Feasibility Study and Environmental Impact of Using a Photovoltaic System to Secure Relays of Mobile Communication Systems

Abstract

Renewable energy sources are being considered an alternative for the provision of an uninterrupted supply of power to cover the extensive mobile services. The main purpose of this study is to determine a cost-effective way of achieving environmental sustainability of electricity supply in Global System for Mobile (GSM) communications mobile phone applications using photovoltaic systems. A specific installation of base transceiver stations and base station located in an arid and remote area was used as a case study. Using PV solar systems to secure a GSM relay in remote areas with hot climate is a very attractive alternative because of the solar irradiation accessible in the desert. The economic study carried out using the “Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewable” simulation tool showed that the best configuration of the solar photovoltaic system for the case study in the present work consisted of 6 kW photovoltaic panels, 4 kW converter, and 24 storage batteries. The solar energy contribution in the electricity consumption was around 38%, and the other 62% was supplied by the power grid. The total net present cost (NPC) of the solar system was 43,946$. Regarding the environmental impact, all energy scenarios investigated showed a significant improvement in the environmental life cycle; especially the emissions of carbon dioxide were reduced by 65% by replacing the diesel generator backup system with the photovoltaic-assisted system.