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Going green. It’s a phrase I’ve seen at least once a day since last summer. It might sound like a trend — it might even be a trend. But at least it’s one that’s aimed to benefit us all. We’re seeing research done on alternative fuels and energy sources, from powering generators to fueling cars. The wireless industry is getting in on this, too, as a number of researchers are looking into wind and solar power for cell sites. Currently (heh, pun), they run on electric power. However, the bigger development is that of backup power. At least two major wireless carriers have tested hydrogen fuel cells as backup energy sources.

An average cell tower consumes about four to eight times the power of a typical household, and wireless carriers say power from conventional energy is still less costly than alternative sources. However, they are looking to green power sources for their towers in remote areas that don’t face the same aesthetic and zoning limits as those in cities and neighborhoods.

It’s a good start, at least. The real problem facing any kind of major overhaul is reliability. Cell companies are always under fire if their networks go down, so it’s clear that they won’t — and shouldn’t — test any primary source of energy before it is fully explored.

Funny that we talk about reliability, and then bring up Sprint in the same sentence. They’re one of the companies who have tested hydrogen fuel cells, having deployed them to a number of their cell sites in 2004. They also have a wind turbine at corporate headquarters, and are experimenting with alternative cooling systems on those premises.

“It solves a lot of issues for us regarding the traditional use of diesel generators,” said Bob Azzi, Sprint Nextel Corp.’s senior vice president of field engineering and operations, in an Associated Press report.

T-Mobile is also experimenting with hydrogen fuel cells, “mainly to kick the tires and see how it does.” This is the smart approach for now. Hydrogen fuel cells “are reliable and have lower emissions” than standard generators, but are also more expensive at the moment. But, if we can figure out the best implementation for them now, we can more easily assimilate them as they become less expensive.

[redOrbit]

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