Archive for renewable energy
Greener telecom networks
Posted by: | CommentsAs an ever increasing number of people around the world become connected by mobile communications networks [the number of cell phone subscribers is set to reach 5 billion in 2010] the challenges to providing electricity to these expanding networks are becoming greater as well. In particular, developing countries are seeing unprecedented growth in wireless subscribers. However, many of the base stations in these areas are in remote locations that have limited or no access to grid power.
Renewable energy from solar panels and small wind turbines offers a viable alternative to diesel generators in these remote off-grid sites, and a new report from Pike Research forecasts that renewable energy will power 4.5% of the world’s mobile base stations by 2014, up from just 0.11% in 2010. In developing countries, the percentage will be even higher – the market intelligence firm forecasts that 8% of base stations in those regions will utilise renewable energy by 2014.
“Energy is one of the top expense items for mobile network operators,” says Pike Research’s managing director Clint Wheelock. “As solar and wind equipment become more cost-effective in the next few years, renewable energy will be an increasingly attractive option for base station power, in combination with batteries and fuel cells.” Wheelock noted that the economics of renewable energy are already favourable in remote off-grid areas where the cost of delivering diesel to generators is high.
Pike Research’s analysis also shows that mobile network infrastructure equipment is rapidly becoming more energy-efficient, owing to a series of initiatives by equipment vendors and network operators. The firm believes that lower base station power requirements will make it even easier to integrate renewable energy into mobile networks. In the process, the global wireless industry will have a significant opportunity to reduce carbon emissions associated with network operations.
Pike Research’s report, entitled: Green Telecom Networks, analyses the business opportunities, technology requirements, and environmental impacts of green telecom initiatives on a worldwide basis. The report examines the tools and practices available for fixed and mobile network operators to lower their operating expenses, reduce their carbon emissions, and improve the total cost of ownership for their networks. Detailed market forecasts include energy efficient network infrastructure capex spending, adoption of renewable energy power sources, and carbon emission reductions for fixed and mobile networks in addition to telecom data centres.
Profiles are also provided for twelve key network operators and vendors.
Nokia Siemens Networks was the first major telecoms vendor to go to market with a solar-powered base station over three years ago. They recently reported that they are actively reducing their carbon footprint – and by 2012 all their base stations will be powered by renewable energy. This has been made possible by the introduction of a range of new technologies.
Alcatel Lucent is offering developing countries a mobile phone base station that combines solar cells and a wind turbine to reduce its costs and environmental impact. Alcatel Lucent is already supplying the renewable energy-powered base stations to Vodafone in Qatar, reducing its energy requirements and contributing to Alcatel Lucent’s “Green Touch” initiative [launched in January 2010], which aims to reduce the emissions produced by the networks a thousand-fold.
Vodafone are also introducing on-site renewable energy systems as part of group’s Green Technology Programme. At one ‘green’ base station pilot in Greece, the diesel generator was replaced with solar panels and a wind turbine. A fuel cell was also installed to boost the power if there is not enough sunlight or wind. A three-month trial showed that enough power can be generated this way to run sites with low power loads in remote locations.
An Executive Summary of Green Telecom Networks is available for free download on the firm’s website: www.pikeresearch.com
Compiled by Andrew W. Cox, Energy Intelligence & Marketing Research, UK
cox.andrew421@googlemail.com
Popularity: 3% [?]
Richard Hanson writes:
To answer your question, no – I’m afraid we don’t have a wood gasifier. But we do have several plants which are being used very successfully on wood gasifiers to provide gas cleaning between the gasifier and the compressor or engine, depending on the system configuration. The core technology is the V-texTM scrubber (http://www.ergapc.co.uk/vtex.htm) which has the ability to scrub tars and particulate from the gas stream without clogging, and at the same time, to cool the gas reducing its moisture content so it is conditioned for use in the engine. Read More→
Popularity: 2% [?]
Consultation Response – Renewable Energy Financial Incentives – Feed-in Tariff
Introduction
We welcome the introduction of Feed-in Tariffs for sub 5MW renewable electricity generation and thank Decc for moving swiftly to pave the way for their introduction in April 2010. The proposals have the potential to foster much wider deployment of renewable energy at the local level and to attract investment in renewable energy from groups as diverse as farmers, commercial companies, social housing providers, local authorities and communities, as well as householders. Apart from helping to meet renewable energy targets, the Tariffs will enable greater consumer choice in the market going forward. A successful scheme will also contribute to economic prosperity through the creation of quality local jobs, wider sector innovation and new manufacturing opportunities. Read More→
Popularity: 2% [?]
While renewable energy is one of the most environmentally responsible courses for consumers, the same technology which provides green power can be profitable as a traditional power source as well.
Renewable energy portfolios are being mandated worldwide resulting in comfortable returns on $.12 USD/ kW and more on $.15 USD/ kW green energy programs. However, a large number of remote operations are paying more than double that amount for standard energy rates.
$.12/ kW electrical rates can result in more than $250,000 net profit, before capital, interest and taxes, on a simple 500 kW power plant with less than 5 year payback. As the power generation rate increases the net return increases more than linearly due to economies of scale with equipment and labor. This results in significant returns for modest sized renewable energy power plants producing “Green” power.
Even considering the social and environmental impact of green power, traditional power sources can supply power to projects which are willing and able to pay $.25/ kW with substantial returns to project owners. At this power rate a 500 kW project will net more than $800,000 USD annually with a 2 year payback.
The keys to making these projects profitable are the site, power purchase agreement, fuel supply and power technology.
Gasification is the combustion of biomass fuel in an oxygen deprived environment which produces a combustible gas. Since a wide variety of fuels can be used in the power production process the systems can be part of a landfill diversion program, fire damaged forest remediation, biomass recycling using manures, rice hulls, food processing waste and other economical sources of clean fuel.
Since the producer gas from this system is consumed by a power generator there are very little emissions exposed to the open air. While typical BTU content of the gas produced is less than propane it still provides a combustible fuel for various generator styles. These include many types of reciprocating engines as well as turbines of all sizes.
Power generation projects can be designed to provide automatic feeding, operations and ash cleanout. Remote monitoring of operations can supplement the local operators’ skills and enhance performance. These features enhance the attraction of the system for remote sites as well as locations with limited skilled labor available.
1 kg of dry fuel can be expected to produce 1 kW of electrical output with enough surplus heat to distill 10 gallons of clean water. The technology provides for several human needs. It can supply heat, clean water, electricity, human sanitation and economic development. When the fuel can be waste products from other activities we find that human habitation supplies much of the fuel itself.
Typical equipment costs of $2400 per kW fully installed are available. Economies can be achieved through local sourcing of some of the equipment. Power plant sizes can be from 5 kW to 1 MW in modular components. Larger systems can be engineered as needed.
By increasing options for power production equipment at various levels of electrical output the gasification technology becomes the most flexible and economical of currently available systems worldwide.
Bioten Power and Energy Group
Gasification Division
Neal Van Milligen, Manager
cavm@aol.com
Popularity: 6% [?]
Plotting the performance of a technology against the money or effort invested in it most often yields an S-shaped curve: slow initial improvement, then accelerated improvement, then diminishing improvement.
These S-curves can be used to gain insight into the relative payoff of investment in competing technologies, as well as providing some insight into when and why some technologies overtake others in the race for dominance. Analyzing renewable energies from such a technology S-curve perspective reveals some surprising and important implications for both government and industry. Using data on government R&D investment and technological improvement (in the form of cost reductions), we show that both wind energy and geothermal energy are poised to become more economical than fossil fuels Read More→
Popularity: 2% [?]
