Advantech's smart monitoring solutions for solar panels
Introduction
A project with Advantech's client from Japan, which produces and sells electricity to residential, commercial, and industrial clients, required a wireless gateway solution for communication between the website and the monitoring centre. This project was in line with Japan's Fifth Energy Basic Plan, which prioritized renewable energy. The policy aimed to stimulate industrial development in renewable energy, especially solar panels. The potential of solar energy and the need for its control were significant issues, as the energy generated by solar panels could affect grid stability. Therefore, it was necessary to create a solution for monitoring and controlling the amount of solar energy.
Challenges / Requirements
The challenge for the client was the need to monitor the amount of electricity generated by 88,000 solar panels, with a capacity of 28 MW/h. Another challenge was the size of the field, which measured 700 x 700 meters. The initial idea was to use a 13-kilometre-long wired optical network, but its cost of nearly one billion yen made this approach expensive and inefficient. Therefore, the client needed a wireless gateway solution for communication between the website and the monitoring centre.
The project focused on designing a solar panel monitoring system that met the following criteria: cost-effectiveness, durability, wireless communication, and flexible data collection (IOs and PLCs).
Challenges and requirements included remote monitoring and control of the electricity generated by solar panels, creating a wireless gateway solution between the website and the monitoring centre, and ensuring durability in a working temperature range of -40°C to 70°C.
System Description
The ADAM-3600 was chosen for monitoring the energy produced by solar panels because it met the client's requirements. The ADAM-3600 collects energy production data from the solar panels and sends it to the cloud via LTE communication. Eighteen units of ADAM-3600, each equipped with three programmable logic controllers, connect all the solar panels.
The ADAM-3600 intelligent remote terminal is durable and withstands temperatures ranging from -40°C to 70°C. Additionally, the monitoring system supports wireless communication networks such as LTE and WiFi. A stable, private, secure, and cost-effective wireless network enables data gathering from the solar panels. The remote control system allows data collection from multiple IOs and PLCs, which assist in system integration. Real-time monitoring provides the team with instant information and alerts for any unusual situations.
Project Implementation
- 88 000 x Solar Panels
- 3 x PLC
- 18 x ADAM-3600
- Control Panel
- Private Cloud
Summary
Japan intends to focus on expanding solar energy to reduce its dependence on nuclear energy and mitigate the costs of importing fossil fuels. While renewable energy is rapidly becoming a significant source of energy, the nature of solar energy production has made it necessary to integrate a resilient monitoring system capable of withstanding various weather conditions. Furthermore, it is crucial to continue developing advanced technological solutions to address the stability of energy sources.
By implementing a solar electricity production monitoring system, the monitoring process became more efficient with lower operating costs. Additionally, the application provided real-time updates directly from the solar energy production site, resulting in savings of approximately 1 billion yen compared to installing a wired optical network.
The proposed solution was resilient, adaptable, and flexible, and it is now being used to make proposals for various IoT and remote control projects, such as remote control of water treatment facilities.
Related products
| ADAM-3600 |
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Intelligent RTU |