As telecom carriers strive to bring the benefits of mobile coverage to as many people as possible, they need to find reliable, sustainable and economic sources of power far beyond the reach of power grids. Telecom operators may consider at least supplementing or replacing diesel generators with wind, solar and/or cellular energy.

Up to now, new and existing off-grid base stations have primarily been powered by generators running on diesel fuel. The most common off-grid solution used is the dual generator system. It runs a main and a secondary diesel generator 24x7.

Dual Genset System rotates between primary genset and secondary genset

This traditional system however presents some challenges to the telecom operator: 

        • High OPEX due to increased diesel consumption; regular generator maintenance; and theft of diesel fuel 
        • Low generator efficiency
        • Generators are bulky and heavy to transport; hence it lacks of flexibility for future site upgrades
        • Motor creates noise and its carbon emissions harm the environment

Time to shift to an energy efficient system
The benefits of renewable energy sources are considerable. From an environmental standpoint, solar, wind and fuel cells are all non-emission power sources. In addition to these, telecom carries can reduce ongoing costs and improve the quality of maintenance at remote or inaccessible sites.

With all these various benefits, the use of renewable energy is still relatively rare. For some telco companies, the cost of building a wind or solar energy farm can be prohibitive when compared to the cost of upgrading or maintaining a current coal plant. Not every telco company has the financial resources to overcome these obstacles.