Powering Energy Efficiency: IIoT Solar Panel Solutions
Overview
An amusement park that prioritizes sustainability contracted a renewable energy group to install a solar power system. The group roof-mounted the panels throughout the park and ground-mounted them in one lot outside the park. The energy group wanted an IIoT solution to gather reliability data on their panels’ electricity production and relay commands for cloudy days for operational optimization. The solution also needed to allow remote access and monitoring, regardless of conditions.
Key Application Requirements
- Relay commands based on light levels
- Gather current data
- Remote access and monitoring
- Cellular communication
The Sealevel Solution
Sealevel implemented a SeaConnect 370 IoT edge device at each solar panel location and connected them to a private-labeled version of Sealevel’s cloud software as a service (SaaS), SeaCloud. An analog sensor in the inverter box monitors the current delivered to the ride’s grid. That data is returned to SeaCloud, where it is stored and accessible to the corporation’s engineers. When the current falls below a lower threshold, it sends a text alert, leading to predictive maintenance. Another analog sensor monitors the light quality and intensity. During periods of patchy sunlight, the sensor sends text alerts to the facility manager. He can activate the panels’ rotation so they can track the sunlight.
The park benefited with this asset management system. The panels produce 50% of their electricity needs. Through remote monitoring capabilities, the renewable energy group used its maintenance team more effectively. Costs decreased for both invested companies.