First Solar Powered Cell Tower in U.S.

Solar panels instead of a generator at this T-Mobile cell tower (image from T-Mobile)

Instead of a generator, T-Mobile is drawing on clean, reliable, renewable solar power at this cell tower in Chalfont, Pennsylvania.  Its the first solar powered cell tower in the U.S.  Not one watt of grid-based electricity, nor one drop of fossil fuels, is required to operate the tower.

Twelve solar panels (shown above) make T-Mobile’s cell tower 100% self-sufficient.  In fact, extra solar electricity is often fed back to the local utility company whereby T-Mobile gets energy credits through net metering.

Over the years, solar power has been considered as an energy source for the giant network of cell towers across the U.S. and in other areas of the world.  However, until recently, solar has simply been too expensive to justify the investment.  Today, cell towers are significantly more efficient, due to technology advances.  With diminishing power needs, solar can be more realistically considered as an energy source for our constant mobile communication needs.

Granted, most of us would rather have reliable cell phone service, rather than going with a “green” network of cell towers.  But, all things being equal, I think I’d make the call to go with a solar cell service provider…

Tags: Solar, solar cell, solar cell phone, solar panels, solar phone, solar power, solar power cell tower, T-mobile