It used to be that the mobile networks which power cell phones could be located just about anywhere, powered by dirty diesel generators. But high oil prices are forcing companies to think harder about how they provide connectivity.
How do you install cellular base stations in rural areas of India or Africa when the fuel accounts for the majority of operating costs, not to mention the cost of trucking the diesel there in the first place? Then there’s the problem of preventing the fuel from being stolen once it arrives.
Companies like Ericsson, Nokia and Siemens are thinking greener. Why not use renewable energy to power remote base stations?
The concept seems to be catching on: two Asian network operators are expected to announce plans for over 500 base stations powered by a combination of solar and wind. That’s what Dawn Haig-Thomas from industry group GSM Association, told Business Week. "It’s our hottest area," she said. Both solar and wind need to be used to ensure a constant supply of energy.
In fact, the growth of the cell phone industry depends on solving the power source problem. A large percentage of the expected 5 billion users (by 2015), up from 3 billion today, will be located in poor, rural areas lacking in infrastructure. There are plans for 40,000 new off-grid base stations in Africa alone over the next few years.
The potential to run base stations using renewable energy is within reach now that technologies are coming down in costs. Five years ago it would have required 75% more solar cells than it does now, and improvements in energy efficiency are reducing the total power needed. For example, Ericsson buries batteries underground to reduce the need for cooling equipment. There’s also software that reduces or shuts down power at night when demand is lower.
The goal is for base stations to produce their own power. In India, for example, Idea Cellular is working with Ericsson and the GSM Associaton to run four base stations on diesel mixed with biofuel made from local fats.
Operating costs also come down when renewable energy is used. Once the stations are up and running with solar or wind, they hardly need to be maintained.
Loading...