Ericsson’s
Energy-Smart Sitefor Utilities

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Ericsson’s Energy-Smart Site for Utilities

2For consumers, power means flicking aswitch. The lights turn on, the AC hums,
computers compute, factories churn.
For utilities companies, though,sustaining a constant flow of power is acomplex and challenging task. Utilities
face even more pressure today to meet
opex goals and sustainability initiatives,
increase grid resilience and harden their
networks against cybersecurity threats.
All this, while delivering energy tocustomers 24/7 wherever they are.
Utilities have responded to thesechallenges by embracing digitalization,including sensors, remote switches andmonitoring equipment that help theutility keep the power grid hummingalong. Modernizing the power grid
includes implementing a mission-critical,
multipurpose wireless network—theSmart Grid—that can address thegrowing ecosystem of use cases andoffer advanced, standardizedtechnology. Key to that network are thecell sites distributed across the power
grid to provide the essential connectivity
that makes the Smart Grid smart.
A new model for utility cell sites,
Ericsson’s Energy-Smart Site for Utilities
is a major step forward in the way theutilities industry uses and manages siteenergy. A leading, intelligent,sustainable, nano-grid design with acell site, the Smart Site brings togethera suite of energy-smart software andhardware innovations, all developed by
Ericsson.
This end-to-end system in a compact
package provides an efficient, flexible
way for utilities to control, monitor andmanage the smart grid while using lessenergy, producing fewer emissions,lowering opex—and potentially evengenerating revenue.

Ericsson’s Energy-Smart Site for Utilities

3

What is Ericsson’s
Energy-Smart Site solution?
Ericsson’s new Energy-Smart Siteoffers a groundbreaking solution to thechallenges faced by utility companies.
It has the potential to be fully poweredby solar energy complemented byintegrated batteries for up to a 24-hour
period. By intelligently orchestrating
multiple energy sources and storage
technologies, the site enhances grid
resiliency, reliability and security while
reducing operational expenses related
to energy costs.
The Energy-Smart Site would provide
a solution for sites on the grid which
do not have secondary voltage, suchas transmission lines. Where only highvoltage is available, a site does nothave the power to support essential
telecommunications equipment(eNodeB). The sustainable EnergySmart Site is also essential in times ofpower outages, when having on-site
renewable energy is needed to power
essential equipment. This innovative
solution ensures that utilities maintainessential grid communication whenpower is down or not available atlocations on the grid.

What are the benefits forutilities?
Hybrid energy management
Hybrid operation works by combining
one or several energy sources withenergy storage. On-site solar systems
can pair with storage systems (suchas batteries) to add clean power andresiliency in areas where grid outage
risk may be higher. This energy storage
can support off-grid or “islandable”
site operations with the ability to sinkor source power as part of microgrid
operations.
Energy savings strategies (loadshifting, peak shaving, demandresponse)
The peak energy of the site can be
managed by batteries, either as acomplement—running both on grid
1and batteries—or running 100 percent
on batteries for complete site load.
By using the Time-Configured PeakLoad Shifting feature, the site can run
on battery when the grid demand ishigh and charge the batteries once thedemand is low. The feature allows for as
many periods per day as are needed toensure the most optimized site energy
consumption. The site can disconnect
from the grid (islandable operation)
to reduce load during times of peakdemand.
Environmental and social
responsibility
Many energy utility companies areincreasingly focused on demonstrating
their commitment to environmentaland social responsibility. By partneringwith Ericsson for smart-site integration,utilities can showcase their support
for sustainable development andcontribute to a cleaner and moresustainable energy system.

What are the results?
The Ericsson Energy-Smart Site canbe considered representative of autility company’s private wireless site.
It is based on a multi-sector site withmultiband RF coverage. It utilizes solar
renewable energy sources with battery
backup and storage along with local
grid connectivity that could be replacedwith a generator. The site specifics are:Radio consumption = 1,140 W, Baseband consumption = 254 W, Cabinet + fans + C6610 + MPPT module = 300 W• The site is estimated to consume~1,700 W1 at a typical traffic load.
• The solar panels are fixed tilt on thissite. Single or dual axis tilt can extend
the sunlight hours for solar energy
generation. The panels are estimatedto generate ~2,400 W on a sunny day(for 8 hours = ~19 kWh). This could
potentially fully power the site for theday.
• The solar and battery capabilities cansupport most power requirements.
• The 3 x lithium batteries can provide~14.4 kWh of power.
• The batteries can be charged withexcess power generated from solar
and at night when the grid tariffs arelow.
• The site can potentially be running
fully on batteries for ~9–16 hours perday.
The Energy-Smart Site is designed toprioritize renewable energy sources
before utilizing other power sources
as needed. Figure 1 on the next pagehighlights our measured results ofactual site operation over a 24-hour
period.

Ericsson’s Energy-Smart Site for Utilities

4Hybrid power operation (Grid + Li-ion batteries + solar)

Hybrid power operation (Grid + Li-ion batteries + solar)

Grid generation

Solar generation

Battery supplied

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Hybrid operation:
36 percent reduction in the site's CO2 emissions andelectricity cost by running on solar

System consumption

Figure 1: Even when no additional features are in use, the system efficiently prioritizes solar energy, supplying around 36 percent of thetotal power requirements over a 24-hour period. This equates to at least a 36 percent reduction in the site's electricity expenses and CO2emissions.

Ericsson’s Energy-Smart Site also
supports load-shifting operation thatcan represent off-grid or standalone
operation. Although our site power
consumption is small (< 2 kW), if
utilities have multiple sites supporting
this standalone or "islandable" feature,utilities can remove a sizable load (> 1MWatt) from the grid.

Ericsson’s Energy-Smart Site for Utilities

5Load shifting operation (Grid + Li-ion batteries)

Load shifting operation (Grid + Li-ion batteries)
Batteries are charged during night
when the low-tariff period kicks in.

Cell site load (WATT)

Load shifting:During high tariff hours, the system was disconnected from the grid andran solely on batteries for a total of approximately 8 percent of the time.
By decreasing grid dependency, the system saved opex, increased reliability,
and reduced CO2 emissions.

Low tariff timeGrid generation

Battery supplied

Battery charged by grid

11:00 PM

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12:00 AMHigh tariff time

System consumption

Figure 2: Through load shifting, the system intelligently transitions to battery operation during peak tariff hours, resulting in operational costsavings and a reduction in CO2 emissions by decreasing grid dependency.

The Ericsson Energy-Smart Site
supports nano-grid operation
leveraging the multiple energy source
inputs, smart site connectivity andenergy management policies to drive
the site load.

Ericsson’s Energy-Smart Site for Utilities

6

Nano-grid operation (Grid + Li-ion batteries + solar)

Nano-grid operation(Grid + Li-ion batteries + solar)
Batteries are charged during night
when the low-tariff period kicks in.
4000

Nano-grid operation:
The system is disconnected fromthe grid for 46 percent of the time,
operating as a nano-grid with solar
and batteries supplying energy.

3500

Cell site load (WATT)

3000
2500

System running on grid
power before sunrise

2000

Aftersunset,
thesystem
is runningon grid.

1500
1000
500

Grid generation

Solar generation

Battery supplied

Battery charged by grid

11:00 PM

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System consumption

Figure 3: In this scenario, the system operates as a nano-grid with solar and battery sources, effectively disconnecting from the grid for46 percent of the time. This not only ensures grid resilience and alleviates grid overload issues for utility companies, but also aids service
providers in reducing energy expenses and lowering CO2 emissions. Furthermore, this approach mitigates CO2 emissions by eliminating theneed for diesel generators, commonly employed as backup power sources during off-grid operations.

The Ericsson Energy-Smart Site also
supports peak shaving operation. Peakshaving uses batteries to manage
energy consumption during peakperiods, reducing demand on the grid.
Again, if utilities have several sites, thiscapability can reduce periodic peakdemands on the grid and help avoid
or delay capital intensive power plantexpansions.

Ericsson’s Energy-Smart Site for Utilities

7

Peak shaving operation (Grid + Li-ion batteries)

Peak shaving operation (Grid + Li-ion batteries)

Grid generation

Battery supplied

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Cell site load (WATT)

Peak shaving:
58 percent of extra system power consumption is compensatedby batteries, leading to reduced opex and CO2 emissions.

System consumption

Figure 4: Peak shaving uses batteries to manage energy consumption during peak periods, saving on the electric bill and avoiding the needto expand utility power plants. It also helps minimize CO2 emissions from increased traffic growth. In this example, the batteries support anextra 58 percent of the power demand, preventing increased expenses and CO2 emissions.

Ericsson’s Energy-Smart Site for Utilities

8How does it work?
Demonstrating Ericsson’s capability tooffer a complete solution for an energysmart site, the Ericsson Energy-Smart
Site building blocks include an outdoor
equipment cabinet, Li-ion batteries,
a renewable energy source (solar), asmart connected site IoT gateway, andend-to-end solution management.
The site connectivity provides
visibility of site assets that can beremotely monitored and intelligentlyused. With a single unified intelligentmanagement system and hybrid power
management (including solar powerand batteries), the site operates by
optimizing the best source of energy.
Moreover, it can enable network
operations to optimize the network,
based on the available energy.
This site can also be potentially used
as a sandbox for testing radio hardware
and software solutions that improveenergy efficiency, in conjunction withsmart-site solutions, to create an endto-end system.
Utility companies will benefit froman energy-smart site because it canreduce their opex-relaxed energy
costs, help them better reach their
net-zero goals and provides a moresustainable solution to off-grid sites.
Utilities can also enhance resiliency byusing hydrogen-based generators as analternative to diesel (available in 2024).
This intelligent power grid solution will
open future revenue streams to utility
companies.

Solar panels andstructure:• 6 x solar panels• 1 x non-penetrating
structure to hold thepanels

Enclosure 6160
components:• 1 x RP 6651*(baseband)• 1 x CC 6610 (sitecontroller)• 1 x MPPT module
6670 (for solarconversion)• 3 x Li-ion batteries
6612

Radios on-site (midband TDD M-MIMO)• 2 X AIR 6419*• 1 X AIR 6449
* AIR 6419 is 20%
more energy-efficientthan previousgenerations.

* RP 6651 is 15-20%
more energy-efficientthan previousgenerations.

Conclusion
Ericsson's Energy-Smart Site represents
a significant advancement in energy
management for the utilities industry.
By offering an intelligent, sustainable
and efficient solution, Ericsson aims
to support utilities in achieving theiroperational and sustainability goals
while contributing to a cleaner andmore resilient energy system.
To learn more about Ericsson's
Energy-Smart Site and other intelligent
solutions for utilities, please contact ustoday.

Ericsson’s Energy-Smart Site for Utilities

9About Ericsson

Ericsson enables communications service providers
and enterprises to capture the full value of connectivity.
The company’s portfolio spans the following businessareas: Networks, Cloud Software and Services, Enterprise
Wireless Solutions, Global Communications Platform, andTechnologies and New Businesses. It is designed to help
our customers go digital, increase efficiency and find newrevenue streams. Ericsson’s innovation investments havedelivered the benefits of mobility and mobile broadband
to billions of people globally. Ericsson stock is listed on
Nasdaq Stockholm and on Nasdaq New York.
www.ericsson.com© Ericsson 2024

The content of this document is subject torevision without notice due to continued
progress in methodology, design andmanufacturing. Ericsson shall have no liability
for any error or damage of any kind resulting
from the use of this document.

www.ericsson.com
SE-126 25 Stockholm, Sweden
Telephone +46 10 719 00 00
Febuary 2024, Rev. 1