Looking forward to expanding on a global level while reinventing the telecom infrastructure, Nabil Haddad, CEO, IPT PowerTech, discusses with Telecom Review the company's growth, strategy and solutions that is helping in decreasing energy costs along with their future plans.
Talking about your experience in the energy efficiency solutions for the telecom sector, how did you reinvent the infrastructure philosophy? And how do you differentiate yourself from other solutions provider in telecom power?
IPT PowerTech expanded tremendously over the past 20 years, covering today more than 50 countries, and operating in more than 11 countries with two production facilities and more than 2000 experts across its main two divisions: power and telecom Infrastructure.
Our power division continues to develop and provide the widest range of energy efficient, hybrid and specialized power solutions for the telecom industry. Our telecom services division specializes in site construction, managed maintenance services and other telecom services.
IPT PowerTech's unique business model is a result of the merge/marriage between these two divisions, coupled with in-house manufacturing capabilities leading to a unique value proposition: guaranteed savings/ESCO model, hence, our slogan ""redefining power solutions, reinventing telecom infrastructure"".
Our group was able to redefine power solutions by providing specialized and customized energy solutions to areas where power was a challenge, providing more reliable and energy-efficient solutions, hence, economizing on power costs in the light of declining ARPU. On the other hand, IPT PowerTech reinvented the telecom infrastructure by being a one-stop-shop for any telco in the region in terms of infrastructure, power and telecom services.
We distinguish ourselves by being the only ones to merge the world of power and telecom, creating a single point of accountability through managed power services ensuring guaranteed savings. Our Group has risen above the competition and evolved from product provider into an ESCO, providing a choice between guaranteed saving models or a full OPEX model, to sell energy on a kWh basis, ensuring optimal consumption efficiency.
What kind of strategy are you following to minimize the OPEX and CAPEX? Are you facing any challenges in this process?
As explained previously, our group tailors and customizes specific smart solutions all the way to provide ""energy as a service""; hence, a complete elimination of the CAPEX from the equation to reach a full OPEX business model. Minimal OPEX solutions leading to a drastic reduction in the fuel consumption and a decrease in the energy bill are usually capex intensive, but we can always reach an optimal CAPEX/OPEX mix through the flexibility of our offerings.
IPT PowerTech is most suited to offering OPEX business models given that our group develops, manufactures, installs and maintains its own solutions up to the extent of offering kWh propositions - providing energy to a certain number of sites on kWh basis, using a zero CAPEX/OPEX business model.
The main challenge to guarantee the savings of our operators is to preserve the equipment in an excellent condition for an optimal performance; hence, the need to combine the field maintenance service along with our design, supply and deployment of the energy-efficient solutions.
Another challenge we often face is the operators' understanding of the concept and the way they can recognize the savings and benefits of such implementation in the short term.
Can you introduce us to the key benefits of implementing the guaranteed savings model and the ESCO model?
The successful implementation of guaranteed saving model led the group to uplift its portfolio of services up to the extent of introducing the newest concept of selling energy ""ESCO"" and becoming an energy services company.
During the entire contract period, we are responsible for all the CAPEX, OPEX, replacements, management, etc., while guaranteeing savings and a superior performance. The operator's unique duty would be to concentrate on its core business, and to monitor the KPIs and the SLAs.
Based on several years of experience in implementation of the guaranteed saving/ESCO model, we were able to highlight on some of the operators benefits below:
• Reduction in OPEX
• Reduction in fuel consumption and power bills
• Achieve yearly energy, increased profit and expenditures savings
• More concentration on core business as the less staff will be involved
• Less space allocated to warehousing and stocking
• Protect the lifetime of offered equipment
• Optimization of performance
• Improved risk management and cost control
• Total cost of ownership (TCO) guarantee/ optimization
• Better sites availability
• Mitigating technical and performance risks
These days telcos are struggling against increasing energy costs. To which extent do your solutions play a role in decreasing the cost?
Considered as pioneer in power efficiency, we offer a wide range of TRION DC Genset/hybrid solar solutions with variable speed technology which reduces the fuel consumption as much as 90%.
The TRION DC Genset reduces OPEX by reducing fuel consumption. It is easily hybridized without any additional accessories, easily paralleled for redundancy or scalability and requires less frequent maintenance. It can be connected to the grid with a minimal cost, has a small footprint and is highly efficient thanks to its PMG based generation.
On the other hand, we are offering our customers the opportunity to guarantee their savings and reduce the energy cost by landing long-term maintenance contract.
The world is moving around having green energy power. How much is IPT PowerTech involved in this matter?
IPT PowerTech Group is the frontrunner in providing hybrid solutions in the region. Today, we have the widest array of renewable energy and hybrid efficient solutions that are ideal to optimize the system's overall TCO.
Our energy-efficient solutions ranging between solar, and both solar and wind generator sizes and technologies, are designed to power various loads with various geographic requirements. Such systems usually have a high initial investment that requires low consumption ancillary equipment to be used in the overall design.
The usage of the renewable and energy-efficient solutions plays an important role in reducing the contribution to global warming by reducing the emissions of CO2 and other substances in the atmosphere, thus contributing in saving our planet.
What can you tell us about IPT PowerTech's future plans?
IPT PowerTech dedicated team is always seeking new challenges where we can recreate new power solutions and add advanced features to its wide portfolio, and redefine new added services to guarantee optimal performance at lower cost possible in addition to adding value to our customers.
As for the geographic footprint, we are always looking to expand organically and non-organically into new territories as long as that growth is profitable and aligned with the strategic direction of the business.
