Sistemas fotovoltaicos aplicados em redes móveis heterogêneas

Abstract

Mobile telecommunications operators are facing continuous challenges in increasing the capacity and coverage of the network in a way that can meet the growing demand from the users for better quality of service and experience in high-speed mobile applications. These frequent improvements have been followed by an unprecedented rise in the consmption of electric energy caused by the densification of heterogeneous mobile networks (HetNet – Heterogenous Network) through small cells. As a result, there has been an increase in the number of devices in backhaul mobile technologies which are needed to connect all the base stations by means of the access layer in the network core. Although they can be regarded as an efficient energy strategy, the small cells lead to a considerable increase in the energy consumption of HetNet, owing to the expansion of backhaul and this threatens to undermine its benefits and incurs extra energy costs for the mobile network operators. It is proposed that this problem can be overcome by exploiting renewable eneergy sources, in particular the photovoltaic system. This is expected to diversify the energy matrix and reduce the volume of CO2 emissions, as well as being more viable in technical and economic terms than conventional sources of energy supply. Thus the aim of this research study is to make a techno-economic assessment of the feasibility of acquiring, installing, and operating photovoltaic systems in the context of heterogeneous mobile networks while taking account of the energy consumption of both the fronthaul and backhaul radio networks. On the basis of the results, evidence was found of the financial viability of adopting photovoltaic frameworks, as well as the environmental sustainability that can be achieved through a considerable reduction of CO2 emissions in the atmosphere.