Introduction
Acrel Telecom Tower AC/DC Energy Metering Solution is an end-to-end electrical monitoring and power allocation system engineered for Tower Companies (TowerCos) and Mobile Network Operators (MNOs). By integrating high-accuracy AC/DC smart meters with multi-tenant sub-metering and wireless IoT gateways, it enables real-time OPEX visibility, transparent cost allocation, and seamless remote asset management.
Challenges & Benefits
Industry Challenges
Grid, DG, PV and batteries make energy monitoring more difficult.
Unmetered or estimate-based power allocation triggers billing disputes among operators.
Lack of visibility into specific loss origins across HVAC, rectifiers, and telecom loads.
Upgrading legacy telecom base stations risks service disruption and power outages.
Manual meter reading in remote sites leads to prohibitive operating costs and delayed alarms.
Acrel Solution Benefits
Monitor all power sources and loads on one integrated platform.
Multi-circuit DC metering enables independent -48VDC branch tracking for transparent billing.
Concurrent AC main and DC load metering isolates rectifier losses and cooling overhead.
Split-core DC Hall sensors clip onto live feed cables without unbolting or cutting primary power lines, protecting critical telecom loads during upgrades.
Modbus & MQTT/4G gateways feed data directly into site FSUs and cloud platforms.
RMS Solution
Acrel Multi-Circuit Energy Monitoring Solution for Shared Telecom Towers
Acrel provides a comprehensive AC/DC energy metering solution for telecom towers, enabling real-time monitoring of utility power, diesel generators, solar PV systems, battery banks, rectifiers, and critical loads on a single platform.
The solution combines AC energy meters, DC energy meters, and communication gateways to collect and transmit energy data via RS485, Modbus RTU/TCP, or Ethernet, ensuring seamless integration with RMS, BMS, SCADA, and other third-party management systems.
AC Multi-Loop Meters / Din-rail
Suitable for AC distribution cabinets in telecom towers, monitoring total AC input, air conditioners, switch mode power supply (SMPS) AC input, lighting, and other AC loads. A single meter supports up to 12 single-phase or 4 three-phase loops (DTSD1352-4S), or up to 24 single-phase / 8 three-phase loops (AMC200-AC). Rail-mounted design with mA-level CT input ensures safe and convenient installation.
DC Multi-Loop Meters / Din-rail
Suitable for -48V DC distribution cabinets in telecom towers, accurately monitoring DC branches from SMPS output. A single meter supports 6 DC loops (AMC16-DETT, default configuration with total + stc Group/Mobily/e&/du/Zain/Ooredoo/Omantel sub-loops), or up to 12 DC loops (AMC200-DC). Specifically designed for multi-operator billing in shared towers, providing fair and transparent measurement data.
AC Multi-Loop Meters / Panel-Mounted
Suitable for AC distribution cabinets or custom panels where flush mounting is required. The meter integrates seamlessly with the cabinet panel, improving aesthetics and operational consistency. A single AMC300 supports up to 18 single-phase or 6 three-phase loops, featuring a large LCD screen for local data viewing.
Designed for both shared telecom towers and remote hybrid power sites, the solution helps Tower Companies and telecom operators improve energy visibility, simplify tenant billing, optimize power usage, and reduce operation and maintenance costs.
Key Features
- AC & DC energy monitoring on one integrated platform
- Independent circuit metering for accurate tenant billing
- Real-time data collection with RS485 and Modbus communication
- Easy integration with RMS, BMS, and SCADA systems
- Suitable for grid, DG, solar PV, and battery-powered telecom sites
Product
01. AC Multi-Circuit Meter (Rail-mounted)
Targets: Power input, generator input, SMPS, air conditioner, lighting
Solves: Multiple single-loop meters drive up procurement cost and occupy valuable cabinet space
Value: One meter replaces multiple units, significantly reducing BOM, installation cost and space
Product: DTSD1352-4S
4x3Ph
12x1Ph
RJ12 CT
Rogowski coil
Modbus-RTU RS485
Modbus-TCP Ethernet
Power Supply:
AC/DC85-265V, DC9-60V
6DI 1DO
2DI 2DO
02. DC Multi-loop Meter (Rail-mounted)
Targets: 6 DC loops — 1st loop for total consumption, loops 2-4 for per-operator sub-metering
Solves: SMPS lacks per-user metering in shared towers — no auditable data for cost allocation
Value: Accurately measures each operator‘s DC consumption, ensuring fair and transparent billing
Product: AMC16(L)-DETT
6 DC Loops
Hall Sensor Ready
Modbus-RTU RS485
Power Supply: DC-48~-60V
DI 4-20mA
LCD or w/o LCD display
03. High-density Multi-Circuit Meter (Rail-mounted)
Targets: AC version: up to 24 single-phase or 8 three-phase loops; DC version: up to 12 DC loops
Solves: Large shared towers have too many loops — conventional meters multiply cabling complexity
Value: Ultra-high density monitoring — one meter covers an entire large tower‘s power loops
Product: AMC200 (AC) & AMC200 (DC)
AC 24/8 or DC 12 Loops
RJ12 Current Sensor / Hall Sensor
4G/NB-IoT/RS485
Power Supply: AC/DC85-265V
4DI
LCD or w/o LCD display
04. Embedded AC Multi-loop Meter (Panel-mounted)
Targets: Up to 18 single-phase or 6 three-phase AC loops — designed for panel/flush mounting
Solves: Standard rail meters don‘t fit flush-mount panels, compromising cabinet aesthetics
Value: Flush panel mounting integrates seamlessly into distribution cabinets for a professional finish
Product: AMC300
AC 18/6 Loops
RJ12 Current Sensor
Modbus-RTU RS485 / 4G/NB
Power Supply: AC/DC85-265V
DI/DO
Application
Tawal (Saudi Arabia), TASC Towers (Kuwait/Qatar), Oman Tower Company, providing neutral-host infrastructure for multi-tenant colocation and active network sharing
Saudi Arabia (stc, Mobily, Zain KSA), UAE (e&, du), Kuwait (Zain, Ooredoo, stc), Qatar (Ooredoo, Vodafone), Oman (Omantel, Ooredoo, Vodafone), Bahrain (Batelco, Zain, Viva), adopting site sharing to reduce capex, accelerate 5G rollout, and fairly allocate energy costs.
NEOM, Red Sea Global, Qiddiya (Saudi Arabia), Lusail City (Qatar), Masdar City (UAE), requiring intelligent energy monitoring for distributed telecom nodes serving public safety, traffic, and IoT applications.
Oil & gas facilities, ports, logistics hubs, manufacturing zones across Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, deploying shared 5G small cells and edge nodes requiring per-tenant energy visibility for cost allocation and operational efficiency.
Case Study @ TASC Tower
Telecom Tower Power Monitoring Project in Dubai, UAE
Acrel delivered an AC/DC energy metering solution for a telecom tower project in Dubai, supporting intelligent power monitoring for a shared telecom site. The customer, TASC Towers, required real-time visibility of both AC and DC power distribution to improve energy management and ensure reliable operation of critical telecom equipment.
The solution integrates Acrel DTSD1352-4S multi-circuit AC energy meters, AMC16L-DETT DC energy meters, and AKH-0.66/K split-core current transformers to monitor utility power, rectifiers, batteries, air conditioners, and other key loads. Energy data is transmitted to the management platform through standard communication protocols, enabling centralized monitoring and remote operation.
Project Highlights
- Location: Dubai, UAE
- Customer: TASC Towers
- Application: Telecom Tower Power Monitoring
- Products: DTSD1352-4S, AMC16L-DETT, AKH-0.66/K Split-Core CT
Project Benefits
- Real-time monitoring of both AC and DC power systems
- Multi-circuit energy measurement for telecom distribution cabinets
- Remote data collection and centralized energy management
- Reduced maintenance workload and improved operational efficiency
- Scalable solution for future telecom tower deployments
FAQ
The solution utilizes multi-circuit DC energy metering devices (such as the AMC16-DETT / AMC200L-12DE series). The meter supports multiple DC current sensor inputs (e.g., 6 or 12 channels), which are clamped onto the independent -48VDC feed branch circuits of each tenant operator (e.g., stc, Mobily, Zain, Ooredoo, e&). Combined with the baseline DC bus voltage, the meter independently monitors each tenant’s real-time voltage, current, active power, and time-of-use energy (kWh), providing highly accurate power breakdown data for compliant TowerCo billing.
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Non-Intrusive Installation：
The solution utilizes split-core DC Hall-effect current sensors, eliminating the need to disconnect DC loads or unbolt -48V distribution cables, enabling zero-downtime, fast deployment.
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Zero-Drift Calibration：
DC Hall sensors are susceptible to magnetic interference and ambient temperature changes causing zero point drifts. The hardware integrates zero-point calibration algorithms and supports remote one-click zero-drift calibration via the supervisory platform or gateway, ensuring metering accuracy within ±2.5% even under light load conditions (1%In – 10%In).
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AC Side）：
Uses DIN-rail multi-circuit AC energy meters (e.g., DTSD1352-4S) to measure 3-phase/1-phase electrical parameters and power from utility mains, diesel generators (DG), and HVAC/cooling units.
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DC Side
Employs AMC16-DETT series to monitor the main output bus of rectifiers as well as individual -48VDC branch feeds allocated to each tenant.
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Battery & Environment
Expandable with ABAT100 battery monitoring modules and ambient temperature/humidity sensors.
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Data Aggregation
All terminal meters are daisy-chained via RS485 (Modbus-RTU) into an on-site AWT100 IoT Gateway for unified uplink transmission.
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Local FSU Integration：
Meters natively provide RS485 interfaces running standard Modbus-RTU protocol, operating as RTU slave devices directly connected to existing site FSUs or remote monitoring controllers.
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Cloud Direct-Connect (Gateway Mode)：
When paired with the AWT100 IoT gateway, it leverages 4G/NB-IoT wireless backhauls and supports MQTT, Modbus-TCP, and HTTP(S) protocols to stream telemetry and alarm payloads in JSON format directly to 3rd-party TowerCo platforms or Acrel EMS Cloud.
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Wide Voltage & Direct DC Powering：
DC meters are powered directly by the site’s -48VDC bus (operating range: -40VDC to -60VDC) with reverse polarity and overvoltage protection. Hall sensors are powered via isolated ±12V supply directly from the meter, eliminating external adapters.
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Industrial DIN-Rail Compact Design：
Features standard 35mm DIN-rail mounting and an industrial working temperature range of -25°C to +70°C. Its compact footprint fits into spare rail slots inside existing DCDUs or outdoor enclosures.
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Smart Diagnostics & Data Integrity
Supports DC under/over-voltage alerts, power outage alarms, and branch metering anomaly detection. Includes local flash storage buffering during network downtime, ensuring zero data loss via auto-retransmission once connectivity restores.
Make Energy Visible, Billing Transparent, and Management Smart.
Contact us to build your customized, intelligent Telecom Tower Remote Energy Monitoring Solution.
