The Shropshire Hills site provides reliable 4G and 5G connectivity to EE customers living, working, and travelling in the area.
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Power is generated using a mix of renewable sources—solar and wind—stored in batteries to maintain continuous operation. In cases of insufficient renewable energy, a generator powered by Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) ensures backup power is available.
HVO is a sustainable fuel made from waste and residual oils, further supporting the site’s green credentials.
The site is expected to generate around 17,000kWh of renewable energy annually, equating to 100,000 hot showers. This not only supports sustainability goals but also offers cost savings of over £10,000 per year.
While this site is a trial, BT says it has already identified hundreds of other locations, particularly in coastal and hilly areas, where similar self-powering technology could be deployed in the future.
Greg McCall, chief networks officer at BT Group said: “Delivering ubiquitous coverage is critically important in an age where connectivity has never been so central to everyday life, but it absolutely must be done in a responsible and sustainable manner.
“It’s paramount that we increase the energy efficiency of our networks, and so we’re really excited about the potential of self-powering sites in enabling us to meet both our sustainability and connectivity ambitions.”
BT Group’s move towards self-powering sites aligns with its broader ambition to become a net-zero business by 2031.
The self-powering site is the latest innovation aimed at addressing this and follows the roll-out of energy-saving cell-sleep technology across its RAN estate earlier this year, as well as the successful retirement of its legacy 3G network.
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