The Significance and Evaluation of Alternative Power Sources for Telecommunication Systems

During the latest 5 - 10 years of time as a result of the energy crises in the early 70:ies great interest has been focused on the development of alternative power sources all over the world. Both large scale alternative power systems and small scale systems for powering telecommunications equipment have been developed, tested and put into operation. The interest for small scale systems is not only initiated from the general energy point of view but mainly from the pronounced need and interest to develop rural communications in a broader sense. This includes powering single radiochannel systems, navigation aids and other industtrial communications systems at remote sites and offshore. The attraction of alternative power is the reduction of investment and operation cost in comparison to older technical systems. The paper summarizes todays trends and technical experiences from testing and operation, and give an evaluation of the market development significant for telecommunications. Some aspects and comments on the influence of the use of new inventions and technologies on the historical development in general and in the field of telecommunications in particular are also given.