9REN: Solar Power Plant Business Metrics

After completing the Wonderware solution, 9REN was able to produce these compelling business results.

• From a single control center, 9REN can effectively monitor the operations at each of the 528 solar plants, ensuring continuous generation of 425 MWh a day.
  
• 9REN's efficiency has improved at such a point that staffing has been reduced by 15% - from three to one - for control room operation, allowing the company to focus its personnel on other important tasks
• Event recognition has increased by 50% and time to obtain performance monitoring reports has been reduced from one month to two days
• Solar trackers production has improved by 5%

Before and After

This is a far cry from the solution they used prior to using Wonderware software. "We had implemented two different control architectures -- one for thermal energy and one for photovoltaic energy -- which did not monitor our assets uniformly," Francisco Alija, Monitoring and Control Manager said. "Over time it became clear that the existing control systems were not a safe bet for the future growth of the company since they did not allow for the expansion of additional installations. The technologies were limited and if 9REN wanted to extend its energy generation capacity, the technology would not be able to manage our future requirements."

 

Investment paying off handsomely

 

You can say that the investment on Wonderware paid out handsomely. "On the one hand 9REN wanted to improve its profitability and power availability of generation installations enabling the company to produce a greater quantity of energy," Alija said. "But we also hoped to reduce maintenance costs by limiting on-site control which Wonderware software was designed to provide."

 

"Thanks to the significant amount and availability of information provided by the Invensys solution, 9REN is able to streamline management of the various installations undeniably optimizing personnel costs. From the start 9REN was certain of its selection of Invensys as a key component of its overall operations expansion strategy. It has measured up and exceeded our expectations."

 

More information

Please refer to the following links for more information:

1. 9REN's website
2. Wonderware System Platform
3. InTouch HMI as a SCADA system