NEW YORK STATE’S PREMIER CONFERENCE FOR ADVANCED ENERGY Commercial & Utility Scale Photovoltaic Array Management Gordy Presher 585-388-4314 gpresher@solarsentry.com
i 2
Solar arrays are underperforming … especially as they age Independent studies document that… i annual array losses average 2.5% � 0.5% - Solar cell degradation � 2.0% - Fixable defects and failures, e.g. installation quality, product defects, and environmental… lightning, hail, UV exposure, soiling, vermin � Masked by solar resource variability (up to +40% in any given month) Site monitoring misses array failures (even major ones) � 2003 Oakland, CA site, with today’s leading monitoring system � Site performance dropped 13% in a single month • Unnoticed from September 2007 until March 2009 • Found only because of engineering interest in the site � Diagnosed by highly skilled personnel Summary: Site monitoring is ineffective at finding underperformance and even if it’s found, expensive manual diagnostics by skilled personnel are still required . 3
Service-based Approach Benefits � Embed inexpensive purpose-built � More energy produced at lower electronics in the array cost/kWh � As a service , Solar Sentry: � Significantly better bottom line � Financial returns assured • collects data securely via web � Customer can collect on 25-year • analyzes data to pinpoint problems • dispatches lowest-cost personnel solar panel warranties by e-mail Value-oriented Technology • deploys targeted power � Patents pending in US, EU, Japan management technology & Canada Advantages � Another patent in process aimed � Inexpensive, real-time problem at power optimization resolution � IP aimed at simplification and cost- � Reduced costly manual diagnostics reduction of monitoring, � Maintenance as needed replaces diagnostics and power optimization scheduled maintenance � Component-level information i 4
Invest 2% in instrumentation and diagnostic services i � Harvest more energy � Reduce energy cost/kWh (LCOE) � Cut your financial risk � Significantly improve your bottom-line �������������������� ��������������� ����������������� ��������������������������� ���������� ����������� ����� ������������������� ��������������� ������������� ������������������������ ���������������� �������������� ����� ��������������� ����� ����� !������" ����� !������" ����� ��������#����$���������� ��� !�������" ���� !�������" ����� ����������������������� ������ � !"#$� ��������$$!"� � ���� ������������������������������������ ���� ����� i 5
�� mart TM String Combiners ($0.03/W) �� �� �� � Measure and compare strings of panels � Find blown fuses, bad or weak strings � Internet communications hub • Wireless Panel Sentry communications � Requires virtually no additional installation training or effort Software ($0.07/W) & Services ($0.01/W/yr) � End-to-end secure communications � Cloud computing database & analysis � Actionable diagnostics Panel Sentries PP � Three-level eMail dispatch Provide 5% panel-level diagnostics • Local caretaker, site maintenance • Unique panel-level technology technician & supervisors • Learn more about site performance � Site reporting and benchmarking • Find bad panels – collect on 25 year � Diagnostics-oriented dashboard warranties ($0.01/W) PP Unique capability with Patents Pending in U.S., Japan, Canada and the E.U. 6
Installed May, 2009 50kW of DC powe r • 216 panels, in • 24 strings, with • 9 panels/string January 1, 2010, 3:30 PM – Solar Panel String Power (Watts) Fully Instrumented Array 845 844 837 • 2 “eSmart TM String 840 838 831 829 836 837 Combiners” 838 831 822 903 898 901 • 216 “Panel Sentry 866 766 900 Adapters” 845 77 859 852 376 844 • Secure data every 6 January 1, 2010, 3:30 PM – Solar Panel Power (Watts x 10) minutes over internet 910 926 935 951 946 944 946 937 928 944 944 942 939 931 921 935 930 939 937 918 927 925 925 923 927 935 928 937 942 941 937 931 926 930 912 906 917 931 937 942 937 931 915 933 933 937 930 913 914 930 923 934 913 891 928 915 935 933 914 914 923 917 914 909 933 936 933 940 933 922 920 918 949 927 924 929 936 925 925 909 924 940 929 933 927 927 913 929 940 929 924 921 921 924 930 917 917 901 926 921 907 903 903 910 907 918 918 923 1006 990 1008 1004 1002 990 992 10241027 991 1005 993 1003 1001 984 972 1007 1001 1011 1002 978 976 1027 994 1025 1007 1005 984 892 937 976 950 990 976 988 958 971 966 957 960 958 842 960 968 968 1005 984 1003 997 981 986 993 1017 1005 i 948 982 968 938 856 904 928 972 962 107 106 106 40 16 103 106 107 106 982 954 938 871 976 980 982 966 938 875 980 984 988 960 942 859 992 936 515 520 516 175 147 489 521 518 515 977 970 970 754 960 984 994 966 768
Monitoring During Installation Monitoring & Diagnostics � On-site tech assistance Improvements in Commissioning • Automated vs. manual testing Automatic measurement vs. manual � Remote engineering oversight • Less labor cost, travel and risk � Higher quality – reduced • Thorough real-time measurements • Higher initial quality installation time • Lower commissioning costs Problem Discovered Remotely • Everyone wins � Midway in array… a panel connection unmade � Remotely observed � A 4% initial-quality problem was resolved 8
� Solar panels are vulnerable to � Problem identified immediately � Rain was in the forecast soiling � Three days later � Panels include 50-100 solar � Problem resolved cells wired in series � Not necessarily the case for all � Significant covering of single soiling problems… leaves etc. cell affects entire string vs. 13% lost… no knowledge of loss for 18 months (20% of a full Solar Panel Output Loss: 14% String Output Loss: 2% year’s harvest) 9
Available Solutions Solar Sentry Incumbents: Insurgent – Techie (11¢/W) � Fully integrated solution, Site Monitoring (up to 5¢/W) � Site uptime/inverter focused superior cost/benefit ratio � No array info costs owners $$$ � More granular information drives superior analytics Insurgents: � Actionable diagnostics and Instrumented String Combiners (10-30¢/W) complete system software � More granular problem detection drive higher site profitability � Weak diagnostics and mitigation � Partial solution without SCADA system � Custom SCADA systems adds significant project cost with lower benefit Future Rooftop Market Techies: � Safety regulations will likely Panel-level Power Devices (25-60¢/W) dictate panel-level electronics � Optimize energy production from � Opportunity for Techies � Enhanced Panel Sentry each panel, especially in shade � Residential/small commercial focus � New site architectures raise installed cost, operating cost and technical risk 10
Solar Panel Prices have Fallen Precipitously • Prices down 60% in three years • Market growth impressive even in difficult financial times Performance-based Incentives Gaining Ground � Premium FITs • Germany 10 years ago, rate payers (small monthly premiums) • Resulted in fast world market growth dominated by Germany • Being introduced in N.A. - Ontario, Canada and some states • Reduced system prices, in both Germany and rest-of-world � sRECs • Pioneered in NJ • Solar set-asides in the renewable energy portfolio • Paid for by shareholders/rate payers (small monthly premiums) Driving solar performance & more cost-effective technology • Better monitoring and diagnostics solutions • More mature service-based offerings will emerge 11
So is Solar Sentry – Low-cost technology that delivers big dividends 12
3 Seconds over Boston June, 2006 NGM 13
Recommend
More recommend
