Cellphone Base stations powered by wind and solar
This post by Emeka Okafor of Timbuktu chronicles makes me just want to jump up and down with glee. “Simmer down now and write the post AFM”.O.k o.k. This is exciting!awesome!totally cool! omg! “Chill out and quit acting like a teenager seeing orlando bloom for the first time” o.k o.k! - Serious face on now…
The post by TC is about cell phone base stations run by wind and solar power currently in use in Namibia. These may already be in use by Celtel, since these stations were delivered to them in 2005 (per this post, also by TC) Does anyone reading this blog know if Celtel is currently using such base stations? If you have pics, or more info, please comment. TIA. I have made some enquiries and will update you once i know for sure.
Update:Sunday March 11th: Celtel does indeed use the wind powered base stations in kenya, a company called WinAfrique provides the wind turbines. Thanks Bankelele!
Why is this so apropos? There is now no excuse for mobile phone companies to neglect areas such as North Eastern Kenya in providing cell phone services. Places like baragoi and other remote parts of kenya can have cell phone coverage if more of these base stations are used. The initial cost of the solar panels and wind turbines will be paid off quickly and the mobile service provider will recoup their money in no time. One thing would be to find the most important outposts such as schools, boreholes, places of religious importance such as kisima - near maralal; install the base stations there.
More reading material from TC: PDF of Siemens PV systems for Telecom
AkalaNote: Barcampkenya - Nairobi is set for March 31st, please sign up here I join whiteafrican in providing drinks, since i can’t be there in person:- Incentive people!
[...] The company WinAfrique designs and builds hybrid wind and diesel turbine systems for powering cell phone base stations. Kenya’s biggest wireless companies Safaricom and Celtel have contracted with WinAfrique. In 2005 Safaricom contracted with Winafrique Technologies in Nairobi to design and supply pilot wind/diesel hybrid systems at three very remote base stations. The systems consisted of a Bergey 7.5 kW turbine on a 24 m (80 ft) SSV tower, sealed batteries, and an inverter. These sites were installed and monitored for one year. The results showed excellent reliability and diesel fuel savings of 70-95%. Based on these positive results, Safaricom has contracted for six more sites, and has many other wind/diesel sites in the planning stage. [...]
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