Wireless carrier cuts off-grid tower costs by $1.9 million a year

ONSITE Utility Services says a national wireless carrier reduced annual operating costs across 15 remote cell towers by nearly $1.9 million after adding supercapacitor storage to a diesel-generator setup. The change lowered fuel use and maintenance without requiring capital spending or debt, ONSITE said.

Why it matters: - Remote cell towers can be expensive to power because diesel generators must run continuously in isolated locations. - Lower fuel use and less generator wear can materially reduce operating costs for carriers that support off-grid networks. - The project used an Energy-as-a-Service model, which let the carrier keep cash on hand instead of funding equipment upfront.

What happened: - ONSITE Utility Services said a national wireless carrier cut annual operating costs across 15 off-grid cell towers by $1,935,834. - The towers were in isolated terrain and depended on diesel generators 24/7. - ONSITE said the upgrade reduced annual fuel and maintenance costs from $2,539,000 to $603,166. - The company said the project was delivered with zero capital investment and zero debt.

The details: - ONSITE reviewed 12 months of fuel and maintenance records and modeled the towers' equipment behavior and load profiles. - The analysis found the generators were running at low loads, where diesel engines typically burn more fuel per kWh and wear out faster. - The revised setup lets the generators run at full, efficient capacity while excess electricity is stored in supercapacitors. - The towers can then operate primarily off stored energy, which reduces generator runtime, fuel consumption and maintenance hours. - ONSITE said the carrier did not need to make operational changes to use the new system. - The project included installation and ongoing supercapacitor maintenance through ONSITE's Energy-as-a-Service platform. - ONSITE said the five-year service term ends with the company abandoning the equipment and the carrier keeping 100% of the ongoing savings. - ONSITE listed $30,179 in net monthly savings during the service term. - ONSITE projected $14,323,748 in net savings over 10 years. - ONSITE said the carrier retained $5,869,228 in capital.

Between the lines: - The savings come less from replacing diesel generation outright and more from making the existing system run at a more efficient operating point. - That matters for remote infrastructure, where logistics and maintenance can cost as much as the fuel itself. - The financing structure also shifts the project from a capital purchase to an operating expense model.

What's next: - ONSITE said the carrier will keep the ongoing savings after the five-year service term ends. - The company is using the same Energy-as-a-Service approach for other HVAC and facility management projects. - More information is available in ONSITE Utility Services' announcement.