From The Workbench - Alternative + Renewable Energy Blog Valuable information for do-it-yourselfers interested in the latest in alternative + renewable energy

Each and every day, wireless carriers are expanding further and further into the world.  Whereas 10 years ago, cellular phone service and towers were few and far between and only major cities had major service, now, almost anywhere you go on this planet you can fire up your cell phone and get service.  The question remains…at what cost?

That answer might be too scary to answer, but the good thing is, wireless carriers the world around are now looking to harness the power of something readily available to us all, the sun, to help expand even deeper into the known world.  Base stations for cell phone service requires a lot of energy.  That energy can help drive costs up for service in developing areas; by using solar power to power the base stations, costs could go down and the number of people who could afford the service will go up.  Win win, right?

According to the article I read, “Solar power, of course, is not the only renewable energy source being looked at by carriers. Wind power may also have potential in areas that receive less solar energy, but it tends to be less predictable.” I just love seeing alternative energy being used as a viable means to power something that we all rely on.  Keep tuned to this one, I’m loving the idea!

Image by Getty Images via Daylife