Telstra says it has been trialing a solar fuel cell system to provide back-up power to a small exchange east of Melbourne.
Hydrogen fuel is being generated from water available on-site using solar panels. The hydrogen is then used in a fuel cell system where it is combined with oxygen to produce electricity, water, and heat.
“Over the past six months, the fuel cell has been called upon six times to provide back-up power. These mains power outages have range from as short as 12 minutes to over seven hours. Each time the fuel cell has cut in to seamlessly keep our customers connected,” says Telstra’s John Romano.
Telstra collaborated with Sefca and Acta on the design of the fuel cell system, which achieved what Mr. Romano says is a “world-first” in generating hydrogen from water and then storing it on-site. Sefca and Acta have since developed solar fuel cell units for other telecommunication companies around the world.
“While we will be looking to deploy additional solar fuel cells to provide back-up power at other networks sites around the country, we’ll also continue our research into alternative renewable energy production and storage technologies,” says Mr. Romano.
Telstra was one of Australia’s pioneers in the use of solar power. Back in the days when it was known as Telecom (pre-1990), the telco was using solar panels and deep cycle batteries in remote areas of the country.
According to a document available on the ANU web site: ” …Telecom Australia was a pioneer in 1978, by adapting solar PV panels from their early applications on spacecraft for use in remote area telecommunications.”
Today, Telstra uses solar power at more than 13,850 sites nationally, with usage still mainly restricted to small systems at remote sites and repeater stations where mains power is unavailable.
The company also uses solar to boost coverage for emergency services during disasters. Trailer-mounted repeaters pick up the signal from the nearest Telstra mobile tower and repeat it within a specific location to improve reception. These repeaters are easily transported and are fitted with solar panels so the equipment can be used in locations where mains power isn’t available or has been disrupted.
