Deutsche Telekom is working with Ericsson to explore the using solar energy to power mobile broadband sites, and in turn, cut carbon emissions and save on energy costs. 

Ericsson estimates the global energy cost of running mobile networks is about $25 billion yearly, which makes energy consumption one of the industry’s biggest challenges from both cost and carbon footprint perspectives.

Through the joint initiative, the two companies want to show that independent energy supply for mobile phone sites with solar power is possible. 

The partners set out to test their hypothesis in late 2020. Deutsche Telekom erected small solar modules with a total surface area of about 12 square meters at a mobile site about 100 miles north of Munich, and Ericsson's Power System handled the necessary voltage conversion and other technical issues. The project also included integration of the solar technology into the same management system that also controls the radio access network (RAN).

Testing confirmed that “solar energy is able to contribute more than two-thirds of the site's total power during peak hours.” And under the right conditions using energy-efficient radio equipment, up to 100% of the power supply could be sourced from the solar modules, Ericsson claims.

Ericsson said the initiative intends to put pressure on energy transition efforts and reduce the impact on climate change. 

“This project is another example for how a network-level approach can be deployed sustainably for mobile networks,” said Heather Johnson, VP for sustainability and corporate responsibility at Ericsson, in a prepared statement.

On the frontline of network digitalization lies 5G, which promises to support billions of connected devices transmitting huge volumes of data. But the ever-increasing digitalization of society begs the question: What potential does digital change have for climate protection?

Ericsson contends that it can do more with less and expand traffic while reducing energy consumption across the network. 

In the latest Ericsson Mobility Report, the vendor estimates that the number of cellular connections will reach 4.1 billion by 2024. It will also place new demands on service providers to increase network capacity, extend geographical coverage, and deploy advanced technology use cases nationwide. But with sensors in factories, smart cities, farms, and homes, Ericsson insists 5G — combined with artificial intelligence (AI) — has the potential to make societies and economies radically more efficient and sustainable.

Ericsson isn’t alone in its optimism. Last year, a team of researchers from the University of Zurich set out to analyze the effects of the 5G mobile phone standard on greenhouse gas emissions. “One thing is clear: 5G technology can curb greenhouse gas emissions, as new applications become available and digitalization is used more efficiently,” the authors wrote.