In consortium with Schneider Electric and GPtech, Irradia started a promising project thanks to the INNTERCONECTA program (ITC-20151067). With the growing demand for renewable energy generation systems, both nationally and internationally, and with the intrinsic intermittency due to sudden changes in the weather, there is a need for the integration of storage systems in a distributed manner to support this type of systems.

This type of network with distributed generation and storage is particularly difficult to govern when dealing with isolated or weak networks.

The uncontrolled growth of this type of systems in a distribution network requires a high-level manager with the capacity to monitor, supervise and act on these nodes.

The SAGRA solution is based on the following three concepts:

1. Advanced management system for generation and storage nodes in isolated networks:
2. Intelligent Monitoring System.
3. Predictive Maintenance The use of predictive techniques applied to the maintenance of facilities is intended to maximize the generation of renewable energy facilities, whether connected to the grid or isolated, with or without storage, regardless of their power, as well as to optimize costs in operation and maintenance tasks.

The main results of the project have been:

• An intelligent monitoring system has been developed, implemented and tested at the operator level for validation of the status of the facilities at the plant level, installing the physical system in the most relevant points of the facility, implementing the software under Android OS and allowing access to operators through their smartphones.
• The RCM methodology has been developed in the solar installations, which has allowed the implementation of an intelligent predictive maintenance system that has improved response times, anticipating possible failures and optimizing costs.
• These tools have been integrated into Irradia Energía’s control center, from which all alarms are generated in the event of possible incidents in the installation, which are quickly controlled and managed by the Maintenance Manager.
• The system has been integrated so that it can be implemented in any installation, regardless of the equipment installed.
• Thanks to all of the above, it has been possible to increase the reliability and availability of the facilities, optimizing their production and maximizing their profits.

Thanks to the project IRRADIA ENERGÍA has opened several lines of collaboration with technology companies in the sector, achieving remote monitoring of large photovoltaic plants and accreditation as technical service of several manufacturers of power electronics equipment.

“Project subsidized by the CDTI and supported by the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness”.