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Key Figures & Findings: South Sudan is embarking on a significant renewable energy transformation, with a new solar-plus-battery storage (BESS) project to address the country's alarmingly low energy access.
Image: The recently launched 20MW solar energy plant in South Sudan. Credit: Ezra Group A public-private partnership in South Sudan has launched the country’s first major solar power plant and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in the capital Juba, where it is expected to provide electricity to thousands of homes.
Future Implications: Integrating solar and storage solutions could stabilize South Sudan’s energy infrastructure, creating a model for renewable energy adoption in other energy-deprived regions. South Sudan launches solar-BESS project to expand grid access, replacing diesel generators and boosting energy for underserved regions.
Most of the country’s current energy production comes from generators that burn imported diesel, a costly method both economically and environmentally. According to the World Bank, only 8.4% of the population had reliable access to power and electricity in 2022, leaving the door wide open to produce much-needed renewable energy in South Sudan.
5G networks divide coverage areas into smaller zones called cells, enabling devices to connect to local base stations via radio. Each station connects to the broader telephone network and the Internet through high-speed optical fiber or wireless backhaul.
To properly examine an energy-optimised network, it is very crucial to select the most suitable EE metric for 5G networks. EE is the ratio of transmitted bits for every joule of energy expended. Therefore, while measuring it, different perspectives need to be considered such as from the network or user’s point of view.
Major suppliers of 5G radio and core systems included Altiostar, Cisco Systems, Datang Telecom/Fiberhome, Ericsson, Huawei, Nokia, Qualcomm, Samsung, and ZTE. Huawei was estimated to hold about 70 percent of global 5G base stations by 2023.
The 5G New Radio (NR) interface defines two main operating ranges: Frequency Range 1 (FR1) – below 7.125 GHz, also called sub-6 GHz. It covers low- and mid-band frequencies and supports channel bandwidths up to 100 MHz. Typical download speeds range from 5 to 900 Mbit/s depending on conditions.
In order to provide grid services, inverters need to have sources of power that they can control. This could be either generation, such as a solar panel that is currently producing electricity, or storage, like a battery system that can be used to provide power that was previously stored.
In a large-scale utility plant or mid-scale community solar project, every solar panel might be attached to a single central inverter. String inverters connect a set of panels—a string—to one inverter. That inverter converts the power produced by the entire string to AC.
Grid-forming inverters can start up a grid if it goes down—a process known as black start. Traditional “grid-following” inverters require an outside signal from the electrical grid to determine when the switching will occur in order to produce a sine wave that can be injected into the power grid.
This technical report focuses on energy-saving technology of base stations. Some energy saving technologies since 4G era will be explained in details, while artificial intelligence and big data technology will be introduced in response to the requirement of an intelligent and self-adaptive energy saving solution.
Therefore, low-carbon upgrades to communication base stations can effectively improve the economics of local energy use while reducing local environmental pollution and gaining public health benefits. For this research, we recommend further in-depth exploration in three areas for the future.
A small-scale communication base station communication antenna with an average power of 2 kW can consume up to 48 kWh per day. 4,5,6 Therefore, the low-carbon upgrade of communication base stations and systems is at the core of the telecommunications industry’s energy use issues.
There are two main methods of base station energy saving, including hardware and software.
