A Solar PV monitoring system is a cloud-based platform that can collect critical parameters from your solar PV system and make it accessible to you anywhere, anytime through an interface. Such a system is capable of monitoring solar PV inverters, energy meters, weather stations, string monitoring boxes, protection devices, batteries and other essential components.
All the data is collected using devices, commonly known as data loggers/data gateways, which can further send this data to cloud servers [software service] via GPRS, LAN, WiFi or any other internet network. Once the data is sent to the cloud-based servers, the data can be visualized through a desktop or mobile interface. Data can be visualized in different formats like graphs, charts, reports etc.
We will take a look at the applications of remote monitoring systems one by one in detail
Inverter Monitoring
Remote monitoring of a solar PV inverter is the most crucial aspect for any O&M. An inverter provides the most crucial information related to the solar PV plant. Information such as voltage, current and power is provided by the solar inverter to the remote monitoring system (RMS) following a communication protocol called Modbus. This data is then pulled by the data logger/ data gateway and uploaded on a web server which can be viewed by the O&M professionals using a highly interactive user interface.
There are various parameters which can be monitored from an inverter using an RMS. Trackso’s remote monitoring system helps in gathering the following information from the inverters
- Voltage, Current, Power and Energy on AC and DC sides
- Frequency, Power Factor
- Inverter Status
- Fault Status
- The runtime of the solar PV inverter
Key Benefits of inverter monitoring using TrackSo :
- Provides users with the ability to view the production of energy through the inverter on a daily, weekly and yearly basis.
2. Gives you the ability to view the status of your solar inverter. This is a great way to identify signs of problems in your PV system and ensure regular maintenance
3. It can generate up to date reporting on your inverter’s energy production and detail a breakdown of its performance.
4.Ability to create alerts that send information to your email regarding any inverter related issues. Eg. Inverter alarms- they correspond to an actual event happening at the site, For example, alarm code 01 of a particular inverter will correspond to grid overvoltage at the site. They notify the users that the inverter is running in the state which deviates from its normal running behaviour. Trackso ensures the fault codes/error codes are easily assimilated from the inverters and are interpreted to the users in a convenient manner.
Weather Monitoring
Solar PV plant performance and life are critically dependent on surrounding weather conditions. Hence, weather monitoring is a crucial asset to help optimize the overall performance and running efficiency of solar PV systems. Following are some key parameters that directly affect the energy output and hence the ROI:
- Solar Irradiation (Irradiance): A critical measurement allows us to understand how well your system is performing compared to the ideal conditions. This parameter is used to derive the Performance Ratio (PR) of your solar PV plant. This helps in planning maintenance activities like panel cleaning and or other technical faults.
- Module Temperature/Ambient Temperature: Since solar module’s efficiency is dependent on temperature, it gives an indication of the change in the efficiency of modules.
- Wind Speed/ Wind Direction: A critical parameter to consider the plant safety perspective. The heavy winds may cause damage to the solar PV system and hence should be observed regularly for any possible maintenance activities to be carried out.
TrackSo’s remote monitoring solution extends to monitoring of all types of weather sensors or weather monitoring systems installed at the solar plant.
Key Benefits of monitoring weather sensors using Trackso
- Real-time and historical data enables a comprehensive evaluation of system performance
- Compatible with TrackSo data acquisition devices with simple configuration, hence reducing installation and maintenance costs
- Easy visualisation of sensor data on TrackSo Cloud Portal.
- Calculate PR, Expected vs. Actual Power Output, Module Efficiency etc.
- Immediate identification of defects and malfunctions in Solar PV systems.
- Immediate anomaly detection prevents the solar PV system to remain shut down for a long period due to lack of sufficient information.
- Data Storage in case of no internet availability
String Monitoring
String monitoring is a concept where all the strings of solar PV panels [individual solar PV panels in some cases] are monitored to track the output and performance of each unit along with the overall output and performance of the system. The main objective is to monitor the individual string current & common bus voltage on a real-time basis. It also has the temperature measurement facility for keeping a check on the temperature inside the box. The string current, voltage & temperature are measured & communicated through an RS-485 cable over Modbus protocol.
Key benefits of a String Monitoring using Trackso
- Identification of Microcracks: This can happen due to vibrations in the panels or mishandling while installation. These are not visible to the naked eyes but can cause serious loss of energy production over many years.
- Identification of PID: Potential Induced Degradation happens in the solar crystalline PV panels caused by stray currents and can cause efficiency loss of up to 30%. This defect can also take up to months to detect.
- Identification of cloud or tree shade on panels: This can impact the plant significantly and root cause becomes hard to identify.
Considering the above points, it is clear that string monitoring is an important measure to keep a track of the solar PV system and also to identify key issues
with the solar PV panels.
TrackSo monitoring solution helps to identify the exact point of failure in the solar PV system. Having a string monitoring system in the plant eliminates both these problems and allows the maintenance team to track the correct location of the problem and fix it in the minimum time possible. TrackSo is compatible with all leading inverter brands like Delta, ABB, ZeverSolar, Refusol, Polycab, Growatt, Ingeteam, Fronius, Waaree, Goodwe, Schneider Electric, Sungrow, KSTAR, Huawei etc. The full list can be checked here.
If you found this blog helpful and would like to know more, please reach out to us through our website https://trackso.in/, or mail us at sales@trackso.in or call us at 8800606858.
