Economic benefits of energy savings associated with: (1) energy-efficient telecommunications equipment; and (2) appropriate environmental controls

The results of three modeling studies indicate that the economic benefits of reducing energy consumption by telecommunications equipment are greater than those of any other single energy conservation measure. For a prototypical telephone switching station, or central office (CO), reductions in equipment energy usage of 25% and 50% result in annual savings of $10000 and $20000, respectively. These direct savings would be augmented by reduced capital costs and by the savings associated with increased reliability of electronic equipment. In seven of ten climates in the USA, increasing the temperature range in which telecommunications equipment operates is also cost-effective, primarily because an extended range decreases the energy costs of operating the HVAC system. Some telecommunications COs maintain an indoor relative humidity above a given setpoint to reduce equipment failure due to electrostatic discharge (ESD). Analyses of the data in the studies reported here suggest that humidification is not a cost-effective solution to ESD failures in telecommunications COs in most US climates. Other solutions to the ESD problem are recommended, notably personal grounding