Vodafone and Ericsson cut 5G energy bill by a third in latest ‘sleep mode’ trials

The trial focussed on powering down 5G sites when not in use, dramatically reducing their energy consumptionThis week, Vodafone UK and Ericsson have announced the successful completion of a new trial in London that puts 5G and 4G sites ‘to sleep’ when not in use.The trial focused on making better use of network downtime, introducing features that power down equipment when demand is low and reactivate it when needed. It aims to lower energy costs and carbon emissions without compromising network performance.The trial focussed on three power-saving elements: 5G deep sleep: Allows radio units to switch to a low energy mode during quieter periods, cutting power use by up to 70%.4G cell sleep mode: Optimises when 4G sites power down, improving efficiency without affecting coverage.Radio power efficiency map: Identifies sites where power savings can be made.Vodafone also confirmed it is looking at new mast designs that could reduce the number of physical sites and street-level cabinets needed in some areas.“By working with Ericsson to successfully apply these innovative software solutions...
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90% of All Power Grid Additions in American During 2024 Were Renewable–Solar Alone Made up 80%

– credit, energy.gov, released.In a staggering statistic, where it took a whole year to add one gigawatt of solar power in 2004, it now takes one single day.A gigawatt can power around 200,000 homes in the US, and in another staggering statistic, American businesses and governments funded the installation of 30 in 2024 alone.Indeed, 90% of all grid additions in 2024 were renewable energy sources, including solar, wind, biomass, hydro, and geothermal.Solar accounted for 80% of all these additions alone, providing 30 gigawatts of electricity, or around 75% of the total renewable energy supply California has installed in the state’s history.New solar capacity added in 2024 is almost nine times that added by natural gas and nuclear power combined.There was also a respectable amount of capacity added by new wind power installations, which added 3 gigawatts to state grids. Additionally, 213 megawatts of hydropower, 51 MW of biomass, and 29 MW of geothermal steam were added, taking the total renewable energy footprint in 2024 to 90.5% of all new power sources.Part of this can be explained...
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Japan aims for increased use of nuclear in latest energy plan

In December, Shimane 2 became the latest Japanese reactor to be restarted (Image: Qurren/CreativeCommons)Japan is to "make maximum use of nuclear power", with about 20% of the country's total electricity generation in fiscal 2040 coming from nuclear, according to the government's latest Basic Energy Plan. Previous plans have called for a reduction on its dependence on nuclear power.The Japanese government revises its energy plan about every three years. The plan is formulated based on the Basic Energy Policy Law enacted in June 2002. The latest plan, like its predecessors, recognises the necessity of energy security for the country, which is poor in fossil fuel resources. The policy includes commitments to "clean energy" initiatives but places emphasis on ensuring stable and secure energy supplies. The Advisory Committee for Natural Resources and Energy started discussions on the 7th Basic Energy Plan in May 2024 and presented the draft version of the plan in December. It has since gone through a public comment procedure and other processes.Adopted on Tuesday by the cabinet, the 7th...
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