Green Broadcasting: Caring

for the Environment

Sharad Sadhu Director, ABU Technology

Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union

IETE Foundation Day

2 Nov 2011, New Delhi

Broadcasting Industry

and Environment

Is broadcasting environmental friendly?

Studios consume large amounts of power Studio lighting, video monitors

Air conditioning

Transmission is power hungry Generate RF power

More power means more coverage

Cooling requires more power

Receiving end Millions of TV, radio receivers

Massive consumption of power

Broadcasting is a power hungry industry

Impact on Environment

It is radiation every where Radiation from monitors

TV sets in homes BBC survey finds bulk of power in home TVs

Heat generation, radiation effect?

RF from Txs is radiation in bulk Heat generation

Cumulative effect of RF radiation

in populated areas is significant

The Chinsurah Light Bulb

RF Radiation and

Human Health

Many believe that RF affects human beings

Studies have been conducted in some countries

In 1970s, some suggested Tx staff using RF helmet shields

Subject was not pursued

“If anybody stands in front of a ST Microwave link, his mind will be affected”

MW link radiated power was ½ Watt

Green Broadcasting:

Industry Initiatives

LED lights for studio scene lighting

LCD, LED monitors in studios Reduce power consumption by 95%, radiation

Intelligent buildings Natural daylight for studio buildings

Many other carbon friendly practices Even paper-less offices help

Each web-search equals boiling two cups of tea

Energy conservation in community radio station

http://www.cameco.org/english/publications/CAMECO-Practice-Series/

Major Breakthrough in Transmission

New technologies, efficient antennas

Some MW Txs now operate at 88-90% AC to RF efficiency

But digital can cover the same areas with 10% of analogue power

Most digital TV Txs are 20-25% efficient, AC to RF Dynamic carrier control adds 30 to 50%

Adaptive pre-correction adds more

Major Breakthrough in Transmission

Digital Txs in FM band (p-to-av. power reduction) also have higher efficiency

German example 1600 FM transmitters, 5 kW power (60%)

A DAB+ network would need only 400 (30%)

Still 50% less power is used

Digital broadcasting plant is substantially more power efficient Consumption goes down by 40% gross

Lower by additional measures

What About

Operating Cost?

Green technology pays for itself

Energy cost difference in analogue and digital 2 kW transmitter is USD $100,000 over 10 years

Saving on 1000 transmitters = USD $100 M

LED lighting saves energy bills to pay for its cost in a few years

Cost of Ownership?

Concept: Cost of purchase + operating

cost for say 5 years

Value of operating efficiency needs to be included in initial purchase cost for tender evaluation

More efficient equipment gets priority in assessing ROI Savings on energy costs over long periods

Many major broadcasters have set up Green objectives for themselves MediaCorp-Singapore, NHK-Japan, ABC-Australia

Tx manufacturers have set up green specifications

Green Footprint

Enhancing green footprint does not only

mean saving energy costs

It also translates into lower RF radiation

This enhances public safety

We should also be conscious about disposal of equipment at end-of-life Only landfill option?

Or are there more greener options

What about 100s of million mobile phones / computers / TVs trashed every year? What about toxic effects on humans

Industry needs to act on this

How Huge is

Radiated Power Broadcast Tx numbers:

2004 ABU survey: 123, 000 radio + TV Txs in Asia-Pacific

2006: Europe reported 87, 000 Txs (GE-06)

Globally around 1 M transmitters

RF power levels # 20 GW MW, LF, SW: 10 to 2000 kW

FM: 1 to 100 kW

TV: up to 200 kWs

Satellites: 3,600 satellites send down 2 to 5 kW each

50, 000 feeder links send up 10 kW each

How many mobile base stations – 1 M ? Each with 10-50 W

3-4 Billion mobile phones, how much?

How Huge is

Radiated Power ..2 Microwave links and networks

LOS links All over the world

Communication sets Wide spread usage

Amateur radio

RFIs, SRDs

Radars

It is simply overwhelming

ABU Green

Broadcasting Award Green broadcasting practices need to be

encouraged

Spread message of green broadcasting

Stakeholders made aware of their

responsibilities

ABU has set up an annual

GREEN BROADCASTING AWARD

Catalyse green broadcasting

NO RF DAY !

What would you say to a day of no

transmissions, RF radiation?

Just one day in a year

Or even just one hour?

Do you think the world would be a

peaceful place?

My Commitment

Spreading message on network group

BIG-4: Carbon Footprint Reduction by Efficient

Broadcasting

http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=3098129&trk=hb_side_g

THANK YOU

FOR YOUR ATTENTION