Optimized Hybrid Solar-Diesel-Battery Power Supply with Rule-Based Energy Management for Nigerian Base Stations

The increasing demand for reliable telecommunications services in Nigeria has intensified the need for cost-effective and sustainable power supply systems for base transceiver stations (BTSs). Conventional diesel generator systems face challenges associated with high fuel consumption, operating costs, carbon emissions, and dependence on fuel availability. This study developed an optimized hybrid power supply integrating solar photovoltaic (PV), diesel generation, and battery storage using a rule-based energy management strategy optimized through Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). The study modelled BTS electrical demand, solar PV generation, hybrid power balance, battery state-of-charge dynamics, diesel generator dispatch, and operating costs. The proposed optimization minimized a weighted objective comprising fuel consumption, operating expenditure, battery degradation, and renewable energy utilization, subject to power balance and component operating constraints. Performance was evaluated using a 15-hour simulation dataset incorporating solar irradiance, ambient temperature, BTS load demand, battery state of charge, generator output, fuel consumption, operating cost, renewable penetration, and system reliability. The results indicated that BTS load demand ranged from 4.39 to 7.13 kW, while solar irradiance reached 936 W/m² and PV output peaked at 7.96 kW. Reported total fuel consumption was 8.14 L, operational expenditure was $18.83, and carbon dioxide emissions reached 21.83 kg. The PSO-based strategy reportedly achieved a 26% reduction in fuel consumption, operating expenses, and carbon emissions compared with the unoptimized baseline. The reported energy-based reliability index was 0.998, with no unserved energy during the simulated period. However, the renewable penetration value of 168.01% requires clarification because the metric may include excess PV generation allocated to battery charging rather than renewable energy supplied directly to the load. The study recommends policies promoting renewable-powered telecommunications infrastructure through incentives for solar and battery deployment, lifecycle-cost assessment, fuel-efficiency monitoring, and standardized energy performance reporting. These measures could reduce diesel dependence while improving the sustainability and continuity of telecommunications services in Nigeria.