PV cell angle optimization for energy generation-consumption matching in a solar powered cellular network

An inherent problem of solar-energy-powered-smallcell base stations (SBSs) is that the energy generation of the photovoltaic (PV) cell does not match the energy consumption of the SBS in time. In this paper, we propose to optimize the PV cell orientation angle to achieve a good match between the energy generation and consumption profiles on a daily time scale. The optimization is formulated as an integer linear programming problem. We also derive an expression for the correlation between the energy generation and consumption profiles to evaluate their general interaction independent of the exact PV cell or SBS deployment setup. The numerical evaluation of the proposed angle optimization in a business area in London in summer/winter shows that the optimal PV cell orientation in summer contradicts the conventional assumption of south facing being optimal in the northern hemisphere. Instead, a southwest orientation should be chosen in summer due to its ability to shift the energy generation peak towards the energy consumption peak in the afternoon at a SBS in central London. This is in accordance with the prediction given by our derived correlation between the solar energy generation and consumption profiles.