Smart energy management for off-grid hybrid sites in telecoms

Hybrid power infrastructure is often viewed as an alternative system configuration for off-grid telecom base stations. These systems are used to reduce the fuel consumption of diesel generator sites and often rely on wind or solar to supplement some of the power to the load. The ability of a site to use the renewable energy efficiently becomes more critical on sites where the quality of the wind or solar resource is poor or highly variable. The long term and short term effects of wind and solar power contributions to the system are demonstrated using historical wind speed/solar irradiation data over a 3 year period. A feasible approach is proposed to improve the efficiency of the system by analysing the rate of change of the renewable energy source(s). Using several successive measurements, the battery charging system can be restrained temporarily to allow for the initial stages of diurnal weather patterns. These patterns may later negate the need for the charging cycle which can result in wasted power should a renewable power source increase its power output during a generator charging cycle.