Using Solar-Log® monitoring, the SunPeak Operations & Maintenance team can track solar plant energy production metrics as well as data from the installed Lufft pyranometer to ensure that the system is running free and clear of errors.
Solar Plant Production Verification and Error Detection
Anne Nelson | Solar Data Systems
SunPeak Applies Lufft Weather Sensors and Solar-Log®
SunPeak, a Wisconsin-based developer and installer, recently completed a large, complex solar PV project for its customer, Thelen Sand and Gravel, in Northern Illinois. The 2MW ground-mount system supplies Thelen’s aggregate mine with more than 30% of its annual power. The project is one of the largest customer-sited behind-the-meter solar installations in the Midwest. Using Solar-Log® monitoring, the SunPeak Operations & Maintenance team can track solar plant energy production metrics as well as data from the installed Lufft pyranometer to ensure that the system is running free and clear of errors.
The Lufft pyranometer provides valuable data points on parameters that impact solar plant performance. Variables such as air temperature, relative humidity, air pressure, wind direction, wind speed and radiation can affect the amount of power produced. Measuring localized weather data can help analyze performance deviations. This will avoid unnecessary site visits and reduce Operations & Maintenance (O&M) costs, maximizing the profitability of a solar plant.
Lufft WS503 Pyranometer as Viewed on Solar-Log WEB Enerest™ XL
“SunPeak utilized a weather station at Thelen as an additional means of production verification and error detection. By collecting real-time irradiance, temperature, and wind data, the 30-year historical weather data that is used to predict the expected energy output can be normalized for the actual environmental conditions experienced at the site. The measured energy output of the PV system can then be compared to the predicted output to determine if the components are functioning properly,” noted John Schwarzmeier, SunPeak’s Operations & Maintenance Manager.
Track Solar Plant Energy Production
Connecting high-quality weather sensors to the Solar-Log® monitoring platform increases the accuracy of error detection. The primary objective is to detect system failures and performance issues immediately to ensure minimal downtime.
Project Details:
Installer: SunPeak
Location: Thelen Sand & Gravel, Northern Illinois
Power: 2MW
Inverter Type: SMA
Weather Sensor: Lufft WS503 Pyranometer
Monitoring & Revenue Grade Metering: Solar-Log Base 2000, Solar-Log 2050, Solar-Log WEB Enerest™ XL
More on this project from SunPeak: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcNh4Y97dnM
About SunPeak
SunPeak is a leading, full-service solar photovoltaic developer specializing in commercial and industrial applications. Based in Madison, Wisconsin, the company works across the nation helping businesses reduce their electrical costs and enhance their sustainability efforts using solar energy. SunPeak uses a value-added, comprehensive approach with its customers, partnering with them from the earliest stages to educate, assess, design, construct and ultimately maintain a solar installation through the expected thirty-year life of the system. By using only top-quality components and talent and managing every aspect of the process, SunPeak builds an unparalleled level of trust amongst its customers.
The content & opinions in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily represent the views of AltEnergyMag
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