O&M Conference – Operation and Management of PV Farms

Photovoltaics in Poland and Europe is currently the fastest-growing technology in the energy market. The increase in new capacities from photovoltaic installations presents many opportunities, but also challenges for many sectors.

The key to reducing potential investment risk from renewable energy sources, lowering costs, and increasing system reliability lies in high-quality operational and maintenance services—this was the focus of the first O&M Operation and Management of PV Farms conference. The conference, organized by the Polish Photovoltaic Association, took place in Warsaw on March 23-24, 2022.

The Photovoltaic Market in Poland and the O&M Industry

The first edition of the O&M Operation and Management of PV Farms conference brought together representatives of industry leaders and a range of stakeholders interested in PV investments. It was the first, but certainly not the last, event of its kind. We are pleased to have been a partner of the conference.

Best Practices in Renewable Energy Facility Maintenance

Participants had the opportunity to network and exchange opinions on best O&M practices. The lectures and workshops provided a chance to share knowledge on how to develop the best solutions for their investments and effectively manage PV farms. Two days of substantive presentations, networking sessions, and meetings with exhibitors offered not only practical knowledge but also inspiring discussions.

o&m coference

High-Quality O&M for Photovoltaic Facilities in Poland

Electrum Solutions experts, Maciej Biegański, Head of Automation, and Krzysztof Kuc, Head of O&M, participated in the workshop session. In their presentation, “O&M Service as a Tool for Maximizing Profits from Renewable Energy Investments – A Case Study,” they argued that standardized monitoring and support are not sufficient for the success of a comprehensive O&M service. Drawing from their experience, they emphasized the importance of technological maturity, experience in process automation, and competence in solving complex problems throughout the process. The presentation, supported by numerous examples from PV facilities in Poland, aimed to show the audience that a well-executed O&M can provide tools to better utilize the potential of photovoltaic farms and reduce energy production losses.

Read also: Solar farm maintenance – What is the O&M Service?

Better Operation of Solar Installations

As Maciej Biegański emphasized at the conference, there is still much to be done in the field of O&M, and market demands and conditions are changing very quickly. To stay at the forefront, one must be inspired by the solutions of leaders and be open to market feedback. With many years of industry experience, Electrum Solution experts understand the practical possibilities of using O&M services as a way to reduce maintenance costs for PV installations and other renewable energy facilities. During the conference and the plenary presentation, the proprietary SCADA system—EMACS—presented at the conference, generated considerable interest. It is a platform that can be easily integrated into the entire O&M process for photovoltaic power plants, as well as wind farms and other renewable energy facilities.

Professional Monitoring and High-Quality Service for PV Farms

We have completed two intensive days of meetings, discussions, and inspiration. We also had the pleasure of sharing our knowledge and experience from many years of working in the Operation & Maintenance service. We are pleased that the presentation on maximizing profits from renewable energy investments attracted the interest of event participants and received a strong response.

Our case study certainly proved that only high-quality O&M—combining professional monitoring, an experienced service team, and the technological maturity of SCADA system engineers—can effectively ensure the continuity of facility operations and, thereby, significantly increase profits from renewable energy sources.

EMACS – A SCADA System to Support the Energy Industry

Tools and methods for minimizing, optimizing, and balancing energy will play a key role in building an increasingly eco-friendly energy mix in Poland. An important aspect of this is advanced IT solutions for the renewable energy market, such as the SCADA system.

Supporting Energy Transformation

To adapt the Polish energy mix to the carbon dioxide emission restrictions in Europe, comprehensive actions are needed. In 2020, electricity from renewable energy sources (RES) accounted for nearly 18 percent of electricity (mainly from solar and wind power). This is still an insufficient amount of energy from RES. To effectively move in the right direction, it is not enough to modify existing technologies that rely primarily on fossil fuels. New solutions are also needed, including digital tools for the IT sector.

Energy management system SCADA for the Renewable Energy Sector

The energy sector needs IT solutions that will accelerate the industry’s development and positively impact operational efficiency. SCADA systems (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) are an essential part of automation systems — enabling control of efficiency at the level of individual processes.

Among the solutions available on the market, Electrum’s proprietary system stands out — EMACS (Everything Monitoring and Control System), designed primarily for the energy sector, industry, and life science solutions. The energy management system SCADAallows for the integration, processing, and presentation of data from many sources — both internal and external — into one cohesive system developed specifically for the unique needs of renewable energy and life science facilities.

EMACS – Combining the Advantages of a SCADA System and Business Analytics

For a long time, SCADA systems were sufficient tools for monitoring and managing energy assets. However, the industry now requires increasingly complex solutions. The EMACS system is a platform that combines functions typical of a classic SCADA system—for example, it allows for monitoring a photovoltaic farm or managing a wind farm.

The proprietary SCADA system – EMACS integrates data from various sources:

  • Wind farms
  • Solar farms
  • Distribution network
  • Energy storage systems
  • Consumer devices
  • Weather information
  • Financial information

Data presentation allows for the quick detection of potential faults, diagnostics, or remote repairs. The solution created by Electrum experts expands the functions of a typical SCADA system with features for business analysis.

EMACS System – A Service for the Energy Industry

The EMACS system combines the advantages of a classic SCADA system, an Internet of Things platform, and a microgrid modeling system with Business Intelligence software. EMACS is also an innovative and technologically advanced service, enabling the processing and presentation of data from multiple sources.

This proprietary energy management system SCADA allows for monitoring and controlling processes related to the production, storage, and consumption of energy. Moreover, it is very user-friendly—accessible from a web browser, with easy access management for individual functionalities. EMACS is also a tool with guaranteed cybersecurity. It serves as a platform for asset management, Operation & Maintenance, and EPC.

SCADA System by Electrum on a Large-Scale PV Farm

Large photovoltaic farms are capable of delivering a significant amount of energy, which is particularly important in the context of environmental protection and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Zgorzelec Energy Cluster is one such initiative that we helped realize as part of the Electrum Group. 

The Electrum Group, acting as a One Stop Shop, utilized its competencies across the full project lifecycle, executing a contract to build infrastructure with a capacity of 55 MWp in a “design and build” format. Electrum also provided the SCADA system for solar power plant. Here are the components of the implementation. 

The implementation of the large-scale photovoltaic farm in the “design and build” format included: 

  • Infrastructure with a capacity of 55 MWp (of which 49 MWp was connected by Electrum experts) 
  • A microgrid for 10 households powered by an intelligent medium-voltage network system 
  • A SCADA system with a connection capacity of 55 MWp, featuring a proprietary EMACS system delivered by Electrum Solutions 
  • 55 individual metering points, 68 energy meters, and over 40,000 variables 

Read also: SCADA Systems in Energy Source Management | Electrum Holding

Monitoring of the Photovoltaic Installation – Implementation Components 

  • Design and execution of the monitoring system for photovoltaic installations and the 20/110 kV GPO 
  • Online data management from inverters, protections, analyzers, energy meters, and meteorological devices 
  • Online data management from the GPO and the GPZ connection point, along with energy meter readings 
  • Active and reactive power regulation and reactive power compensation based on connection measurements 
  • Notifications of exceedances and alarms for the entire installation 
  • Full reporting and a technical logbook with historical data 
  • Energy production modeling and other predictive functionalities 

A SCADA system for a solar power plant allows for real-time monitoring and control of the facility’s operations, ensuring optimal performance and efficiency.

Scada system for solar power plant on a large scale PV farm

Read also: SCADA: The Heart of Modern Farm Monitoring | Electrum Holding 

Electrum manages 2.2 MWp Off Grid Solar System

The concept of building solar parks can vary greatly. Most solar installations worldwide are on-grid systems, meaning they are connected to the distribution power grid. However, photovoltaic farms can also operate off-grid, in a standalone system. In such cases, if there are insufficient sunny conditions, the system allows for storing unused energy generated by the installation.

Off Grid Solar System and Management

Since 2020, Electrum has been responsible for managing an off grid solar farm with a capacity of 2.2 MWp, built and operated by GREEN GENIUS, an international company in the renewable energy sector specializing in solar (including large-scale and B2B) and biogas projects.

This farm is constructed in a manner similar to an on-grid farm, but differs in its connection; it is connected to the facility’s internal energy system rather than the distribution grid.

What Characterizes the Management and Service of an Off Grid Solar System?

  • Off grid solar system does not have batteries. All the produced energy is directed to meet the needs of the facility. Therefore, there is no need to oversee or maintain battery charging systems or the batteries themselves.
  • Energy production is independent of faults that occur on public power lines, which results in greater reliability and fewer outages.
  • Since the solar power plant does not send produced energy to the distribution grid, there is no need for reactive power compensation. In other words, there is no requirement for reactive power compensation systems in such farms.
  • Off-grid installation generates over 350 MWh per month during the summer season.

Bird’s-Eye View of the Off-Grid solar system

 

Read also:

Strategies for Managing Photovoltaic Farms

How to start a solar farm? Step by step guide – Electrum Holding

Korytnica Wind Farm Service 82.5 MW

Electrum Solutions provides comprehensive technical management of the Korytnica Wind Farm. Our primary focus is the operation and maintenance of the electrical infrastructure. The Korytnica Wind Farm has a connection capacity of 82.5 MW.

Technical support for wind turbines primarily includes:

  • Technical monitoring of electrical substations,
  • Monthly inspections of the GPO station and the preparation of a technical condition report with an assessment of the station,
  • Thermography of GPO station equipment,
  • Inspection of cable and overhead lines along with their protection systems,
  • Maintenance of cable lines,
  • Inspection and maintenance of the power transformer protections,
  • Inspection and maintenance of medium-voltage generator and compensation fields,
  • Repair services, including the replacement of consumable parts.

The Korytnica Wind Farm service is one of many projects by Electrum. Read more about our services at: Wind turbine maintenance

Korytnica Wind Farm

Voltage and Reactive Power Control Algorithm

It’s worth noting that our team has developed a voltage and reactive power control algorithm tailored to the needs of the wind farm. This algorithm is designed to facilitate the wind farm’s operation under various weather conditions.

Learn more about the Renedium power regulator

Korytnica Wind Farm Service by Electrum

Korytnica Wind Farm Service and one of the longest 110 kV cable lines in Poland Additionally, it is worth highlighting that the cable line of the Korytnica Wind Farm, which we maintain as part of our care for the facility, is one of the longest 110 kV cable lines in Poland—measuring up to 30 kilometers.

Learn more about network diagnostics with Electrum’s measurement vehicle:

Network Diagnostics with Centrix Evolution – Precision and Safety – Electrum Holding

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