Discover how hybrid energy systems, combining solar, wind, and battery storage, are transforming telecom base station power, reducing costs, and boosting sustainability.
This paper examines solar energy solutions for different generations of mobile communications by conducting a comparative analysis of solar-powered BSs based on three aspects: architecture, energy production, and optimal system cost.
For a single energy system, such as pure photovoltaic or wind power, a base station needs to be equipped with a 5-7 day energy storage battery. In contrast, wind-solar hybrid technology only requires 2 to 3 days of storage, and the battery cost can be reduced by 30% to 50%.
The power generated by solar energy is used by the DC load of the base station computer room, and the insufficient power is supplemented by energy storage devices.
Currently, the cost of battery-based energy storage in India is INR 10. 18/kWh, as discovered in a SECI auction for 500 MW/1000 MWh BESS. The government has launched viability gap funding and Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes to make battery storage affordable.