Solutions for Protection and Monitoring of photovoltaic plants

admin | 16 de February de 2020

Photovoltaic generation

Climate change and global warming are already a reality, and the only option we have to change this situation is the use of efficient and sustainable energies that assure us that our planet will be a habitable place for future generations.

The aim is not only to promote renewable energy but also to seek maximum efficiency for this type of installation. Therefore, we need systems capable of permanently monitoring, supervising and managing the facilities and interacting with all their elements, ensuring their optimum performance.

CIRCUTOR Combiner Box

The CIRCUTOR proposal consists of a solution based on the Combiner Box and the STM system.Monitoring must not only consist of the measurement of the parameters of a PV installation and its massive sending to the control centre.Therefore, currently the STM systems, which are integrated into the Combiner Box, incorporate a powerful analysis and management capacity that guarantees, at all times, the maximum performance of the photovoltaic plant.

If we add to this management capacity the integration of wireless communications based on LoRa technology, a reduction in the cost of mounting the communications network can be achieved while maintaining the necessary performance for the optimal management of both electrical variables and alarms.

The complete solution involves the integration of STM systems in the Combiner Box, including all the elements associated with the protection of the strings, the fuses, the output disconnecting switch of the Combiner Box and the necessary protections in case of overvoltage.

Solutions for the protection and monitoring of PV plants

Circutor boasts different types of Combine Box models according to the needs of each facility to be installed at level 1 and level 2.

The design of these equipment can be configured according to prescription, so our design team can offer a “tailormade” solution to meet the needs of any project for the management of power generation in photovoltaic plants.

Level 1 Combiner Box monitored with Shunt
This Combiner Box has a series of inputs, which support groups of single or double strings, protecting each of the inputs from overcurrents.

Level 1 Combiner Box monitored with Hall effect transformer
This Combiner Box has a series of inputs, which support groups of single or dual strings, protecting each of the inputs from overcurrents.

Level 2 Combiner Box monitored with Hall transformer
This Combiner Box groups the currents that come from the Level I Combiner Box, protecting each of the overcurrent inputs with a high-ampere type NH1 fuse.

Circutor added value services

Analysis of the coverage of wireless communications (Ground Mapping)

To determine the number of Gateways needed to cover all Combiner Box, first a ground mapping or theoretical analysis of the terrain is done by means of computer tools for simulating the propagation of the LoRa signal.In the following image the image of the terrain orography can be seen and with red dots the location of the Combiner Box is indicated and in the graph of the upper part the terrain relief is viewed and with a straight displaying the obstacles that exist to communicate in a straight line.

LoRa coverage simulation

By studying Circutor's specialists, a map of the terrain is generated where the exact position of the situation of each Combiner Box is marked in red, seeing the level of LoRa signal coverage.

coverage simulation

Once the installation points of each Combiner Box have been defined, vision graphs are made between them and the inverters to verify the coverage points of the LoRa signal, determining if the communication between them will be correct or there will be a coverage issue.The results of this analysis will depend largely on the orography of the terrain and, to a lesser extent, on the distances.

If the theoretical result is not entirely satisfactory, usually in plants with a very complex orography, Circutor offers a commissioning service, where specialist technicians travel to the installation to perform radio-frequency tests and measurements, determining exactly where to install the different LoRa Gateways, ensuring the correct communication of the monitoring system with the management centre.

added value services