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CASE STUDY

SB Energy

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Enterprise SCADA Solution for a Remote Solar Operations Center

SB Energy opted for a unique, single-platform solution that would give them real-time visibility and control over their six national locations. Thanks to this custom-made SCADA system, they can make informed business decisions and lead the way in remote solar management.
6 National Sites
1.7 Total Rated Power
2700 Modbus Devices
10 Updates Per Second

Enterprise SCADA Streamlines Processes for Renewable Energy

Video thumbnail Enterprise SCADA streamlines processes for renewable energy

The Protagonist

SCADA screen of solar performance by Vertech for SB Energy

SB Energy is a leader in renewable energy, providing flexible renewable energy at scale and accelerating the global energy transition. They pair cutting-edge innovation with best-in-class execution.

They are a leading utility-scale solar, energy storage, and technology platform with some of the largest and most technically advanced renewable projects across the United States. 

The Story

In the Beginning...

SB Energy needed a single-platform, multi-site management tool that would allow their greenfield operations center full access to view and optimize performance at each remote site.

The Plot Thickens

The objective was to design an Ignition solution that could acquire, consolidate, and validate data from six solar sites in real-time - while also providing site monitoring and performance analysis with clear industry relevance.  

Not only are Vertech's engineers experienced in designing and setting up SCADA solutions for different industries, but we also have a complete understanding of the Ignition platform. That's why SB Energy was confident that we were the ideal partner for their project.  

Our solution included integrating Ignition with several 3rd party systems and devices, as well as developing custom graphics and reports.

The Happy Ending

The end result was a robust SCADA system that gives SB Energy complete visibility of its fleet of sites, assets, and energy production performance. Now SB Energy can maximize energy production and quickly resolve maintenance issues, saving valuable time and resources.

SCADA screen of energy output by Vertech for SB Energy
SCADA screen of solar performance by Vertech for SB Energy
SCADA screen of alarm configuration by Vertech for SB Energy
SCADA screen of mapped site locations by Vertech for SB Energy
SCADA screen of heatmap by Vertech for SB Energy
SCADA screen of heatmap map view by Vertech for SB Energy
SCADA screen of single line diagram by Vertech for SB Energy

Application Features

Smart Alarming
Detailed view of Alarm Configuration SCADA screen by Vertech for SB Energy

Nuisance Alarm Filtering
We improved the alarming logic across the fleet to prioritize alarms and consolidate repeat alarms into one action.

Built-in Alarm Hierarchy and Dependencies
This feature allows the client to add dependencies to alarms. When equipment upstream fails or shuts down, the alarms on downstream devices automatically shut off. This enables the client to identify and solve the root cause of the problem, rather than responding to hundreds of subsequent alarms.

Enterprise-Level Maps
Detailed view of map solar SCADA screen by Vertech for SB Energy Our team designed custom maps on Mapbox and integrated them with Ignition, so they blend beautifully into the visual application theme.
KPI’s
Detailed view of KPIs solar SCADA screen by Vertech for SB Energy

Power and Revenue
Our team collaborated with SB Energy to measure power and revenue using KPIs. By having the system display information from both business and operations in one application, decision-makers now have a clear understanding of what's happening across the entire portfolio.

Data Popups
Alongside the KPIs, trending popups allow operators and management to keep up with real-time data patterns and stay aware of site curtailments and revenue losses.

Weather Forecast Integration
Detailed view of weather forecast solar SCADA screen by Vertech for SB Energy We integrated with Open Weather Maps and Windy.com to provide real-time weather updates for each site. We make real-time API calls to Open Weather Maps and Windy.com. We also leverage Windy.com's crisp map displays as needed throughout the system.
Detailed view of Alarm Configuration SCADA screen by Vertech for SB Energy
Detailed view of map solar SCADA screen by Vertech for SB Energy
Detailed view of KPIs solar SCADA screen by Vertech for SB Energy
Detailed view of weather forecast solar SCADA screen by Vertech for SB Energy
Photo of solar panels in field under a sunny sky

“Working with Vertech was a great culture fit. They were great communicators, passionate, innovative, and able to provide solutions to any problem we had.”

Charles Fortuno Senior Manager of SCADA & Control Systems, SB Energy

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If you'd like to learn more about how we can improve your operations, get in touch!

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