Off-grid power for a radio base station

General information about the application

We built a radio base station used to link two valleys in northern Italy. Due to the remote location of the site (1800m a.s.l.), the station is power supplied only with photovoltaic energy and uses the EFOY 12000 Pro as an emergency backup in case of a fault of the solar source. The system must be always online and require as little maintenance as possibile.

Which energy problems or challenges did you have to address?

The main challenge is to guarantee that the radio base station will be always power supplied. Since the main power source is a PV plant, in case of very extended periods of bad weather, an emergency power source is needed. In the past we used generating sets but, this time, this option was not available for several reasons like the presence of very low temperatures during winter and the necessity to avoid noises that can disturb local wildlife.

Why did you select EFOY Pro?

Mostly for the integrated anti-freeze function and the possibility to have up to 124 kWh of energy storage.

How is the EFOY Pro integrated in your installation?

The fuel cell is combined with an off-grid photovoltaic plant (7.68 kWp) that charges a 1,250 Ah, 48 Vdc battery pack. All the items are stored inside a shelter located at the base of the radio tower.

How many EFOYs do you use and do you also combine other alternative power sources?

We used a single EFOY Pro 12000 Duo combined with two DuoCartSwitch and four M28 fuel cartridges. This allows us to have 10 days of back-up in case of a fault of photovoltaic plant.

What are the benefits of EFOY for you?

It is difficult to write numbers, but the main benefit is to have the maximum reliability possible to avoid out of schedule maintenance because, especially during winter, this can be very costly (if it has snowed heavily a helicopter is needed to reach the site).