SCTE Touts Energy Savings

The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) said an energy-savings initiative deployed at its headquarters in Exton, Pa., has reduced grid dependency by more than 200,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) and shaved down grid energy costs by more than $18,000.

Using a combo of solar panels, energy-efficient lighting fixtures and fuel cell technologies, SCTE said the deployment demonstrates how MSOs and their suppliers can achieve the key objectives of the its Energy 2020 program.

SCTE said it has generated more than 78,000 kWh of power through its rooftop-mounted solar array, cut grid consumption by more than 100,000 kWh via the replacement of 150 T-12 fluorescent fixtures with LED four-inch linear tubes, and trimmed grid consumption by approximately 25,000 kWh by transitioning exterior lighting from 250-watt high-pressure sodium bulbs to 28-watt LED fixtures.

As outlined in 2014, the overarching goals of Energy 2020 are to reduce energy costs by 25% on a unit basis; cut power consumption by 20% on a unit basis; reduce grid dependency by 10%;  and to optimize technical facilities by 20%.

“A central tenet of the Energy 2020 program is the material impact that the program can have for operators and the communities they serve,” said Mark Dzuban, president and CEO of SCTE and its global brand, the International Society of Broadband Experts (ISBE). “Our initial work shows how even relatively small deployments can dramatically reduce consumption, as well as its associated costs, for the industry.”

“The energy management solutions we’ve deployed at SCTE/ISBE are some of the same elements of the industry’s Energy 2020 strategy,” added Derek DiGiacomo, senior director, information systems and energy management of SCTE/ISBE.  “By working closely with Alpha Technologies, CommScope and other leading vendors on these projects, we have been able to create a base of knowledge which we can share with others in the industry.”