Remote monitoring and control of industrial plants is becoming more and more important, particularly in solar farms where each performance deficit lowers the return on investment. Via industrial routers from INSYS icom and the INSYS Connectivity Service network, photovoltaic plant operators stay on top of things: simply, safely, and with direct access to the application.
A photovoltaic (PV) plant visualization shows several high performance graphs running nearly parallel. An amateur may welcome this, thinking that the plant is generating a great cash flow. But experts can see the signs of a problem: after all, the load of a PV field is normally equally divided among all inverters. When performance graphs diverge, even minimally, cells might be defective or damaged. The bottom line is the same in any case: the plant does not meet its goals. Or even worse: modules will have to be repaired and an expensive service call will be necessary. Remote maintenance helps prevent such situations.
Communication solutions from INSYS icom enable plant operators or their service providers to continuously monitor PV plants and to minimize the period between problem report and problem solving. The INSYS icom routers – MoRoS for DIN rail mounting, MLR desktop devices, and QLM embedded modules – connect remote PV plants with control rooms via all current transmission networks such as the telephone or mobile networks, providing remote access for authorized personnel and maintenance staff. If required, the routers can also generate alarms. The data transmission devices have the extra benefit of an integrated Linux sandbox which allows for the programming and execution of user-specific applications such as data logging and visualization.
Completing the solution, INSYS icom provides Connectivity Service for especially easy and safe access. This service enables users to establish and manage virtual private networks (VPN) that operate independently from the existing IT networks. Maintenance technicians can thereby directly access all connected devices or applications. Users can create clear communication structures and rules without expert IT knowledge, simply relying on intuitive group management and connection control. In principle, any number of devices can be connected to the VPN and selectively managed. Furthermore, users can pre-define accounts for external service providers. The tested and proven data communication solution from INSYS icom requires relatively small investments which generally pay off after the first service call that does not take place.