Toward Sustainable Future Wireless Networks: Power Reduction and Energy Harvesting Strategies

As the demand for mobile connectivity continues to rise — both in terms of user densities and data throughput — the energy consumption of next-generation mobile networks is on the increase is only expected to become even larger in 6G. This trend is further intensified by the shift to higher-frequency bands and the deployment of a larger number of physically-smaller and lower geographical coverage base stations. In this paper, we propose a set of novel approaches, developed within the CHIST-ERA SAMBAS project (“Sustainable and Adaptive Ultra-High Capacity Micro Base Stations”), to improve energy efficiency in next-generation mobile networks. On the one hand, we aim to reduce the overall energy consumption of mobile networking; on the other, we explore the substitution of a significant portion of energy demand with green, locally harvested renewables — either used instantly or stored for later use - made practicable by the powering requirements of smaller yet still high-performance micro-base stations. We also introduce models, strategies, and methods, accompanied by a comprehensive assessment of their performance and feasibility.