Cristina was NOT MONITORING her implant…
Cristina, a customer in the Province of Treviso, has a photovoltaic (PV) system that went into operation in 2012. The GSE (the entity that manages incentives related to renewable energy and energy efficiency) gives Cristina €0.278 for each kWh produced by her system.
This plant produces over 100,000 kWh/year, which is matched by an incentive of about €30,000/year.
Between 2015 and 2016, however, due to the malfunction of an inverter (a device that, simply put, acts as an interface between the system and the public grid), production was reduced. Cristina did not notice this problem in time, so she lost thousands of euros in incentives due to lost production.
She then approached us to estimate the losses and figure out how to avoid the problem in the future….
The first thing we told Cristina is that an effective PV system monitoring system is lacking!
What is a monitoring system?
It is a system consisting of:
A – A series of meters distributed over the plant zones you want to measure. They can be electricity or gas meters like those used to determine the amounts of your utility bills, the difference being that they are dedicated to a single machine or line.
B – A portal that collects all measurement data in REAL time, stores them, compares them, allows you to consult them, and alerts you with alarms when something is wrong.
Why would Cristina have it?
A proper monitoring system would have allowed Cristina to measure the energy received from the sun and the energy produced by the plant in real time, so that she could continuously check if there were any inefficiencies. Cristina in fact could have:
- Know exactly how much energy is produced
- To notice a malfunction early and then intervene in time to reduce damage
- Determine exactly how long the malfunction lasted
7 GOOD REASONS for YOU to adopt the MONITORING SYSTEM as well.
Does monitoring only serve those with PV systems? Of course not!
A well-designed monitoring system yields many benefits, not only for those with power generation facilities. Here are some of them:
- Give you an accurate, real-time picture of how much you consume without waiting for your bill to arrive the next month
- Compare the consumption of different machines/production lines/stations. Sometimes the inefficiencies are hidden!
- Define energy consumption (and thus costs) per unit of output and evaluate how these change over time. Do you know whether your consumption is higher or lower than the media for your industry?
- Have a detailed archive of historical data available to evaluate the replacement of a piece of machinery or the efficiency of a line.
- Allow access to types of incentives such as White Certificates (issued against energy savings).
- Notice in time if maintenance is needed or malfunctions occur. Some systems, before they become completely damaged, show abnormal consumption.
- Highlighting waste. Why do you consume so much on Sundays when the plant is closed?
I would also like to remind you that for some categories of companies (large companies and those on the energy-intensive list) it will become MANDATORY to have a monitoring system.
Conclusion
Only with a monitoring system can you best control the operation of your plants to achieve maximum yield and avoid unnecessary energy waste and consequent economic losses. Without a monitoring system you may have only uncertain data on which to base future investments, and you will be left at the mercy of failures and waste, without being able to actively control and solve problems in a timely manner. If you also want to avoid crying about the incentives paid contact us to find out how to keep track of your installations!
Do you want to monitor your consumption in real time?
If you want to know how to best manage your facility and check your bill for undue amounts CONTACT US NOW!
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