  This paper shows a study on energetic consumption of BTSs (Base Transceiver
Stations) for mobile communication, related to conditioning functions. An
energetic "thermal model" of a telecommunication station is proposed and
studied. The results have been validated with a BTS in central Italy, showing
good agreement. Findings show a substantial high internal-external temperature
difference in the containing shelter, particularly during daytime and warm
months, due to sources of heat (equipment, external temperature and sun
radiation) and to the difficulty in spread the warmth out. The necessity to
keep the operating temperatures within a given range for the correct
functioning of the electronic equipment requires the use of conditioning
setups, and this significantly increases the energetic demand of the whole
system. The analysis of thermal flows across the shelter can help to gather
further data on its temperature behavior and to devise practical measures to
lower the power demand, while keeping the operating parameters in the suggested
ranges. The investigation of some operating parameters of the equipment and of
the shelter, such as threshold set-points, air vent area, external wall
transmittance and reflectivity, suggests annual energy savings between 10% and
30%.

Physics and Society