Telecommunications companies need to find better ways to power cell towers as demand increases and structures are built in more isolated areas that lack reliable grid service.
A feature at RCR Wireless suggests use of DC to DC converters. Most towers, the story says, use rectifiers to convert AC to DC. DC systems are very complex. The answer could be DC to DC converters, which would enable more power to be sent to the top of the tower, the story said.
Other ideas are to improve radio frequency (RF) efficiency -- which would drive overall efficiency of the system -- use of solar power. In that scenario, the story says, the power would be converted to 48 volts via DC rectifiers and used to charge batteries, run loads and perform other tasks.
Energy is a huge concern for telecommunications companies. Navigant Research reports that between 2015 and 2024, telecom companies will spend more than $31 billion on distributed generation and energy storage.