InfoWest Powers Rural Internet with Wind and Solar

 InfoWest announced the expansion of wireless broadband service to the Minersville and Beaver, Utah areas.  Their newest “Green” tower, located on a remote peak above Minersville, is powered by a combination of solar and wind power backed up by high capacity batteries.  They plan to begin offering high-speed wireless Internet in the area by November 2009.

This is not  the first “green” wireless Internet tower for InfoWest.  “We rely on solar power at four towers between Leeds and New Harmony,” said Randy Cosby, InfoWest Vice President.  This summer InfoWest enhanced one very remote solar site above Kanarraville with wind generation to keep their batteries topped-off in bad weather.  “At a site like Kanarraville, snow will be on the ground until April or May.  We need to be sure the power is up and running year-round so we can avoid traveling to the site in hazardous conditions,” he continued.

Above Minersville, InfoWest installed large solar panels and a wind generator to provide power for the remote site.  The solar panels alone are more than capable of powering the system on most days.  The wind generator, with a rotor that measures about four feet across, quietly produces an extra boost of power on cloudy, windy days.  Four extra large deep-cycle batteries weigh in at 160 pounds and can keep the site up and running for over a week of sunless, windless weather.

The electronic components and microwave radios InfoWest uses to provide service to much of southern Utah have been optimized for low power consumption, as well as reliable service in rugged areas.  A typical tower with hundreds of customer connections uses less power than a 60-watt household light bulb.  Such advances allow them to ensure better up times and longer-lasting battery backup at traditionally powered sites as well.

Power graphs and alerts are displayed on large screen monitors at InfoWest’s network operations center (NOC) in St. George. Field technicians and company managers automatically receive text message alerts in case of problems.  “Reliable service is critical for us,” said Cosby.  “Along with advancements in equipment efficiency, we've developed ways to remotely monitor power consumption, chart solar and wind power generation and measure battery capacity so we can be aware of any problems long before our customers are affected.”

InfoWest's first foray into Solar came three years ago when they built a new site on a rocky peak above Leeds.  The tower was about 100 feet away from the nearest Utah Power line.  The cost to dig and install cable for the traditional power connection was higher than the cost of solar panels, batteries and the electronics needed to power the site.  They consulted with solar experts about the project and ended up building a solar-powered access point that has not seen a power outage in over 3 years.

InfoWest expects to be doing much more with solar and wind power in the future.  “We live in an area blessed with an abundance of these renewable resources. Now that we have learned how to harness them, we can provide reliable, affordable service to areas we otherwise could never reach,” Cosby concluded.

About InfoWest
Based in St. George, Utah, InfoWest was founded in 1994 to provide high-speed Internet services in areas across the state of Utah.  InfoWest offers high-speed services ranging from high speed T-1, DSL, Wireless, Fiber Optic access and now Telephone Services for both business and residential clients.  The company's Web site is www.infowest.com.