Several telcos in India are now experimenting with multiple sources like
solar, wind, gobar gas energy, and biofuel from molasses. Some equipment vendors
are charting comprehensive programs to enable high volume deployment of wireless
base stations, powered by alternative energy sources, to address mobile
operators' increasing demand for energy-autonomous and green wireless networking
equipment. Canadian wind energy solution provider, Magenn Power, CEO, Pierre
Rivard, tells about the company's innovative product that is catching telcos'
eyes, as a new generation and clean solution to replace diesel generators, and
for use of energy in remote locations. Excerpts
Green is the buzz word in telecom industry today. What
opportunities do you think wind energy holds for operators to go green?
Anywhere you need electrical power, there is an opportunity to go green. In
particular, telecom towers in rural areas can benefit from autonomous supply of
power from wind energy. This will be especially true in cases where there is no
grid power near the tower, and where fossil fuel powered generators are used.
Considering fuel transportation and other costs, there could be a strong motive
for telecom companies to go green. Solar might not be a great solution at such
sites, depending on climate and other considerations.
What is the response to your product from telecom operators across the
world willing to exploit goodness of wind energy? What kind of investments are
they making on deploying wind energy solutions?
Magenn receives inquiries from telecom companies interested in our novel Magenn
Air Rotor System (MARS) for use in the field. MARS is a tethered, helium filled
wind turbine that is related to airship technology. It elevates to 300 meters
above ground and rotates on a horizontal axis, and the rotation is converted to
electricity by on-board generators. The unit has thousands of pounds of buoyant
lift, and can carry telecommunications equipment aloft, while providing
autonomous power from steady winds that exist in most locations at 300 meters
elevation.
MARS is viable in many places around the world as conventional wind turbines.
Given this flexibility, plus potential to carry equipment higher than a cell
tower, and you can see why telecom companies are interested. They view MARS as a
way to not only power telecom relays, but also to lift up antennae higher and
expand 'line of sight' coverage, reducing number of cellular phone relays
needed.
By law, carriers have to maintain 911 service for thiry-six hours during
black-out, which they are challenged to maintain on batteries alone. Renewable
energy, albeit intermittent, is viewed as a way to extend duration.
MARS alpha prototype generated 2 kW of electrical power; further testing is
being done to bring the power output to 10 to 12 kW.
This is a large market opportunity for Magenn, there are 8,00,000 cellular
tower sites in the US alone, and many more in rest of the world.
Can you brief us on your clients from telecommunication industry?
We are currently in confidential negotiations with some companies, that we
expect to continue over next year or so. The telecom clients would be big name
multinational companies, but as agreements are under discussion and will not be
finalized until a subsequent stage, we unfortunately cannot disclose names of
these potential clients
What potential do you see for wind energy as a solution for telecom
service provides to cut down on energy bills?
The telecom service providers know their power requirements better than we
do, but there seems to be considerable potential for synergies between telecom
and wind companies, especially if you can expand the potential number of good
wind sites from about 13% of world's land mass to 45%-this will be possible with
MARS.
How is MARS more efficient than conventional wind power solutions?
The technical advantage of MARS is to make wind power possible in locations
where it is not feasible with conventional wind turbines, due to more constant
winds that prevail at 300 meters above the ground; and to allow higher capacity
factors (percentage of turbine's power generating capacity that is used).
MARS is intended as a renewable energy source for industrial customers
seeking to replace diesel generators, or who need to use energy in remote
locations. Unlike fixed turbines, it's not as dependent on factors such as
availability of open space. It can also be floated above tree lines to access
strong and constant wind. Traditional wind power works best on flat land, where
there are fewer obstructions to block wind flow. However, only about 15% of
earth's land mass is flat. MARS technology can help provide wind power in areas
that are not flat.
More importantly, it is a low cost electricity solution at under 15 cents per
kWh; it has fewer limits on placement location, as its coast line placement is
not necessary. It is ideal for off grid applications or where power is not
reliable. Due to its ability to reach greater winds at higher altitudes, it can
be placed closer to demand centers, reducing transmission line costs and
transmission losses.
Who are your competitors in this space, especially when it comes to
solutions for telcos?
There are no direct competitors, because no other company has a method of
elevating telecom equipment and providing power at the same time. In terms of
simply providing local autonomous power, we would be competing against diesel,
solar, and manufacturers of small wind turbines (most of which would have 20 to
40 meters hub heights).
If we look at RoI and efficiency, how would you convince a telecom service
provider that MARS is a better solution for power than conventional diesel run
BTS?
This is a relatively straightforward calculation, for example, ten year
ownership cost of MARS, including estimated capital costs and maintenance
relative to cost of diesel power at the same site. We take into account wind
conditions at the site. The initial cost of diesel is always lower, but usually
after three or four years, MARS would have paid for itself through reduced use
of diesel.
Heena Jhingan
heenaj@cybermedia.co.in
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