Background
We are working alongside a leading telecommunications operator in Germany, with several partners to investigate how mobile phone masts can be supplied with their own renewable energy in the long term – directly at the mast, without additional land sealing and without costly infrastructure measures.
Challenge
Modern telecom towers face various challenges, including a large but fluctuating amount of electricity at any given time, often sourced from external grids. This dependency often creates vulnerabilities for these companies, particularly in remote areas where interruptions can directly impact its reliability. The client requires a system that can provide:
- Security of supply, independent from external grid fluctuations
- Scalable infrastructure that can be implemented across sites
- Fit seamlessly into existing tower structures without excessive space requirements or additional land sealing.
Overall, the challenge was to design a compact, autonomous, and resilient renewable power solution that could meet the high performance and reliability standards required by the telecommunications sector.
Solution
The project involves installing FlowGen small wind turbines on existing radio towers and, if necessary, combining them with solar modules and battery storage systems to form a fully-fledged microgrid. Two installation concepts allow for maximum flexibility: either directly on the mast (flange solution with additional tower height and maximum yield) or attached to the side (clamp solution with simplified retrofitting).
A Siemens-based system architecture intelligently couples wind, solar, and battery power so that the telecom antennas can cover part or, in the future, all of their electricity needs with renewable energy. This reduces grid loads, diesel starts, and operating costs, especially in rural or remote locations.
Benefits
- Renewable energy directly on site – without additional land
- Hybrid operation: wind + solar + battery
- Scalable microgrid for 5G sites
- Suitable for off-grid pilot plants
- Significantly increased security of supply
Conclusion
FlowGen’s hybrid wind–solar solution enables the telecommunications company to transition toward energy autonomy as it delivers a flexible, efficient, and scalable renewable system designed for the next generation of mobile networks.
Through the combination of innovation and intelligent engineering, this strengthens energy security and provides a scalable model for sustainable telecom infrastructure.