Telcos and virtual power plants: green energy, green profit

An emerging area of focus for net zero is energy production and its supply to the power grid. A key strategy has been to boost the production and availability of energy from renewables. With virtual power plants, mobile network operators can leverage existing base station batteries – normally used as a source of backup power – to integrate with the national grid. The net effect is more stable power capacity for mobile networks and the national grid, more efficient use of renewables, and a revenue stream from frequency balancing and power sales.

This report examines energy trends and technologies, focusing on the intersection of telecoms and utilities. It explains how virtual power plants can provide a number of benefits to operators, and outlines a set of go-to-market considerations.