Advancing Green Mobile Networks Nature Communications

How to make base station (BS) green and energy efficient?

This paper aims to consolidate the work carried out in making base station (BS) green and energy efficient by integrating renewable energy sources (RES). Clean and green technologies are mandatory for reduction of carbon footprint in future cellular networks.

What is a green base station solution?

The green base station solution involves base station system architecture, base station form, power saving technologies, and application of green technologies. Using SDR-based architecture and distributed base stations is a different approach to traditional multiband multimode network construction.

How ACS cooled a base station can save energy?

Compared with a traditional equipment room, an ACS-cooled room can save up to 70% energy. A sharp decrease in power consumption in a base station makes it possible to replace the traditional electrical power supply with solar or wind energy. Among other solutions, solar and hybrid solar-wind power has gradually been applied in base stations.

How much power does a base station use?

In the old network, one base station used three cabinets for GSM900, GSM1800, and UMTS2100 devices. Its overall power consumption was 4280 W. After the old base station was swapped with SDR, UMTS900 system was included and power consumption decreased by 57%.

What should a base station do in a wireless communications network?

In a wireless communications network, the base station should maintain high-quality coverage. It should also have the potential for upgrade or evolution. As network traffic increases, power consumption increases proportionally to the number of base stations. However, reducing the number of base stations may degrade network quality.

Why is a base station important?

Environmental protection is a global concern, and for telecom operators and equipment vendors worldwide, developing green, energy-saving technologies for wireless communications is a priority. A base station is an important element of a wireless communications network and often the main focus of power saving in the whole network.