Press Release
Five more environment-friendly SMART cell sites in Cebu
[Sept. 22, 2008/ Cebu] - Never before have people been so concerned about the environment and with good reason. Over the years, we have witnessed how pollution resulting from the exploitation of the environment has lead to numerous health problems. Destructive effects of climate change have similarly caught up with us.
All these plus the conscious effort to be responsible citizens have moved individuals, groups, and private corporations to action.
For its part, Smart Communications, Inc. (SMART) has responded to the global call to use renewable energy sources to reduce greenhouse emissions that cause climate change, which harm the environment. The telecom giant has started harnessing wind and solar energy to power cell sites located in remote areas in the country.
Generally, alternative energy is derived from "renewable" resources such as solar or wind energy. No harmful exhaust is produced when using alternative energy generators. Renewables do not pose any threat of toxic or radioactive waste products. And they are abundant in nature and never get used up unlike other sources of power.
Just recently, SMART deployed five additional eco-friendly cell sites in Cebu. Two are located south of the city, in the towns of San Fernando and Santander, while two more are in the north: Tudela in the Camotes group of islands and Barangay Maya in Daanbantayan. The fifth cell site is in the town of Balamban, located southwest of Cebu City.
Three of the cell sites are hybrid stations, using a combination of solar and wind power. Those in Tudela and Daanbantayan towns rely on wind energy for power.
SMART tapped Power City, the country’s pioneer in the use of wind and solar power, to install wind turbines and/or solar panels in the sites. Each installation only takes at most a month for designing and installing, and takes into account the site’s energy requirements.
For example, the setup installed at the Santander site has a capacity of 600 watts of solar and 1,000 watts of wind power, while that in San Fernando has a capacity of 3,000 watts solar and 1,000 watts of wind power. “These would be able to sustain the energy requirements of the site on a continuous basis,“ says Wilson Teh, president of Power City.
“SMART’s use of renewable resources is an endeavor that we welcome,” says Jonathan Buscato, Municipal Planning and Development Council Officer Engineer of Santander.
According to Buscato, because the town is remote, power shortages are a common occurrence so they resort to using generators. “With the new sources of energy, we can expect a reduction in power interruptions and since generators will not be used---noise will be limited. It shows SMART’s concern for the environment and for the residents, as well.”
SMART subscribers, in particular, get an added benefit. “The hybrid wind- and solar-powered cell sites contribute to increasing the voice and data coverage of SMART particularly in the countryside, resulting in continued service, even if subscribers are in far-flung areas,” shares Mar Tamayo, NSD group head of SMART.
Edgar Acero, SMART NSD North Cebu Area Supervisor, notes that the coverage provided by cell sites help the communities and even provide additional sources of livelihood.
“If you are a retail store vendor and you’ve sold all your merchandise---you can just ask your suki via SMS to deliver goods. Before, you need to go to the city to buy the goods yourself. Just imagine the savings. With the cell sites, the community can likewise venture into e-loading business,” says Acero.
The very first wind-powered cell site in the country was installed by SMART in 2006 at Malapascua Island, also in Cebu. Last year, SMART deployed 33 more renewable energy-powered cell sites, 11 of which are hybrid wind- and solar-powered cell sites, to complement and ensure uninterrupted operations. At night, when no solar power is generated, wind speed is high and serves as the main source of power for the cell sites.
This year, SMART’s goal is to deploy a total of 34 eco-friendly cell sites – 19 wind-powered and 15 hybrid solar- and wind-powered cell sites.
On the business side, a hybrid solar- and wind-powered cell site system is a better economic alternative to fuel generator sets.
“Before, the annual cost of maintaining a site is P1.2M including hauling expenses and the cost of diesel for the genset at oil prices three years ago. In contrast, installing the wind power costs only P800,000. The site is likewise virtually maintenance-free and can run nonstop on renewable energy,” notes Teh.
“We want to be green in all aspects of the operations. Although we still have a lot to do --- our shift to alternative sources of energy is a step towards our company’s green campaign,” shares Atty. Maria Jane Paredes, SMART Public Affairs Manager for Visayas-Mindanao. @
