Paper Title
Optimal Green Policy for Energy Sharing by Cellular Base Stations Powered by Renewable Energy Sources
Abstract
The use of renewable energy sources is gaining widespread application as realization of climate change increases
and the renewable technology matures. The information and communication technology (ICT) sector is not only enabling
energy efficiency in other sectors but also adopting green energy into its systems such as data centres and base stations. The
cellular BSs have emerged as a viable candidate for the incorporation of renewable energy sources especially in off-grid
areas where diesel generator is the only source of energy. The RESs not only reduce GHGs but also add to energy efficiency
and energy conservation by providing cheap energy right at the doorstep. Various energy management strategies have been
formulated employing RES in conjunction with the grid and/or generator power. In this paper we explore the possibility of
equipping BSs with the renewable energy sources of PV panels and wind turbine to offset the cost of diesel generator and
reduce the emissions of harmful greenhouse gases (GHGs). We also undertake the sizing and capacity estimation of such
sources. Furthermore, we explore the possibility of selling the surplus harvested energy to the local grid for the benefit of the
local community and come up with an optimal green policy for energy sharing between the green base stations and local grid
in a microgrid scenario.
Index Terms- Renewable Energy, Cellular Base Station, Green Communication, Energy Resource Optimization, Microgrid.