Monitoring Commercial

Each monitor continually measures real time panel performance, providing unprecedented insight into the real time operation of large scale solar arrays. This information can then be used by the Intelligent Array™ site management system to detect and identify panel, string and area impairments affecting energy production.

Site owners and maintenance teams have direct insight into panel damage, wiring faults, fuse problems and the effects of soiling and aging on energy production. This information is automatically converted into precise O&M recommendations.

The small, easy-to-deploy units, organize themselves into a dynamic wireless mesh network, passing real-time array performance information to a central collection point. The units are compatible with all makes of inverters. Their 'non-intrusive' design ensures energy production will not be interrupted in the event of inadvertent electrical damage or failure of the units.

KeyOn Optimum Optimizers can yield power harvest gains of 20% or more in severe cases of shade or panel misalignment. However, recognizing that these conditions are not widely present across large scale arrays, the KeyOn Optimum Optimizer has been designed to enable partial deployment in sections of the array known to have such problems. In arrays equipped with KeyOn Optimum Monitors, the Intelligent Array software can be used to recommend areas where selective deployment of KeyOn Optimum Optimizers will improve performance.Core to the KeyOn Optimum system is the Intelligent Array software suite, a cloud-based environment for maximizing site performance. The Intelligent Array software fully understands your solar array down to the individual panel level and continually performs analysis and diagnostics on panel and string level data to identify array impairments and recommend remedial action to maintain peak array performance. The Intelligent Array software informs you precisely what, where and how action is required to maximize ROI based on the financial rules you set.

The Intelligent Array software provides a precise action plan for maintaining the array at optimal operating performance. The action plan recommendations are tested against a set of financial business rules set by the array owner or authorized support teams. Recommendations include trigger points for entire array or sub-array cleaning, an aggregation of damaged or degraded panels requiring replacement, identification of wiring or fuse issues and encroaching shade due to vegetation growth. Each recommendation is the result of extensive analysis and is tested against user defined business rules that take into account the value of lost energy, the cost of intervention, O&M agreements, warranty contracts, etc..

Detailed insight into the performance of the array is provided by the KeyOn Optimum line of electronic modules. Distributed through¬out the array these modules monitor the performance of every panel in real-time, providing unprecedented levels of insight that can be used by the Intelligent Array software to detect and identify panel, string and area impairments affecting energy production. Array health is continually assessed and can be reviewed by hierarchy, logical connection or physical location, using user definable monitoring views. Powerful engineering drill-down tools provide detailed insight and control down to the panel level, allowing validation of maintenance recommendations and pinpointing precise actions.

The KeyOn Optimum hardware has no practical limit to scaling. The innovative proprietary wireless mesh network will scale to the largest utility scale arrays, while still providing data granularity to the panel level. The Intelligent Array cloud based software tools thrive on this detail, but reduce the vast amounts of monitored data into meaningful user views of performance and into valuable and precise O&M recommendations.

The Intelligent Array™ software suite provides a powerful optimization and monitoring system with direct and detailed insight into the DC assets in large scale solar arrays. This includes environmental monitoring provided within the KeyOn Optimum system, as well as links to AC hardware such as revenue grade metering. The system has been designed as an open environment to allow customer defined features or to enable interoperability with third party hardware and software. Customization includes a user definable look and feel for a site hosted kiosk, or providing multi-site views consistent with customer portfolio management tools. KeyOn Optimum’s modern and open web APIs and data standards easily enable the integration of third party systems such as inverter alarm monitoring, fault detection circuits or alternative external environmental monitoring sources.

The Intelligent Array suite is a cloud hosted software service maintained by Solar Power Technologies. The user does not need to install software, provide computer resources, perform maintenance or upgrade any software tools – ever! Solar Power Technologies performs all of these services for you and is continually enhancing the capability and functionality of this powerful site maximization tool, with improvements available to all users in real-time.