Telecom cell site runs on wind power
by Rej Peñacerrada, Inquirer (10/7/07 at 12:00:00 AM)
Environmental advocates have been flashing the red light on greenhouse gas emissions and urging the use of renewable energy, while an international team of scientists is in a race against time in polar areas, where ice is thawing at an unprecedented rate.
Meanwhile, on a tiny island on the northern tip of Cebu, winds of change are blowing--quite literally.
Malapascua, traditionally a fishing village of 3,500, is dubbed "Little Boracay" because of its white sand beaches and, more especially, its dive spots. It is well-known in the scuba diving world as "probably the only place in the world where the long-tailed thresher shark can be seen on a daily basis," as one European diver wrote in a magazine.
To scientists, Malapascua is significant for another natural resource: wind. In a wind energy mapping survey, the US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) found 25 provinces, including Cebu, to have 1,000-megawatt potential from wind. Malapascua is one of the country's richest wind resource areas.
New resource
That resource is now being harnessed to run a telecommunications cell site. Smart Communications, through its vendor, Powercity Corp., installed the country's first wind-powered cell site in Sitio Guimbitayan, Malapascua Island, in December 2006. The cell site provides network service to some 1,300 subscribers based in the area as well as visitors.
Commercial power on Malapascua is available only from 6 p.m. to midnight, so a generator is needed to keep the cell site running outside those hours.
The cell site is now powered by two small, lightweight wind turbines, which generate at least 20 kilowatts per hour.
The wind-powered system is an efficient and economical alternative to the fuel generator. It also requires minimal maintenance, unlike diesel-driven generators, which are refueled monthly and entail costly replacement of engine oil and filters, besides being prone to theft.
Powercity developed a horizontal-axis wind turbine which uses its blades to collect wind's kinetic energy. The blades are connected to a drive shaft that turns an electric generator to produce electricity.
Energy goes to a controller, which stores it in a battery bank. Even in poor wind, the stored energy is capable of providing electricity for two days.
'Cleaner' cell cite
"Putting up a connect cell site on an island is a major challenge. We need to haul 2,000 liters of diesel every month to keep the generator supplying electricity to the tower running," said Ma. Hiyasmin Quiñal of Smart's Network Services Assurance department in the Visayas.
"We have significantly reduced fuel consumption and maintenance costs," said Edgar Acero, a Smart engineer based on the island. "The 2,000 liters we would use up in a month now lasts four months."
Caretaker Sonny Masong observed that the cell site area is cleaner now because oil spills have been greatly minimized. The generator is quieter, too, he added.
Telecommunications technology has been a boost to business on Malapascua Island. "More tourists have been coming," said Lemuel Daño of Daño Beach Resort. Even though electricity is available only in the evening, bookings and inquiries are conducted through text messaging, added Myla Pinlac of Cocobana Resort. The higher tourist traffic, in turn, has spawned more business opportunities.
With the wind-powered cell site, carbon emissions in the area have been checked, without sacrificing the comfort of visitors.
