Solar power secures İzmir's critical communication infrastructure

İzmir Metropolitan Municipality is bolstering its resilient infrastructure by enhancing critical communication systems. The Gümüldür Akkaya Radio Station, a vital hub for the Digital Trunk Radio System used by fire, police, and metro services, now operates with a renewed solar energy and storage system. This upgrade guarantees uninterrupted communication, especially crucial during natural disasters and emergencies.

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This facility, powering critical communication infrastructure, is one of 21 solar power plants operated by our Metropolitan Municipality, but it holds special significance.

The Digital Trunk Radio System serves all 30 districts of İzmir through 28 relay stations, acting as a backbone for coordinating public services during crises. The Akkaya station's new solar power plant boasts a 40-kilowatt installed capacity and over 200 kilowatt-hours of energy storage. This self-sufficient setup allows the station to function independently of the main power grid, safeguarding communication lines even amid widespread energy outages.

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The system, with its storage capacity, can provide energy for up to four days without sunlight.

Implemented by the Climate Change and Zero Waste Department and executed by the Public Works Department, the project represents an investment of approximately 3.4 million Turkish lira. Yiğit Beydağ, Head of the Climate Change and Clean Energy Branch at the municipality, highlighted the station's strategic importance. "This facility is one of 21 solar power plants operated by our Metropolitan Municipality," Beydağ stated, "but it holds special significance due to its role in powering critical communication infrastructure."

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This facility, powering critical communication infrastructure, is one of 21 solar power plants operated by our Metropolitan Municipality, but it holds special significance.

Beydağ further explained that the system, equipped with over 80 solar panels, can provide energy for up to four days without direct sunlight, thanks to its substantial storage capacity. Regular maintenance and cleaning of the solar panels are conducted using the municipality's own resources to maximize efficiency and ensure sustainable operation. Metin Öztürk, Head of the Radio Unit at the Information Technologies Department, emphasized the station's role as a key node, relaying data to the central hub and supporting numerous other stations in the southern region.

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The system, with its storage capacity, can provide energy for up to four days without sunlight.