Monitoring is omitted in so many PV plants and yet it is an easy, affordable way to detect errors quickly and avoid yield losses. PES hears from Dr. Frank Schlichting, CEO of Solare Datensysteme GmbH, about how Solar-Log™ can save the PV plant operators energy losses, time and money.
PES: The concept of monitoring is often defined in different ways. How exactly would you define monitoring?
Dr. Frank Schlichting: For me, the perfect solution is structured and provides expert monitoring of PV plants, with a comprehensive energy management system and a professional web portal.
PES: There are plant operators and EPC/installers who describe monitoring as the “visualisation of plant data”. Is such a statement not a bit overly simplified?
FS: I think it is, yes. It is insufficient to describe monitoring as just the visualisation of plant data since this presents just a small aspect of the functions that a professional energy management system provides as a whole. Cisualisation on its own means no error detection intelligence. I know that there are some simply structured solutions that only allow a basic review of plant data, especially within the residential market segment. However, I wouldn’t call that professional monitoring.
PES: Why is monitoring PV plants so fundamentally important?
FS: Errors and malfunctions at PV plants are immediately detected and can be resolved quickly. This helps to minimise yield losses. For example: failure of one or several inverters, cable damage, faulty installation and/or wiring, dirt and grime on the modules all cause problems and need to be corrected as soon as possible.
Furthermore, expert monitoring is the basis for precise optimised consumption of self-produced energy, i.e. true energy management.
