Replacing Diesel Gensets with LiFePO4 at Telecom Base Stations
Typical requirement: a macro base station estate where grid supply is weak, intermittent or absent and diesel gensets carry the backup duty. Fuel logistics, fuel theft and genset maintenance dominate site operating cost, while severe weather can block access to sites for extended periods. Origin Drive Future configures rack-mount LiFePO4 backup modules with outdoor-rated enclosures, controller-native telemetry and genset-free operation for this class of site.
Illustrative application scenario, based on the requirements we quote for. It does not represent a named customer or a completed reference project.
Telecom backup powerApplication
Macro base stationsSegment
Long low-current dischargeDuty cycle
48 V rack-mount LiFePO4Configuration
Site conditions
Macro base station sites · Telecom backup power
Typical operating profile: macro base station sites spread over a wide service area on an unreliable grid, where refuelling depends on contracted transport and sites are usually visited only when a fault is reported. Requirements quoted for this class of site centre on backup equipment that tolerates humidity and salt air, presents standard SNMP and RS485 interfaces to the site controller, and can be monitored from a central operations centre without sending personnel to site.
Constraints
What this site limits
Backup hours are set per site category, not by one network-wide number
Rack format has to fit the existing cabinet: height, depth and the DC bus voltage already in use
Cabinet temperature sets the capacity derating and the warranty statement
Alarms must reach the existing monitoring platform
Remote sites mean the routine maintenance interval is measured in months
Application scenario
The challenge
Diesel gensets are the incumbent backup at these sites, and their cost structure is dominated by logistics rather than fuel itself. Sites without road access need contracted transport for every refuelling run, and fuel and generator parts are a recurring theft loss. Gensets also need periodic running and maintenance, and severe weather can block access for extended periods, so a site that runs out of fuel goes off air before anyone can reach it. Lithium products trialled for these sites were often not designed for outdoor telecom cabinets: enclosures were not rated for humidity and salt air, BMS communication did not integrate with existing site controllers, and battery state was not remotely visible. The requirement is a backup platform that can be monitored centrally across a large site estate, survives outdoor conditions, and keeps routine checks remote.
Application scenario
Our solution
Origin Drive Future configures the YD-TB-4820 telecom backup module for this duty: a 48 V / 100 Ah LiFePO4 unit in a rack-mount format that fits standard base station cabinets, with an IP55-rated variant specified for humid and salt-air locations. The BMS exposes SNMP and RS485 interfaces, so battery state, alarm conditions and remaining runtime report into an existing network management system without a separate monitoring platform. Discharge behaviour is tuned for telecom duty: the pack holds voltage through the long low-current discharge typical of a lightly loaded site, and the BMS reports remaining backup hours rather than only state of charge, which is the input an operations centre needs for dispatch decisions. The units accept both rectifier and solar charging, so hybrid sites can be specified. Storage modules carry a 5-year warranty, extendable to 8 years, and cells and packs are engineered to target standards: UN38.3 / IEC 62619 / CE / RoHS. Generator removal is specified only where the pack meets the backup duration requirement for that site. Integration documentation and commissioning support are available for the field teams carrying out the work.
Application scenario
15 kWh rack for site rooms100 kWh cabinet for larger sitesSubstation-fed site where backup is required
What this configuration supports
This configuration is specified where the backup requirement is a long, low-current discharge rather than a short high-power burst. Rack-mount 48 V modules fit standard base station cabinets, and an IP55 enclosure variant is available where humidity and salt air are the design constraint. SNMP and RS485 telemetry carry battery state, alarms and remaining runtime into an existing network management system. Because the BMS reports remaining backup hours and not only state of charge, dispatch decisions can be taken from the operations centre. Rectifier and solar charging are both accepted at the input, so hybrid sites can be served. Genset removal is specified only where the pack meets the site’s backup duration requirement, and packs are sized to the controller and cabinet envelope.
Configuration
Design at a glance
Genset-freeDiesel generator out of the backup path where runtime allows
Logistics-lightNo routine fuel movements to the site
Runtime-awareRemaining backup hours reported by the BMS
The question site owners raise first is rarely about fuel cost — it is whether a truck has to be sent to a remote site at all. Remote telemetry should flag a degrading unit before the site goes off air.
The terms below apply to the batteries and hardware in this configuration. Voltage, capacity, quantity and destination are written into the quotation, and the items below are confirmed in writing before production.
Minimum order
20 units per model for a production order. Single units are available as paid evaluation samples, credited against your first production order.
Lead time
25 days after the deposit is received for a standard batch. Tooling, custom BMS or project-specific capacity is scheduled separately and confirmed on the quotation.
Payment
T/T: 30% deposit with the order, balance against the bill of lading copy.
Shipment
Tell us the destination port or door. The quotation states the Incoterm and the freight option we are quoting, so the delivered cost is comparable across suppliers.
Packing
Packed to the packing instruction applying to UN3480 or UN3481, terminals protected, lithium battery mark and hazard label applied, pallets strapped and shrink-wrapped.
Documents with the goods
Packing list, commercial invoice, MSDS, UN38.3 test summary and report, shipper’s declaration for dangerous goods, and the bill of lading or air waybill.
Per unit
Datasheet for your model and the end-of-line test record for that serial number.
Warranty
3–5 years, depending on model, written into the contract.
HS classification
Lithium-ion accumulators, heading 8507.60. The national tariff line and duty rate are confirmed against your destination before the order is placed.
Documents:Packing and shipping document checklist · provided with your quotation · BMS protocol mapping note · provided with your quotation
Verification
How to verify before ordering
Per-site-category runtime table showing the load list it is based on
Evaluation module with its factory inspection record
Interface note for the existing rectifier and monitoring platform
UN38.3 test summary report and transport documents
Written confirmation of BMS alarm points, communication protocol and warranty
Selection matrix
Models that fit this scenario
Every figure in these tables is published on the matching product page. Voltage, capacity, enclosure and connector can be re-rated for your project.
Commercial & Industrial Energy Storage
Application / load
Voltage platform & capacity
Current & thermal design
BMS & communication
Factories, telecom sites and commercial buildings on peak shaving and demand charge management
100 kWh / 50 kW cabinet · battery-only DC cabinet, 51.2 V DC bus (16S), paired with an external 50 kW PCS or DC-coupled PV inverter
0.5C continuous charge and discharge; forced-air cooling; IP54; DC round-trip efficiency 88%-90%
Three-level BMU / BCU / BAU protection with aerosol fire suppression; CAN / RS485 / Ethernet (Modbus TCP for EMS and SCADA)
Industrial parks and mini-grids with a 10-foot footprint
Figures for each model are on its own product page; the selection matrix puts the models of one line side by side. Voltage platform, capacity, enclosure and connectors can be re-rated per project, and the final configuration is written into the quotation.
