Telecommunication power systems: Energy saving, renewable sources and environmental monitoring

Abstract

Aim of the paper is to study the energetic consumptions for a radio-telecommunication apparatus starting from on-site measurements provided by the Italian companies of mobile communications systems (Vodafone, H3G, Telecom and Wind), which take into account different technologies (GSM, UMTS, DCS+GSM+UMTS), different typologies of apparatuses (outdoor, room, shelter), different locations (North, Center, South of Italy) and different working loads. The results presented are from the research project "Telecommunication power systems: energy saving, renewable sources and environmental monitoring", between the Department of Environmental Sciences of the Second University of Naples (DSA-SUN) and the National Agency for the Environment Protection (APAT) with the participation of providers of mobile communications and technological partners. According to the APAT database (year 2007), in Italy there are more than 60.000 radio base stations. We show that they have a huge energetic consumptions: more than 2 TWh per year, that represents 0,7% of the Italian electricity consumption. Furthermore, we have shown that the energetic consumption connected to the transmission functions to one related to air-conditioning functions represents 2/3 are 1/3 of total energy consumption, respectively. Finally, we show on site-application of renewable energy system to produce a part of the energy used by radio- telecommunication apparatus, realized in collaboration with Vodafone provider: for the first time in Italy a photovoltaic system has been planned and installed in two different Italian sites. For both sites the procedures to obtain economic incentives from Italian government ("Conto Energia") has been completed.