Wind and solar complementary technology for communication base stations in South Africa

Why do we need solar power communication base station systems?

In addition to cost and environmental factor, abundant supply of solar radiation in Southern part of Africa, and the drive to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide by the year 2020 and to improve the quantity of power supply are also part of many incentives to power communication base station systems with solar PV cells.

Can a solar photovoltaic (PV) power a mobile cellular base station?

In attempting to find a solution, this study presents the feasibility and simulation of a solar photovoltaic (PV) with battery hybrid power system (HPS) as a predominant source of power for a specific mobile cellular base station site situated in Soshanguve area of the city of Pretoria, South Africa.

Are solar powered cellular base stations a viable solution?

Cellular base stations powered by renewable energy sources such as solar power have emerged as one of the promising solutions to these issues. This article presents an overview of the stateof- the-art in the design and deployment of solar powered cellular base stations.

What is Biplab Sikdar solar cellular base station?

Biplab Sikdar Solar powered cellular base stations are emerging as a key solution in green cellular networks. A major challenge in the design of such a base station (BS) is finding the optimal cost configuration of the photo-voltaic (PV) panel size and number of batteries which meets a tolerable outage probability with the least cost.

Is solar PV powered BS a viable option for mobile cellular network operation?

In conclusion, the solar PV powered BS is an economically attractive option in the long term as compared to other sources of power for a mobile cellular network operation. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The authors acknowledge the research supports received from the Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria and the IEEE Africon 2017 Proceedings 1172

Is solar cellular base station a viable alternative to diesel generating sets?

It was also found through this feasibility study that the country has a solar radiation between 4.5 kWh/m 2 and 6.5 kWh/m 2. Also found was that the use of solar PV cellular base station will lead to about 49 % reduction in operation cost compared to using the diesel generating sets.