nokia Siemens’ Design for Environment works to improve the impact of a product throughout its entire lifecycle as well as consider the interdependence of all environmental impacts throughout different phases. The four objectives of Design for Environment are integrated into the entire process of product development, and include, “Minimize material and energy use, minimize the use of materials detrimental to the environment, design equipment to be easily or remotely maintainable or maintenance free; [and] maximize reuse and recycling.” There will be guidelines in existence for all designs, parts, products, modules, batteries, components and all packaging materials.
9 ) Minimizing Operational Impacts. Nokia Siemens has been adamant about reducing their impact on the environment in all their factories, labs, offices and other bases of operations. The goal of Nokia Siemens is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in all buildings by 30 percent based on 2007 levels by 2013. This includes raising the energy efficiency in buildings by following LEED standards, purchasing renewable energy from grids, promoting less travel by utilizing video-conferencing facilities and virtual meeting tools, reducing water and waste while increasing recycling capabilities, and improving the overall efficiency of data centers and computers to reduce IT operations-based carbon dioxide emissions.
10 ) Maximizing Beneficial Impacts. When it comes to maximizing beneficial impacts, Nokia Siemens targets two main areas – power utilities and smart object solutions for business sectors. Under power utilities, Nokia Siemens looks to apply their technology to assist in supporting smart grids to allow consumers to be more energy efficient. With smart object solutions, Nokia Siemens looks to improve the efficiency of a number of activities, including logistics and field service teams.
Article by Shawn Lesser, Co-founder & Managing Partner of Atlanta-based Watershed Capital Group – an investment bank assisting sustainable fund and companies raise capital, perform acquisitions, and in other strategic financial decisions. He is also a Co-founder of the GCCA Global Cleantech Cluster Association ”The Global Voice of Cleantech”. He writes for various cleantech publications and is known as the David Letterman of Cleantech for his “Top 10″ series. He is also author of The 2012 Cleantech Directory. He can be reached at shawn@watershedcapital.com.
