In backup applications for telecom sites in developed markets with stable grids, battery operation is a well-understood topic with expected battery lifetime of more than ten years. However, for telecom sites in emerging markets with very unstable or no power grids at all, things are not quite so straightforward. Thomas Rahkonen, Flexenclosure’s Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of their eCentre talks us through key criteria when selecting batteries for hybrid off-grid power applications.
For telecom sites in emerging markets with very unstable or no power grid at all, batteries are typically employed in a charge-discharge-charge (CDC) pattern in order to minimise the runtime of diesel gensets.