Case Study: Telefónica achieves €215K/year fuel savings and reduced OPEX with Vertiv hybrid solar-diesel solution

Telefónica - Customer Case Study

Telefónica, a large telecommunications group operating across Europe and Latin America, needed to upgrade many off‑grid Chile sites as demand grew from 2G to 3G/4G and power requirements outpaced existing solar, battery and diesel generator setups. Telefónica engaged Vertiv to modernize these hybrid sites, using equipment and services such as High Efficiency Solar Panels, NetSure™ 5100 hybrid controllers, VRLA fast‑charge batteries, 800 VA inverters and Trellis™ Critical Insight monitoring under a broader Energy Savings as a Service (ESaaS) agreement.

Vertiv redesigned, installed and commissioned hybrid systems that cut diesel generator use to about four hours per day (≈1,460 hours/year), lowered fuel costs by €215k per year, reduced generator maintenance from 13 services/year to one every eight months, and delivered ROI in under three years; battery banks stay fully charged and generator life increased up to fourfold. After a pilot (12 sites completed, 20 sites identified in Chile), Vertiv expanded the solution across Telefónica’s core and access sites in Europe and the Americas, reducing OPEX and the company’s carbon footprint.

Telefónica