Development of tailored remote control interface for Japanese grid operator HEPCO
Berlin, 26 April 2017 – skytron® energy has commissioned its system for monitoring, control and remote supervision of photovoltaic plants on the island of Hokkaido in Japan. With a total capacity of 10.32 MWp and an annual electricity generation of 11 mill. kWh, the “Date” solar farm, run by operator saferay Pte. Ltd., supplies more than 3,000 Japanese households with clean energy.
While previous Japanese projects by skytron energy did not involve any power plant control requirements, the installation could only be connected to grid operator HEPCO’s system using the special CDT (Cyclic Digital Data Transmission) remote control interface of service provider Ohkura Electric Co., Ltd. “We have relied on skytron energy’s proven technologies for years to monitor and control our power plants. The advantage of the state-of-the-art monitoring system by skytron energy is to be found precisely in its modular construction, which allows the skycontrol power plant controller to be modified easily. Combined with the complete system solution by skytron energy – the intelligent combiner boxes, the data logger system, the weather and irradiation sensors and SCADA software – the company not only guarantees trouble-free operation, it also optimises the yields of our solar power plant,” says Thomas Gnefkow, Managing Director of saferay Pte. Ltd.
To implement control using the skycontrol power plant controller, this special remote control interface had to be connected to the system of grid operator HEPCO – Hokkaido Electric Power Co., Inc. “The CDT interface to the grid operator allows it to send setpoint values to the system and receive our operating data reports, which is why we adapted our skycontrol power plant controller to these digital and analogue inputs and outputs. Thanks to the excellent cooperation with Ohkura for HEPCO and the linguistic help from our local support team, everything went smoothly,” reports Nicolas Plenge, Regional Sales Head APAC at skytron energy. To cope with increasing demand in Japan and ensure timely local support there, skytron energy will open a subsidiary in Tokyo, Japan in Q2/2017.
The “Date” project features the full product range of skytron energy, guaranteeing maximum plant performance: the skycontrol Pro power plant controller, the skylog® local data logger system, the intelligent ArrayGuard® FH combiner boxes, the skyCONNi-Sun universal weather station and the PVGuard® supervision platform. That allows the entire power plant to be monitored optimally and guarantees maximum plant performance and top returns for investors.
About skytron energy
skytron® energy has been developing integrated monitoring, control and remote supervision systems since 1977. As one of the leading companies in the photovoltaic industry, specialising in utility-scale and commercial power plants, the company has installed monitoring and control solutions in over 1000 plants worldwide. The company’s core competencies include functions like real-time condition monitoring, power plant control, remote plant supervision, system migration for existing plants, operation and maintenance service as well as PV asset management. As a technological leader, skytron energy has received numerous renowned awards, such as the coveted Solar Industry Award for the “skylog®” data logger system or the InterSolar Award for the “PVGuard®” supervision platform and for the “StringGuard®” string current monitoring system. For further information, please visit www.skytron-energy.com
