Field Applications: Fuel Cells as Backup Power for Italian Telecommunication Sites

Fuel cell technology has often been viewed as a promising alternative to batteries and generators for the backup power requirements of the telecommunications industry. Recent collaboration between ReliOn ¿ a fuel cell manufacturer with more than 850 kW of product sold to customers to date, SGS Future ¿ the Italian distributor of ReliOn´s fuel cell products, Telecom Italia and Pirelli Labs has resulted in thorough field testing and data compilation of fuel cells in a backup operation. This paper presents the team´s experiences at three installations in Northern Italy where the fuel cell solutions are providing backup power for point-to-point digital link applications. This joint-authorship approach provided unique perspectives from both the manufacturer, ReliOn and the end-user, Telecom Italia Spa across the phases of the field trials. Conclusions on battery plant reduction and efficiency of integration over the 6-month trial will be shared.