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Smart Monitoring Solutions for Solar Panels: A Case Study
Technology Category
- Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) - Private Cloud
- Networks & Connectivity - WiFi
Applicable Industries
- Electrical Grids
- Renewable Energy
Use Cases
- Behavior & Emotion Tracking
- Leakage & Flood Monitoring
Services
- Cloud Planning, Design & Implementation Services
- System Integration
The Challenge
In 2018, the Japanese government approved the Fifth Energy Basic Plan, prioritizing renewable energy and setting it on a course to become the primary power source in Japan. This led to the re-introduction of solar panels as a renewable energy source. However, renewable energy sources such as solar power have weaker 'bearing capacity' than other power generation methods due to their characteristics. Solar power can be challenging to control because the output fluctuates based on weather conditions. If a large amount of electricity is supplied from the photovoltaic power generation sources to the grid when the power demand is low, the voltage and frequency can be disturbed, and the entire grid can become unstable. In some cases, it can lead to a large-scale power outage. This risk necessitated developments to solve problems like monitoring and controlling the amount of electricity produced by solar panels. NWC partnered with a client that generates and sells electricity serving residential, commercial, and industrial customers. The client needed to monitor the amount of electricity produced by 88,000 solar panels with a power generation capacity of 28 MW/h in a field size of 700 x 700 meters. The initial idea was a 13 kilometer wired optical network; however, the cost of over 1 billion yen made this approach expensive and impractical.
The Customer
Network Corporation
About The Customer
The customer in this case study is a company that generates and sells electricity to residential, commercial, and industrial customers. They were faced with the challenge of monitoring the amount of electricity produced by 88,000 solar panels with a power generation capacity of 28 MW/h in a field size of 700 x 700 meters. The initial idea was a 13 kilometer wired optical network; however, the cost of over 1 billion yen made this approach expensive and impractical. Therefore, they needed a wireless gateway solution to communicate between the site and the monitoring center.
The Solution
The solution was to design a solar power monitoring system that was cost-effective, durable, supported wireless communication, and had flexible data acquisition. The ADAM-3600 was selected to monitor the power generated from the solar panels as it met the client's criteria. The ADAM-3600 collects power generation data from the solar panels and sends the collected data to the cloud using LTE communication. Eighteen units of ADAM-3600 with three programmable logic controllers connect all the solar panels. The ADAM-3600 intelligent Remote Terminal Unit is durable and can withstand temperatures between -40°C to 70°C. The monitoring system supports wireless communication such as LTE and WiFi. A stable, private, secure, and cost-effective wireless network enables accessible communication for data gathering and collection from solar panels. The remote management system also allows gathering data from numerous IOs and PLCs, helpful in integrating the system. The real-time monitoring gives live information which alerts the team in case of any abnormalities.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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