Battery Charging Current Impact on Operational Expenditure for Hybrid Telecom Systems

Remote telecom stations incorporating renewable resources such as Photovoltaic(PV) assets, along with Lithium-ion Battery Energy Storage Systems(BESS) and Diesel Generator(DG) need to evaluate the operating expenditure over time. Majority of research based on such hybrid infrastructure sites focus on the optimal sizing of PV, BESS, and DG for reliable power output. A major factor often overlooked is that though Li-ion batteries are the primary choice for BESS systems due to high power density, and longer lifetimes, they are subject to capacity degradation due to the operating conditions, resulting in a reduction in the lifetime and increase in battery replacements. This reduced capacity increases the fuel consumption for the load profile. Transportation costs and fuel losses, due to leaks and theft, also play a part in evaluation of the Operational Expenditure(OPEX). In this paper, we have sought to evaluate the impact of all these factors on the OPEX of an off-grid system.