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Friday, 06 August 2021 15:30

Smart panels, smart energy

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~ Electrical panel connectivity for renewable generation ~

According to industry experts, Spain will hit 68 per cent renewable power generation by 2030. Here, Juan Montecelo, sales director of WEG Autrial, explains why electric panel connectivity in renewable power plants will play an important role in achieving this. Through a medley of software, sensors and controllers, bespoke panel design will ensure Spain has the correct technological foundation to reach its environmental goals.

The experts, namely Acciona, a Spanish conglomerate group dedicated to the development of renewable energy infrastructure, acknowledges the impending challenges of clean energy.  In the Flexibility Solutions for High-Renewable Energy Systems report, José Manuel Entrecenales, chairman and CEO of Acciona, stated, “the question is no longer whether clean technologies are going to be the cornerstone of the future energy system, but rather which flexibility options will back them, and how to address the operational and market challenges that will arise.”

Running alongside Spain’s sustainability mission is the nation’s aim to become industrial leaders in Europe. Connected Industry 4.0 (CI 4.0) was announced in 2014, an initiative to digitise and enhance Spain’s industrial sector. Since the announcement, the European Commission (EC) has allocated significant resources — with €97.5 million allocated to connected industry projects, €68 million set aside for IT companies and €10 million for innovative start-ups.

For the energy sector, technology investment is equally valuable. Increased connectivity in renewable power plants is proving vital to success, as evidenced by the more complex and connected panel design found in solar, wind and hydroelectric power plants. While cost has been, and will continue to be, a huge consideration, the increasing intricacy of the panels being manufactured for renewable generation over the last five years demonstrates there is more to the decision-making processes than cost alone.

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The additional requirements come down to the volatile and unpredictable nature of renewable energy resources. The industry has seen a shift from isolated, static panel design for fossil fuels, to connected panels that communicate with the rest of the installations in the facility, using software such as Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and sensors.

Where renewables are concerned, increased insight is not a luxury. Due to the volatile nature of renewables, constant monitoring of power generation is essential. Without it, operators risk overloading the grid and causing power outages.

Consider a wind farm as an example. Intelligent software could use historical data to estimate how often the farm will generate power consistently. While making completely accurate predictions is almost impossible — improved panel connectivity is enabling operators to monitor generation in real-time, allowing them to respond when energy output drops and keep power outages to a minimum.

This real-time connectivity will prove even more crucial as more of Spain’s consumption switches to renewable energy. If forecasts are correct and Spain reaches 68 per cent renewable generation by 2030, it will be a plant’s ability to respond to renewable volatility in real-time, that will be imperative to its success.

With smarter energy operations, Spain has an opportunity to implement dynamic panel design and reap the connectivity benefits of a smart grid. As renewable energy continues to increase, the call for increased flexibility in panel design will too.

Autrial offers this dynamism, with its complete offering of panel installation materials, such as pipe, fittings and junction boxes, alongside electronic parts including circuit breakers, digital controls and programmable controllers. To discuss your requirements for bespoke panel design, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

About WEG: Founded in 1961, WEG is a global manufacturer of electrical and mechanical equipment for industrial sectors across all continents. With manufacturing units in 12 countries and present in more than 135 countries, the company has more than 33,000 employees worldwide with net revenue of over R$17.47 billion in 2020.
Offering energy efficient solutions across all sectors including water, steel, pulp and paper, oil and gas, mining, among many others, WEG is constantly developing solutions to meet the major trends in energy efficiency, renewable energy, sustainability and electric mobility.  For more information, visit www.weg.net

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