Solar Power Based Wireless Solutions

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Solar Energy Implementation

The use of solar energy is very useful in remote areas that do not have existing electrical power. The inherent low power requirement of the VIP 110-24 makes it an excellent candidate for use with solar power systems.

City Peak Sun Hours
Beijing 4.5
Edmonton 3
Hong Kong 3.5
London UK 1
Melbourne 3
Mexico City 4
Moscow 1.2
New Delhi 5
New York 2
Paris 1.5
Riyodh 5
San Francisco 4
Sydney 4
Tokyo 3
Vancouver 1.5

Description

Each solar powered installation is unique and has its own set of issues that must be solved. However, there are several considerations that all solar powered systems share. These include Peak Sun Hours (the average amount of sun available per day throughout the year at the installation location) and the power required by the equipment (to determine the size of panels and backup batteries needed). An excellent treatise on solar systems can be found at the Advanced Energy Group’s “Solar4power” site: www.solar4power.com

VIP 110-24 Implementation

This application note will discuss a sample installation of a solar system using a single VIP 110-24 as a repeater site.

The first step in installing a solar powered system is to verify that there is sufficient sunlight at the location to enable solar panels to power the equipment. You must have the power requirements of all equipment to be used as well as knowledge of solar panels and battery systems available. In addition, you will need to know the area’s Peak Sun Hours.

We will calculate the feasibility of installing an Adino Wireless System (VIP, LibraPlus or LibraMAX) at a location in one of the major cities in the world.

First, we must determine the Peak Sun Hours in the city. Peak Sun Hours vary by location but there are excellent sources on the World Wide Web that allow you to determine the value with reasonable accuracy. Table 1.0 outlines the Peak Sun Hours of various cities in the world. Using the above you can determine Peak Sun Hours of the city of your choice.

The next value we need is the amount of power required to run the equipment. For example, the VIP has a power requirement of 5 watts. Assuming the radio will operate 24 hrs/day, we get a total power requirement of 5 X 24 = 120 watt-hrs/day. Assuming we use a 12 volt system, we then calculate the total number of amps required for one whole day, or 120 / 12 = 10 amps/day. Having this information, we can calculate what type of solar panel we require.

The following table illustrates metropolitan cities throughout the world, example of potential Adino Wireless system and selected solar panels.

City EION System Solar Panel Nos. of Panel required
Beijing Libra Plus SM110-12V 1
Edmonton VIP SM110-12V 1
Riyodh Libra Plus SM110-12V 1
London UK VIP SM110-12V 3
Melbourne Libra Plus SM50-H 3
Mexico City Libra Max SM50-H 2
Moscow VIP SM50-H 10
New Delhi Libra Plus SM110-12V 1
New York VIP SM50-H 6
Paris Libra Plus SM110-12V 2
San Francisco Libra Max SM110-12V 1
Sydney Libra Plus SM50-H 3
Tokyo Libra Plus SM110-12V 1
Vancouver VIP SM50-H 8
Hong Kong Libra Max SM110-12V 1

Since it is not guaranteed that the sun will shine every day to obtain the average Peak Sun Hours, it is prudent to use a battery backup system when there is rain or days of continuous clouds. First, take the total number of amps required for one day and multiply it by the maximum number of continuous cloudy days expected. For Edmonton, Canada we will use a number of 60 days to get 10 X 60 = 600 amps required from a backup battery. Figuring that it is not good to completely discharge a battery, we will require that the battery have a reserve of 25% when we consider it “dead”. This gives us a total requirement of 600 / 75% = 800 amps. A Concorde PVX-2120L has a rating of 212 amp-hrs so four would be required.

Summary

Although the use of solar panels is not difficult, care must be taken to insure that all appropriate factors are considered when installing a system of this type. This application note is intended to provide a brief overview of solar panel systems when used with VIP radios. Although the calculations are not difficult, it is generally wise to verify your findings with a professional solar power distributor.
 
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