Huawei deploys Africa's first solar-on-tower solution

From the newsletter

Limited urban land and space for solar installations slow renewable energy adoption in African telecom infrastructure. Ethio Telecom, in collaboration with Huawei, has deployed Africa’s first Solar-on-Tower solution, integrating solar panels directly on telecom towers to overcome power challenges and promote greener telecom operations across the continent.

• The telecoms sector is evolving to incorporate sustainability into its operations. As networks expand to meet growing data demands, power consumption increases, creating opportunities for the integration of renewables.

• Solar, in particular, is highly cost-effective, especially compared to traditional diesel generators. Telecom operators report up to 49% reduction in operational costs by switching away from diesel generators.

More details

• Based on the first batch of Solar-on-Tower deployment, the solar power supply at the sites can last up to four hours, while diesel generator use is correspondingly reduced from six hours to two hours.

• Ethio Telecom and Huawei, in future,  plan to further their collaboration, focusing on building resilient and low-carbon ICT infrastructure to support sustainable network growth.

• Diesel fuel remains a dominant energy source for many telecom towers due to unreliable grid power. For instance, some operators report spending up to 25-30% of their operational budget on fuel. This fossil fuel dependence inflates costs and exposes operators to volatile global fuel price fluctuations and supply disruptions.

• The opportunity in this innovation lies in Africa’s rapid population growth and urbanisation, which drive competition for limited land, making traditional ground solar installations impractical in high-demand areas. By 2035, the urban population growth is expected to further constrain land availability. Space-efficient innovations like solar-on-tower will sustain network expansion while limiting environmental impact.

• Ethio Telecom’s initiative is part of a growing trend where operators are integrating solar energy into their infrastructure. Orange in the Democratic Republic of Congo announced plans early in 2025 for 2,000 solar installations across its telecom stations. Similarly, MTN is prioritising Solar hybridisation across 5,000+ sites across its portfolio, while Nigeria’s Hotspot Networks, in partnership with Clear Blue consortium, is covering 312 of its telecom sites. Others are Vodacom, which now sources 100% of its purchased electricity from renewable sources.

• However, panel efficiency remains an operational risk. Panels installed high above the ground are difficult to clean, which can lower performance. There is also the risk of shading, which may further reduce overall efficiency.

Our take

• Africa’s telecommunications future depends on sustainable power solutions that balance cost and efficiency. Solar-on-tower represents a scalable step toward achieving this balance, essential for connecting Africa sustainably in the decades ahead

• The next critical move is leaving fossil fuels behind. With diesel prices swinging unpredictably and supply chains vulnerable, telecom downtime can lead to significant financial losses for companies. Cutting fossil fuel dependence with stable renewables makes more economic sense.

• Renewables are quietly changing the game for Africa’s telecom companies. The progress being made now won’t slow down. These cleaner energy sources will keep powering networks that are more affordable and better for the environment.