solar plant operation and maintenance, performance ......topologies: rtb, adsl, satellite,...

Organizers

Firstgreen Consulting Pvt Ltd

MNIT Jaipur

Solar Power Project Development

One week training course certified by NISE

Solar Plant Operation and Maintenance, Performance monitoring

Agenda

Plant control systems and monitoring

System description and infrastructure

requirement for monitoring system

Plant security system

2

•Monitoring of plant malfunction and health of eavry device in the plant

•Remote monitoring allows to monitor data from a remote location

•Monitoring of solar plant can enhance your plant yield significantly

•The plant owner can monitor the plant performance ratio in real time

Control & Telecommunication Systems: Introduction

Plant monitoring system

3


On-site weather stations

Transformers Photovoltai

c Combining Switchgear Substatio

n

Gen Tie-line

Power Grid

To measure the plane of array irradiance, module

temperature and preferably horizontal global

irradiance, humidity and wind speed.

This is the option of preference for many current

utility scale Pv power plants. It allows data to be

collected and compared remotely with yield figures

on a daily basis for immediate fault detection.


Monitoring plant daily operational parameters



n

Gen Tie-line

Power Grid

The performance management (either onsite or

remote) of the Pv power plant enables the tracking of

inverters or strings.

Flagging any element of the power plant that falls

outside pre-determined performance bands. Failure or

error messages can be automatically generated and

sent to the power plant service team via fax, email or

text message.

The generation of yield reports detailing individual

component performance, and benchmarking the

reports against those of other components or

locations.


Forecasting the plant performance



n

Gen Tie-line

Power Grid

•Solar plants are non dispatchable, however in case

of merchant power plants, the generation schedules

needs to be forecasted for next 24 hours.

•There are commercial algorithms available for plant

data forecasting, which takes in to consideration of

parameters such as WMS data, plant tilt angles, plant

available capacity, and other operational aspects of

the plant.

The generation of yield reports detailing individual

component performance, and benchmarking the

reports against those of other components or

locations.

Monitoring System

Monitoring system Wired type are

more reliable

Monitoring system with wireless

technology may lead to data

interference

Some of the generidc parameters are

already monitored in the equipments such

as inverters, and energy meters.

Customised algorithms are required for

specific plant monitoring and creating

benchmarks

There is also a need to have knowledgebase

to interpret the plant data

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Designing a reliable monitoring system



n

Gen Tie-line

Power Grid

Element Parameters Incidences

Panels ‐ String current

‐ Irradiance

‐ Module malfunctioning

‐ Isolating error

Inverter ‐ Instant power

‐ Produced energy

‐ CO2 Emissions

‐Electronic failure (low

performance)

‐ Electric failure (stop)

Meter ‐ Produced kWh

‐ Load profile

‐ Meter stop

Transformer

grid

‐ Phase voltage

‐ Frequency

‐ grid out of range

PV Facility main elementsMajor parameters of the solar plant to be monitored

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Element Parameter Alerts / Warnings

Calibrated cell ‐ Radiation ‐ Low production, when

high radiation

Meteo Station ‐ Wind speed

‐ Temperature

‐ High wind speed

Current sensors ‐ Current

‐ Voltage

‐ Overvoltage

‐ System breakdown

Protections ‐ State (ON / OFF) ‐ Trigger

Other elements within a PV facility

Other elements within a PV facility

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Inverter

Meter

Options:

1. Design

- Wire

- Wireless

2. Logic

- Without logic:

Converter

- With logic:

Datalogger

Sensors Communications Control Room

Server

Display

Alarms

1.Data gathering

2.Data Analysis

3.Alert

generation

4.Internet

communication

5.Logs

Visualization

1. Locals:

Siren

2. SMS

3. E-mail

Internet

1. BBDD

2. Web

3. Tunnel

1. VPN

2. VNC

Datalogger

RS232/485

Ethernet

RS232/485

Monitoring System. TopologyMonitoring System .Topology

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Monitoring system: Routine

Data gathering & Analysis

Correct

Performance: average or higher than average

Incidences & parameters log

Performance: lightly lower than average

Parameter analysis

Include modifications in preventive maintenance

Actions/Modifications on the system

- In situ or by Remote control

- Report generation

- Corrective maintenance order

Performance: lower than average

Failure diagnosis

Alarm

11

Monitoring System: Routine

Gateway Server

ON/OFF switches for system reclosing (i.e. in case of breakdown)

Security system

REMOTE PC

Tracker Control

INTERNET

Monitoring System

Remote control system. Basic topology

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Remote control system. Basic topology

Gateway Server

Tracker

Monitoring

system

Security

System

PC REMOTO

INTERNET - Updates

- Modifications

- Configuration

- New meters & inverters

- Updates

- Modifications

- Configurations

- Updates

- Modifications

- Configuration

An advanced remote control system requires larger bandwidth and robustness

Remote control system. Advanced topology

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Remote control system. Advanced topology

Internal communications

▪ Data transference between devices, dataloggers, Server & Gateway.

▪ Topology:

▪ Wireless: Bluetooth, wifi, GSM/GPRS/UMTS, etc..

▪ Wired: RS232, RS485, Ethernet, Optical Fiber, etc..

▪ Converters’ usage: Moxa, etc..

External communications

▪ To communicate remotely

▪ Topologies: RTB, ADSL, Satellite, GSM/GPRS/UMTS…

▪ Redundancy & robustness

Communications

14

Communications

Gateway

ConversorEthernet –RS232/485

Meter BUS

Meter BUS

The electrical company remote meter reading, which is already being done in some countries,

as Spain, allows the electrical company (or the grid manager):

▪ Avoid having dedicated staff to read the meter locally for invoicing

▪ Receiving data from the meters, that well processed, can improve the grid performance

Modem GSM

Generator

GSMModem

Electrical company

Gateway

Server

RS232/485

Remote Meter Reading(From the electrical company)

* In the future PLC communications could be applied

Remote Meter Reading(From the electrical company)

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Using the same system in different facilities

▪ A system that works perfectly for a solar facility, may not work properly in a different one

due to different devices, SW versions, communication buses, countries, etc..

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Solutions compatibility

▪ Mixing commercial solutions from different manufacturers may produce system

malfunctions due to devices response times, transference times, bandwidths, etc..

▪ Many solutions are still under development.

Coverage failure

▪ Isolated areas. Without Telephone Network (PSTN), ADSL, UMTS or GPRS coverage

▪ Losing the communication channel would mean losing 90% of the system features

Usual problemsUsual problems

Example: Valdecarábanos Solar Plant. Spain

Operation orientated monitoringOperation orientated monitoring

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23

Remote control system

Used to remotely control the devices in the plant

▪ Devices:

▪ Inverter, suntracker, protections, monitoring system, security system

▪ NEVER the meters

▪ Reasons:

1. Save costs.

2. Legal requirement:

▪ Requirement from the Electric Company: remote control of the isolation cells

(of the transformer)

▪ Depending on each country regulations, the PV plants over a certain output

power could be obliged to be attached to a generation control center

It will usually be linked with the monitoring system

Remote control system

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Maintenance types

▪ Corrective: to solve an incidence

▪ Preventive: to prevent a possible incidence, before it happens.

Elements to maintain

▪ Inverter

▪ Suntracker

▪ Panels (maintenance is required to a lesser extent): cleaning up,

replacement…

Data sending for maintenance

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Data sending for maintenance

According to its origin:

▪ Internal: from the inverter

▪ External: from the plant.

▪ DC side: from the panels to the inverter.

▪ AC side: from the inverter to the grid

Inverter maintenance

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Failure classification:

According to its seriousness:

▪ Warning: minor failures. Many warnings can be expected. Generally, not important

▪ Alarm: serious failures. They should be minimized. They are important, and could imply

the plant stop



21

Usual incidences:

▪ Isolation failure (cable without enough protection)

▪ External failure: from the plant.

▪ Low DC Voltage:

▪ External failure: AC side problem (in the modules array)

▪ MPP Tracking failure

▪ External failure: a wrong configuration could produce a

deviation from the MPPT

▪ Internal failure: Programming/Firmware problem

▪ Grid voltage or frequency out of range

▪ External failure: from the inverter to the grid

▪ Temperature limit


Orientation/Position failure

▪ To check if it is synchronized or not

▪ In case of strong wind, to check if it is in

protection state or not

Motor overvoltage failure.

▪ Reducer breakdown

Limiting movement sensor

▪ Overpass the end charging sensors without

activating the stop signal

Suntracking maintenance

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Suntracking maintenance

Reasons:

▪ Expensive elements: inverters, panels, cable, etc

▪ Many thefts

▪ To avoid production losses (there are insurances which cover these losses)

▪ Isolated areas

▪ Long unattended periods (unless local staff is employed)

▪ Great communication problems

The perfect solution does not exist.

▪ But the best would be the combination of:

▪ Local staff

▪ Remote security systems

Security in the plant: IntroductionSecurity in the plant: Introduction

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Security in the plant: Possibilities

The possible security systems could be:

▪ Local staff

▪ Video surveillance system (CCTV)

▪ Perimeter sensors

▪ Panel sewing

▪ String controllers

▪ Infrared / Microwave controllers

The security systems keep evolving as the thieves develop new techniques

Security in the plant: Possibilities

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Security in the Plan: General scheme

Source: PYSEC Seguridad

Solar plant security system

Real time mobile phoneaccess

Real time internet access

Domo video camera

ADSL / GPRS

Control room

Optical Fiber

Acoustic &Luminouswaning

Video analysis.Intrusion detection

Night mode video cameras

Local authorities warning system

Security in the Plan: General scheme

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INDEX

Control & Telecommunication system

Control system components & infrastructures

Control system gathered data management

Plant security

Security systems

32

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Advantage

▪ Very dissuasive solution

Drawbacks

▪ The most expensive solution (in the Long Term)

▪ It may reduce the plant profitability

Options

▪ Employees

▪ Outsourcing

The optimal solution would be Local Staff & Video surveillance

Local staff (In the plant)

Local staff (In the plant)

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CCTV

▪Closed TV Circuit

▪It requires dedicated

transmission buses

IP - based

▪ Versatility

▪ Good quality

▪ Good transmission

▪ Less wiring

Video surveillance system

CCTV vs IP

Recommended: IP

System

Video surveillance system

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Digital Video Recorder (Encoder/Decoder)

▪ D1 Real Time Quality

▪ Great storage capacity

Optional:

▪ Alarms & relays management

▪ Remote control

▪ Video analyzer

▪ Using specialized software

▪ Expensive

▪ Movement detection

D1 Quality

- Full D1 video is 720x480.

- Cropped D1 is 704x480.

- Half D1 video is 352x480

Video Surveillance System: elementsVideo Surveillance System: elements

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Video camera

▪ They can be IP or analogical

▪ Quality: Up to D1 (Real time)

Long distance(Several Km*)

▪ Optical Zoom: 60x

Infrared

▪ Long distance

▪ Night viewing (when the risk is higher)

▪ Range: 1.5Km (0.00001 lux).

PTZ Control

▪ Automatic or Manual orientation & zoom control (Joystick).

* According to specs, up to 15 km.

Video Surveillance System: elementsVideo Surveillance System: elements

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ectrical

Perimeter sensor system

Best solution: optical fiber system

▪ Passive system: immune to storms or el

systems

▪ False alarms discrimination

▪ Alarm if the fiber is cut

▪ Alarm if a movement is detected

▪ Options:

▪ At the wall. More vulnerable

▪ Buried. More expensive (trench)

▪ Temperature range: -30º to 75º

Movement/Passage

areas

Anti – Intrusion systems

Rubber tube Metallic tube

Anti – Intrusion systems

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Presence sensor

▪ Detects:

▪ Infrared: thermal energy variations

▪ Microwaves: movements

▪ Configurable:

▪ Alarm only if double detection

▪ Problems in foggy areas

▪ Alarm if any detection

▪ False alarms

Anti-intrusion systemAnti-intrusion system

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Panel sewing (with optical fiber)

▪ Attached to every panel (at the backside)

▪ Alarm if the fiber is cut

▪ Difficult execution

▪ Temperature range: -30º a +75º

▪ Another option could be a conductive wire system

▪ Depending on the wire impedance

▪ Immune to sabotage

Anti-theft systemAnti-theft system

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String Controller

▪ Both for monitoring and security systems

During the days

▪ It controls the power (Current/Voltage) on the panel strings

▪ It protects the plant with integrated fuses

During the night

▪ It detects if the electrical cable is cut/broken

▪ Even if there is no voltage or current

This is quite a new system

Anti-theft systemAnti-theft system

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Local alarm:

▪ Siren, Lighting, Speakers

▪ Dissuasive

Local staff:

▪ SMS, E-Mail, Phone call

▪ To control, or to warn the authorities

Warning the authorities:

▪ Private entity or the public authorities

▪ We have to consider the distance from the authorities to

the plant

Siren

Study the inputs

-Plant visibility

-Distance to the

security entity

-Etc.

Two options:

-Dissuasive: to

avoid being stolen

- To try to catch the

thief

Alarm managementAlarm management

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Other possibilities

Virtual patrols

▪ Nowadays, a possibility that can mean an important saving in physical surveillance is the

called "virtual patrol“

▪ The virtual patrol simulates an ordinary guard patrol, but it is done from a remote central

of the surveillance company using a system of video cameras

Security for rooftop facilities

▪ Usually, for this type of projects, no surveillance system is installed but the ones already

used by the clients, as this facilities are normally located in urban zones.

▪ If the facility is located in an isolated area and the roof is not very high or difficult to

access, it is recommended to apply one of the security systems described within this

presentation

▪ It is also recommended to have the “all risk insurance” in force.

Other possibilities

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FirstGreen Consulting Private Limited

Gurgaon:

MA 74, Gurgaon – 122002, India

Tel.: (+91) 124 4650224, 9899295854

Web: www.firstgreen.co

Email: [email protected]

Thank You

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solar plant operation and maintenance, performance ......topologies: rtb, adsl, satellite,...

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