5G Networks Supported by UAVs, RESs, and RISs
Adam Samorzewski, Adrian Kliks
TL;DR
This work analyzes 5G networks powered by Renewable Energy Sources and supported by Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces and UAV mobile base stations in Poznań, Poland. Using the GRAND design tool, it optimizes UAV placements, energy usage, and resource prosumption to evaluate the trade-offs between added RES/RIS mass and energy gains. The study finds that photovoltaic panels can deliver meaningful energy savings (average AREC of $3.61\%$ annually) and reduce UAV replacement needs, with peak year-end benefits in the summer season, though solar availability limits gains in winter. The results support the feasibility of energy-autonomous UAV-based 5G deployments under intelligent energy and traffic management, while outlining future work to incorporate RIS impacts on radio propagation.
Abstract
This paper presents the examination of the 5G cellular network aware of Renewable Energy Sources (RESs) and supported by Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RISs) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles working as mobile access nodes. The investigations have been focused on the energy side of the Radio Access Network (RAN) placed within the area of the city of Poznan (Poland). The gain related to enabling RES generators, i.e., photovoltaic (PV) panels, for base stations (BSs) was presented in the form of two factors -- the average number of UAV replacements (ANUR) with a fully charged one to ensure continuous access to mobile services for currently served user equipment (UE) terminals, and the average reduction in energy consumption (AREC) within the whole network.