skytron energy chosen by Sonnedix to equip largest power plant in the Caribbean
skytron® energy has been commissioned to provide monitoring and supervision technology for a 57.6 MWp solar power plant in Isabela, Puerto Rico. The plant named “Oriana” is owned by solar power producer and investor Sonnedix and is the largest plant of its kind in the Caribbean. Oriana has started producing clean energy from September. It will cover the power demand of more than 12,000 homes and will displace 95,000 tons of carbon dioxide each year.
“All eyes are upon Oriana, as it is a milestone in driving the implementation of renewable energies in the Caribbean. To meet the requirements of the political and economic authorities, we decided to partner with skytron energy. They have a proven track record in mastering high-quality engineering services with an above average complexity. Most importantly, skytron energy has developed necessary solutions to collect 1-second values and to integrate external devices such as combiner boxes, battery charger, and power plant controller into one single supervision platform,” says Joern Hackbarth, EVP – Global Head of Engineering and Construction at Sonnedix.
In the case of Oriana, skytron energy has re-engineered skyCOMM, which is a digital signal converter. It integrates external devices like inverters and irradiation as well as temperature sensors into the plant network, thus collecting data in high resolution – in 1-second values via a single data concentrator, communicating in both directions. This is one of the most important features in order to react quickly if the plant communicates any errors or failures.
“With its ambitious plans to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels, the Caribbean has taken the right path to encourage the development of solar power generation. We are proud to support this direction and to partner with Sonnedix on completing the largest solar power plant in the region. Due to the size and the hybrid nature of the plant, we have deployed the entire range of our high-quality monitoring and supervision technology”, says Stephan Raulin, Head of Sales at skytron energy.
As Oriana includes a storage facility, a new interface was developed to integrate all external components, such as the local power plant controller and the 10MW battery. With this latest advance in skytron energy’s product offerings, PVGuard® now monitors all internal and external components locally, irrespective of the hybrid plant’s architecture. It visualizes and filters relevant information and identifies problems that could potentially lead to yield losses and allows plant owners and operators to access all relevant data at any time, even during periods of sporadic or no internet connectivity. skyserv Local, the data server hardware platform of PVGuard Local, is responsible for on-site data storage for utility-scale photovoltaic installations, providing enhanced local storage facilities and data backup for up to 20 years.
The stored data will be exported at any time for further processing and analysis. Furthermore, a skyCONNi-Sun universal weather unit has been installed as well as an on-site skylog® data logger system, which was specifically customized for Oriana. It acquires and stores all data transmitted by inverters, combiner boxes, and field sensor equipment. The skylog data logger maintains all plant data in the form of reduced 1-minute mean values for a minimum of 2 weeks. Altogether, the components ensure highest plant performance and output for investors.
Oriana has been connected to the grid in September 2016. Greece-based company METKA-EGN, which has a solid track record of building solar power plants in Europe and the UK, built the facility, and commissions and operates it. More than 100,000 MW-hours of clean, green electricity will be generated each year.
