ACE ENVIRO-TOWER

ACE Environmental Solutions (Pty) Ltd  value  proposition is so unique that it is poised to become the most significant link in the tower and telecommunication industry supply chain. With our main passion being the rendering of holistic turnkey environmental solutions and the ever-growing increasing risk of our country’s energy and environmental position, we designed and patented (patent P56334ZAPO) an Enviro-Tower that will change the telecommunications industry.

The Enviro-Tower is an off the grid solution and can supply sufficient power to the network carriers using a combination of Geothermal Cooling, Insulation, HVAC Wind and Solar energy.

Most countries around the globe, especially third-world countries like South Africa, rely heavily on coal-fired power stations to supply electricity to their electric transmission network. It is well known that such power stations produce a lot of greenhouse gasses which contributes to, amongst others, early deaths and global warming.

The Enviro-Tower consists of Passive and Active Energy saving components and measurements suitable for construction in densely populated rural as well as remote sites. The individual items and measurements can all be used in conjunction or as separated items in order to suite specific site conditions and client needs. The Enviro-Tower is also environmentally friendly and does not make use of nearly depleted resources like coal to supply electricity.

Our Enviro-Tower solution will significantly reduce the current risks involved in the telecommunications industry (theft, vandalism, load shedding). This will save network companies significant amounts of money each year.

Sustainable Development

  • Sustainable development and more specifically Green Energy  or  Renewable  Energy  has  become one of the most ‘talked’ about topics locally and globally and the main focus is to reduce the use of non-renewable resources fossil fuels and preserving resources for future generations.
  • The main goal of the Enviro-Tower is to reduce the overall carbon footprint by operating using the unique combination of renewable resources like Geothermal, Solar and Wind technology and energy.
  • By not relying on electricity and putting less strain on the grid and extraction of coal and burning of fossil fuels, the Enviro-Tower will prove to be more environmentally friendly than the current telecommunications masts operations.
  • No trenching is needed to lay down underground power lines to the Enviro-Tower, thus having a smaller footprint.

Working of the Enviro-Tower

  • Geothermal Cooling lowering the base station’s base temperature via thermal heatsink using the stable sub soil temperatures.
  • Insulation of the base station lower the base station’s temperature. Thermally Driven Chiller lowers the base station’s internal temperature.
  • The Enviro-Tower uses 1- 4 x 200W vertical Axis wind turbine and are installed in the structure of the mast.
  • The Solar systems ranges from 1kw and upwards, producing 500ah storage capacity and more.

This all can be done for and to include:

  •  PV mounted structures for Large and Small systems. Specialist design according to site layout and available space. Passive ambient cooling.
  • Integrated remote monitoring.
  • USF projects for co-located remote base stations serving villages cut off from access to modern communication facilities.
  • Poly and mono crystalline panels. Junction and breaker boxes.
  • Solar power cabling. Lightning protection.

Retrofit / Rebuild Programme

The Enviro-Tower has not been designed only for new tower constructions for newly identified sites, but also as material and time saving cost methods via a retrofit or rebuild programme to existing telecommunication towers and infrastructure. This will reduce material, labour cost, site acquisition and construction time significantly. The design is structured to include minimal downtime during the tower retrofit or rebuild, ensuring that the net- works start enjoying the full benefit of the tower, without losing significant revenue.

Enviro-Tower Specifications

1. GEOTHERMAL COOLING

Action:

Lower the base station’s base temperature via thermal heatsink using the stable sub soil temperatures.

Result:

Less mechanical cooling and or ventilation required due to lower base temperature. Smaller air-conditioning unit with less operating time. Reduction in electrical load and power storage requirements.

2. INSULATION

Action:

Insulate Base station with 60mm to 135mm polyurethane or EPS/XPS panels. Insulated structure members include walls, roof and or ceiling.

Result:

Less Mechanical cooling and or ventilation required due to lower base temperature. Smaller air-conditioning unit with less operating time. Reduction in electrical load and power storage requirements.

3. HVAC:

Action:

Install an Evacuated tube Assisted (thermally driven chiller) Inverter Type air conditioner in the base station.

Result:

Smaller electrical load required for a) thermal chiller and b) Inverter type AC unit. Reduced cooling requirements from point 1 and 2 afford for less operating time required.

4. OFF-GRID OR GRID TIED SOLAR SYSTEM:

Action:

Install Off-Grid or grid tied solar and battery backup system to best suit base station’s calculated loads.

Result:

Solar energy generation from the sun and off-grid usage during sunshine hours. Reduced battery backup system required due to HVAC load savings in step 1 to 3.

5. WIND POWER:

Action:

Install Off-Grid or grid tied solar and battery backup system to best suit base station’s calculated loads.

Result:

Additional Energy production during wind hours. More specifically during overcast and or stormy conditions as well as night-time supporting the solar system. Less batteries requirement due to above mentioned generating properties.

Reduced Risks with the Enviro-Tower

  • The Enviro-Tower uses approximately 50% less batteries. Normal lattice masts use 16 batteries as backup. With the Enviro-Tower only 8 batteries are needed, reducing the cost of replacement by 50%.
  • The Enviro-Tower is fully capable of operating solely on solar and wind energy and will not be affected by load shedding. This will reduce the risk of a blackout. No generators are needed and thus, no costs involved in keeping the generators fuelled and maintained.
  • The carbon footprint is significantly smaller compared to a standard tower. The Enviro-Tower does not rely on electricity and does not need to connect to the grid, in turn this reduces the burning of fossil fuels including the fuel used by generators during power outages with standard towers.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A STANDARD TELECOMMUNICATIONS TOWER AND ENVIRO-TOWER

Standard Telecommunications Tower

  • Higher cost due to theft and
  • Not a viable option to use renewable energy resources in some areas of the country e.g. densely populated areas or high crime
  • Power outages can disrupt
  • High costs involved connecting to power grid
  • Impact on the Environment (Carbon Footprint)
  • Connected to National Power Grid

Enviro Tower

  • Up to 50% less cost (less batteries needed)
  • Enviro Tower is a viable option for most areas in the
  • The Enviro-Tower is ‘Self Sustainable’ and uses a hybrid system of Geothermal, Wind and Solar power. Power outages will not affect the site and will remain fully operational.
  • Total Off-grid solutions optional, negating the requirement to connect to closest grid
  • Environmentally friendly (Reduced Carbon Footprint)

The Enviro-Tower concept is the game changer in the telecommunications industry as we know it and the name says it all. It is our human responsibility to use resources responsibly and develop sustainably. Very few other telecommunications tower design or operation are focused on reducing the overall carbon footprint and increase the use of green energy and renewable resources. With constant monitoring, evaluation, upgrading of technology and design, the Enviro-Tower will prove to be the best alternative, if not only solution to alternative energy usage and minimising environmental impacts.

Unique Strategies

Innovative design: Often, tower and telecommunication problems are not simply about the height, population, density or area. With ACE Environmental Solutions (Pty) Ltd at your side, innovative, determined turnkey solutions are designed that will ensure maximum value for the community and client.

Logistical     innovation:     Remote     sights     need     smart     solutions   that    deal    with    transport    constraints,     electricity     connection,   labour and installation   costs. ACE provides   solutions that minimise interruptions and inconvenience to the client and   community.

Smart   technology:              ACE   Environmental   Solutions   (Pty)   Ltd   uses a combination of the latest  high-quality  technology  to  ensure  cost  effective     products     and     solutions,     reducing      maintenance      after       installation       on       site       and       increased warranty    periods.

Applying knowledge and experience: ACE Environmental Solutions (Pty) Ltd in-depth understanding of the tower and telecommunications industry in multiple settings, leads to better, cost effective, sustainable and more reliable solutions.

Client focused solutions: Where contractors sell solutions based on their inventory, ACE will rather design a strategy and a solution based on client’s needs.

Multi-stakeholder solutions: By leveraging a wide network of specialists and suppliers, ACE extracts maximum value from the supply chain.

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