India

India has about 10 to 12 million Internet users, 8 million cell phone users and a teledensity of just over 3 percent in a country with close to half the population hovering around the poverty line[1]. India’s ICT industry is in a very powerful position because the country’s economic growth depends on the industry.

In April 2010 the government of India initiated a programme to promote solar power in the telecom sector. Under this programme, between 30% and 50% of the cost of solar retrofits will be subsidised. In all, over 250,000 towers are expected to be outfitted with solar panels[2].

In addition, The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released its recommendations on “Approach Towards Green Telecommunications”. The recommendations in this approach paper are delineated that In the next five years, at least 50% of all rural towers and 33% of the urban towers are to be powered by hybrid power (Renewable Energy Technologies (RET)+Grid power) by 2015, while all rural towers and 50% of urban towers are to be hybrid powered by 2020 and A phased programme should be put in place by the telecom service providers to have their cell sites, particularly in the rural areas, powered by hybrid renewable sources including wind energy, solar energy, fuel cells or a combination thereof. The eventual goal under this phased programme is to ensure that around 50% of all towers in the rural areas are powered by hybrid renewable sources by the year 2015[3].

Map of India showing selected sites

Source: SS Technomed Ltd( http://www.sstechnomed.com/sales-network.htm

Renewable Energy Resource for the selected sites in India

Merits and Demerits

  • Better Wind Resource
  • Smaller Land Use by the BTS
  • Average renewable system combination: 10 kW PV and 7.5kW wind turbine
  • Annual average generated capacity – 18,260 kWh/y with a demand of 11,461 kW/y.

References used:

  1. Asia-Pacific Development Information Programme available at: http://www.apdip.net/projects/dig-rev/info/in/
  2. Renewable Energy World Article, "Wind and Solar To Answer the Call for Mobiles" by Joe Madden, March 2011. available at: www.renewablenergyworld.com
  3. Panchabuta Article: The Telecom Regulatory Auth'Approach Towards Green Telecommunications' April 2011 by panchabhutha available at: http://panchabuta.com/2011/04/18/

© 2011 MSc Renewable Energy Systems and the Environment Group Project