Today’s telecom infrastructure is increasingly located remote, isolated areas—from mountain tops to desert regions— which are usually far from any electrical grid and rely on on-site power generation to operate. But between fuel and maintenance costs, generators are expensive to own and operate. For communications providers, the ultimate goal is to establish self-sustainable mobile networks with higher efficiency and profitability and remain competitive in a lower Average-Revenue-Per-User (ARPU) environment.
That’s why telecommunications providers—both wireless service providers as well as BTS tower operators– are turning to solar PV and PV/Hybrid (PV + a secondary energy source) power solutions to achieve their business objectives. Unlike generators and wind turbines, photo-voltaic (PV) solar has no moving parts—so consequently, no down time. And solar electric systems never need fueling or an overhaul. This type of system can be sized and installed as the primary source of power for a remote telecom site, and the hydro, wind and/or generator-based systems can supplement PV output should “days of autonomy” be insufficient for the installation’s powering needs.
As more of the telecommunications industry shifts to solar, Morningstar’s extensive line of solar controllers and accessories are more frequently found at the core of their systems. In such a system, the charge controller is both “heart and brains” of the outfit, controlling the PV/solar-generated electricity flowing from the panels, or modules, into batteries for storage as well as the DC output to power connected loads, maintaining both system operation and battery health.
In remotely powered telecommunications installations, what matters most is efficiency and reliability. Efficiency is paramount for systems that may need as much autonomy as possible to get through long stretches without sunlight or refueling. Morningstar’s proprietary TrakStar solar harvesting technology and fanless design make for inherently more efficient systems. And with over four million Morningstars installed in the field since 1993, there’s no brand in the solar industry that’s more proven or accepted in terms of reliability.
Select charge controller models have:
During the day:
During the night:
The solar charge controller keeps working—by preventing any “reverse current” flowing from the batteries to the PV modules, and (if equipped with load control) disconnect power to the loads if the battery voltage dips too far, which can quickly kill batteries.
This is not a quality difference, but a function of prevalent solar conditions and location considerations.
All Morningstar charge controllers, regardless of their technology or design, built to one industry-leading quality standard. They all have “over-spec’d” components, incorporate advanced electronic design and thermal engineering, and have no cooling fans to fail—unlike all the in-kind competition. Because of this, over four million Morningstars have been sold since 1993 and are the first choice for leading solar installers in mission-critical installations around the globe.
From densely populated urban centers to remote isolated areas far from any electrical grid, solar electricity makes telecommunication operations easier and more cost-effective. Efficiency and reliability are paramount in telecommunication projects which may require as much autonomy as possible to get through long stretches without
sunlight or refueling. Morningstar components and solar are a perfect match for providing maximum dependability under these challenging conditions. This guide features two decades of Morningstar system installations proving that point, from 1999 to 2019.
As spending increases and telecommunication companies expand their operations, their equipment assets become more widespread. This requires a scalable, convenient and effective means of centralized management. Because this requires secure local and remote monitoring capabilities through a modern, complex network incorporating Ethernet switches and wireless access points (WAPs), SNMP is a common requirement for these systems.
SNMP makes device setup simpler, and provides universal protocol support across many types of networking equipment and IT management systems. With the added versatility to store data onsite or in the cloud, users of an SNMP-based system have the ability to choose how their data is managed and protected.
This is why Morningstar has integrated Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) into its products. An open standard IP-based protocol, SNMP works with selected Morningstar products in conjunction with Morningstar’s Ethernet MeterBus Converter (EMC-1) communication gateway. As telecom operators increasingly turn to solar electricity for powering various systems, Morningstar solar components are better equipped to meet their needs. Click here to learn more about SNMP and Morningstar Products