NEC to commence tests on Energy Management Systems

TOKYO, JAPAN: NEC Corporation will commence demonstration tests in India starting August 7, 2014 in order to introduce technologies that perform energy management for mobile phone base stations utilizing renewable energy (photovoltaic generation, "PV," hereafter) and lithium-ion rechargeable battery systems.

NEC will perform the demonstration tests jointly with Pixela Corporation (Head office: Osaka, Osaka Prefecture; President: Hiroshi Fujioka; "Pixela," hereafter) as a contractor for the Demonstration Project of International Energy Consumption Efficiency Technologies and Systems - Project to Demonstrate Energy Management Systems for Mobile Phone Base Stations in India, a demonstration project run by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).

On August 6, NEDO concluded a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with India's Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance (MOF/DEA), Department of Telecommunications (DOT), Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), GTL Infrastructure and VIOM Networks to carry out field tests aimed at introducing energy management systems for mobile phone base stations in India. NEC will carry out these field tests in cooperation with the signing members of the MOU.

Due to the sharp rise in the number of mobile phone subscribers nationwide, India is rapidly expanding the number of base stations. However, there are many regions in India with fragile power supplies that suffer from frequent power outages and regions that are not supplied with power at all. Although telecom carriers are using diesel generators during power outages and other disruptions in order to ensure the continuous operation of base stations, the expense of diesel fuel accounts for a large percentage of operating costs.

This project will apply NEC's energy management technologies in order for mobile phone base stations to effectively use power. Moreover, the project aims to reduce the amount of power used inside base stations by coating the outer walls and roofs of the base station housing with high-solar reflectance photocatalytic paint by Pixela to curb temperature rises within the housing. Through these measures, the project also aims to reduce the consumption of diesel fuel and develop a system with a stable supply of electricity.

Moving forward, NEC and Pixela will proceed with the preparation of sites where demonstrations will be conducted and plan to carry out a two-year field evaluation from FY2014. Demonstration tests are scheduled to be performed at a total of 62 mobile phone base station locations across India, including the suburban areas of Delhi and Mumbai. Moreover, energy management systems will be installed at twenty of these locations, while photocatalytic paint will be applied to 52 locations (both measures will be implemented at some locations). In terms of the effects this demonstration would have if the measures were introduced at all 400,000 mobile phone base stations throughout India, the rate of base station energy savings (rate of reduction) is expected to be approximately 50%, or an annual reduction of one million liters in diesel fuel consumption.

Through this demonstration, NEC will verify the operational feasibility of the system in developing countries and link those findings to the development of new energy businesses on a global scale.