TRANING ON PV SYSTEM

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PhotovoltaicSystemsTraining

Session3

Plant

Operation

http://www.leonardo-energy.org/training-pv-systems-design-

construction-operation-and-maintenance

JavierRelancio&LuisRecuero

GeneraliaGroup

September21st 2010


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PHOTOVOLTAICSYSTEM

Design,Execution,Operation&Maintenance

PLANTOPERATION

JavierRelancio.GeneraliaGroup. 21/09/2010

www.generalia.es2

http://www.leonardo-energy.org/training-pv-systems-design-construction-operation-and-maintenance


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INDEX

Control & Telecommunication system

Control system components & infrastructures

Control system gathered data management

Plant security

Security systems

3http://www.leonardo-energy.org/training-pv-systems-design-construction-operation-and-maintenance


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INDEX




Plant security

Security systems



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Monitoring:

To control, using specially designed devices,

the state & evolution of one or various

physiologic (or others) parameters to detect

possible malfunctions

Reasons for monitoring & control:

1.- To invoice the produced energy

2.- To detect incidences & malfunctions

3.- To guarantee the plant owner

Remote control:

Group of devices which allow us to modify the state of the equipments and devices of the

plant, from a remote location

a) Availability

b) Performance Ratio

c) Production (kWh./kWp)5

Cont ro l & Te lecom m un ica t i on Sys tem s : I n t r o d u c t i o n


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DC / AC

Inverter

Photovoltaic

Array Electricity

Grid

Energy

Meter

6

This presentation is based in Grid Connected PV Facilities

Both the meters and the inverters have communications outputs to allow the monitoring

of their parameters

We can also use: calibrated cells, temperature sensors, etc

Transformer

The remote control and monitoring depend on the available mechanisms.

Both in grid connected and stand alone PV facilities, electronic devices with communication

ports and dataloggers are used in order to gather the information from the different

equipment more important parameters

Cont ro l & Te lecom m un ica t i on Sys tem s : I n t r o d u c t i o n



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Requirements:

Reliability: redundancy. Stable communications (wire)

Robustness: gathering errors, incidences & alarms

Solutions:

To be found in the market

Already developed.

From each manufacturer or generic (Many inverter & meter

manufacturers)

Customized solutions

They are more scalable and can be updated

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Mon i to r i n g Sys tem

The monitoring system features will depend on the capability for

each plant to afford its cost



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INDEX




Plant security

Security systems



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Element Parameters Incidences

Panels Stringcurrent

Irradiance

Modulemalfunctioning

Isolating

error

Inverter Instantpower

Producedenergy

CO2Emissions

Electronicfailure(low

performance)

Electric

failure

(stop)

Meter ProducedkWh

Loadprofile

Meterstop

Transformer

grid

Phasevoltage

Frequency

gridoutofrange

PV Faci l i t y m a in e lem en t s


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Element Parameter Alerts/Warnings

Calibratedcell Radiation Lowproduction,whenhigh

radiation

MeteoStation Windspeed

Temperature

Highwindspeed

Currentsensors Current

Voltage

Overvoltage

Systembreakdown

Protections State(ON/OFF) Trigger

Oth er e lem en t s w i t h in a PV faci l i t y



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Sensors

Inverter

Meter

Communications

Options:

1. Design- Wire

- Wireless

2. Logic

- Without logic:

Converter

- With logic:

Datalogger

Control Room

Server

Display

Internet

Alarms

1.Data gathering

2.Data Analysis

3.Alert

generation

4.Internet

communication

5.Logs

Visualization

1. Locals:

Siren

2. SMS

3. E-mail

1. BBDD

2. Web

3. Tunnel

1. VPN

2. VNC

Datalogger

RS232/485

Ethernet

RS232/485

Mon i t o r i n g Sys tem . Topo logy



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M on i t o r i ng s y st em : Rou t i ne

Data gathering & Analysis

Correct

Performance:

average orhigher thanaverage

Incidences &parameters log

Performance: lightlylower than average

Parameter analysis

Include modifications inpreventive maintenance

Actions/Modifications on the system

- In situ or by Remote control

- Report generation

- Corrective maintenance order

Performance: lower than

average

Failurediagnosis

Alarm



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Gateway Server

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

Tracker Control

Monitoring System

Security system

REMOTE PC

INTERNET

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Rem ote con t ro l sys tem . Bas ic t opo logy



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Gateway Server

Tracker

Monitoringsystem

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

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Rem ote con t ro l syst em . Advanced top o logy



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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

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C om m un i c a t i ons



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Telephone

Network(PSTN)

GPRS UMTS Radio Satellite

Coverage

Bandwidth

Reliability/

Robustness

Cost

(Installing)

Cost

(Operation)

C om m un i c a t i ons



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GatewayConversorEthernet 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

ModemGSM

Generator

GSMModem

Electrical company

Gateway

Server

RS232/485

Rem ote Met e r Read ing ( From t h e e lect r i ca l com pany )

* In the future PLC communications could be applied



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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..

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

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Usua l p r ob lem s



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INDEX




Plant security

Security systems



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It is the last device in the system. The one that meters the energy

injected to the grid

We have to control that we are injecting the maximum energy to the

grid

We need references:

Radiation (calibrated cell) & temperature

Others: experience, reference facilities, etc

Opera t i on o r i en t a t ed m on i t o r i ng

Objective:

Maximize

productivity

The most important device is the meter

Example: If the temperature is raising continuously, it could mean:

A sporadic technical failure REPAIR

A design failure REDESIGN

The plant could stop.

The inverter can help to prevent future malfunctions



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To detect incidences as soon as possible (Real Time)

To predict some incidences & breakdowns

To solve some incidences & breakdowns

To warn the staff in the plant

The local plant staff can NEVER be replaced by any software or remotecontrol

It is essential to have spare parts and equipments at the plant

High electrical risk: training and protections

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Opera t i on K ey p o i n t s



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Example: Valdecarbanos Solar Plant. Spain

Opera t i on o r i en t a t ed m on i t o r i ng



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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

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Rem ote con t r o l sys tem

Used to remotely control the devices in the plant

It will usually be linked with the monitoring 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

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D at a s end i ng f o r m a i n t enance



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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

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

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I n v e r t e r m a in t e n a n ce

Failure classification:



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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

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I n v e r t e r m a in t e n a n ce

Usual incidences:



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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

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Sun t rack i ng m a in t enance



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INDEX




Plant security

Security systems



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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 per fec t so lu t i on does no t ex i s t .

But the best would be the combination of:

Local staff

Remote security systems

Secu r i t y i n t he p l an t : I n t r odu ct i on



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The possible security systems could be:

Local staff

Video surveillance system (CCTV)

Perimeter sensors

Panel sewing

String controllers

Infrared / Microwave controllers

Secur i t y i n t h e p lan t : Poss ib i l i t i es

The security systems keep evolving as the thieves develop newtechniques



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Secur i t y in t he Plan : Gener a l schem e

Source: PYSEC Seguridad

Solarplantsecuritysystem

Realtimemobile

phoneaccess

Realtimeinternet

access

Domovideo

camera

ADSL/

GPRS

Control

room

OpticalFiber

Acoustic&

Luminous

waning

Videoanalysis.

Intrusion

detection

Nightmode

videocameras

Localauthorities

warningsystem



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INDEX




Plant security

Security systems



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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 Loca l St a f f & V ideo sur ve i l l ance

Loca l st a f f ( I n t he p l an t )



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IP - based

Versatility

Good quality

Good transmission

Less wiring

CCTV

Closed TV Circuit

It requires dedicated

transmission buses

Video surv e i l l ance sys tem

Source: Condev

CCTV vs IP

Recommended: IP

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 v ideo is 720x480.

- Cropped D1 is 704x480.

- Half D1 v ideo is 352x480

Video Sur ve i l l ance Sys tem : e lem en t s



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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 Sur ve i l l ance Sys tem : e lem en t s


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Perimeter sensor system

Best solution: optical fiber system

Passive system: immune to storms or electricalsystems

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: -30 to 75

Movement/Passageareas

An t i I n t r u sio n sy st em s

Rubber tube Metallic tube



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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

A n t i - i n t r us ion sy s t em


A i h f


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Panel sewing (w ith optical fiber)

Attached to every panel (at the backside)

Alarm if the fiber is cut

Difficult execution

Temperature range: -30 a +75

Another option could be a conductive wire system

Depending on the wire impedance

Immune to sabotage

A n t i - t h e f t s y st em


A t i t h f t t


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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

A n t i - t h e f t s y st em


A la r m m a n ag e m e n t


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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 thethief

A la r m m a n ag e m e n t


Oth er possib i l i t i es


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Oth er possib i l i t i es

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 toaccess, 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.


En d o f Session 3


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En d o f Session 3

http://www.leonardo-energy.org/training-pv-systems-design-

construction-operation-and-maintenance

Thank you for attending

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TRANING ON PV SYSTEM