Ericsson released its RBS site solution called the Tower Tube in 2007. But the company has now taken an additional step by developing a wind-powered Tower Tube in cooperation with Vertical Wind AB and Uppsala University in Sweden. The prototype underscores the commitment to sustainable and cost-efficient solutions that help bring communications to all.

Ulf Ewaldsson, Vice President and Head of Product Area Radio at Ericsson, says: “Combining wind power with Ericsson’s Tower Tube brings further opportunities to support mobile communication in both urban and remote areas with no or limited access to the electricity grid. Ericsson’s wind-powered Tower Tube research initiative reflects our ambition to use our technical leadership to drive sustainable, telecom expansion and deliver communication for all.”

The construction will be as simple as possible, and will include very few moving parts, so maintenance will be minimal. The generator fits onto the outside of the tower, like a ring on a finger, and the turbine is mounted directly on the rotating armature. This kind of construction means that there is no need for a transmission or gearbox. 

The Tower Tube prototype, with a Vertical Wind generator, can support one or two radio base stations including microwave transmission. Power capability is 10kW but scalable to up to 20kW. In addition, the Ericsson Tower Tube has no need for feeders and cooling systems. With up to 40 percent lower power consumption than traditional base station sites, it helps operators reduce their operating costs significantly.

The concept follows a series of initiatives from Ericsson to improve energy efficiency, reduce environmental impacts and lower the costs of mobile networks for operators.

The wind-powered prototype has several key advantages. One of the biggest is that wind power is free energy. Also, the integrated turbine has few moving parts, which helps to reduce maintenance. It also has low environmental impact and generates renewable power with minimal CO2 emission and silent operation.

The prototype works as a very good complement to solar power in areas, or regions, where there are not enough sunny days during the year. Also, the environmental footprint of the Ericsson wind-powered Tower Tube is a lot smaller than a typical solar site.

The Tower Tube concept also employs cutting-edge design and can be built in many sizes and painted in a variety of colors, making it a natural fit for any landscape.