A technical look at 5G energy consumption and performance
The average 5G base station consumes 2.5-4 kW daily – equivalent to powering 40 refrigerators simultaneously. Three factors amplify this: Operators now spend 20-40% of
“A 5G base station is generally expected to consume roughly three times as much power as a 4G base station. And more 5G base stations are needed to cover the same area,” -IEEE Spectrum, 5G's Waveform Is a Battery Vampire
However, Li says 5G base stations are carrying five times the traffic as when equipped with only 4G, pushing up power consumption. The carrier is seeking subsidies from the Chinese government to help with the increased energy usage.
Simulation results reveal that more than 50% of the energy is consumed by the computation power at 5G small cell BS's. Moreover, the computation power of 5G small cell BS can approach 800 watt when the massive MIMO (e.g., 128 antennas) is deployed to transmit high volume traffic.
To achieve gigabit speeds, the plan with 5G is to have it operate at very high frequencies of 24-26 Gigahertz. For this reason, 5G requires millions of new so-called “small cells,” for example, transmitters in lampposts. Billions of new wireless devices will soon be available worldwide. All of the above consumes electricity.
PDF version includes complete article with source references. Suitable for printing and offline reading.
Download detailed specifications, case studies, and technical data sheets for our ESS containers and containerized PV systems.
15 Rue des Énergies Renouvelables
Paris 75015, France
+33 1 84 83 72 76
Monday - Friday: 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM CET