As South Africa advances its transition to renewable energy, the efficient management of solar farms has become increasingly important. In this field, Iritron, a leader in industrial automation and control systems, offers advanced remote monitoring solutions tailored to the challenges of solar plant operations.
Iritron has developed remote monitoring solutions tailored to manage solar installations in South Africa optimally.
Large-scale solar installations play a key role in powering towns, mining operations, and private enterprises such as warehouses and distribution centres. “To ensure these installations operate at peak efficiency, owners need real-time insights into their performance to meet energy delivery targets and manage billing," says Neels van der Walt, Head of Department Sales and Business Development, at Iritron.
“In a mining context, remote monitoring of solar farms allows mining companies to reduce their reliance on grid electricity, and on diesel generators when power outages occur, lowering operational costs. Monitoring the performance and health of the solar installation enables them to ensure that it functions optimally,” he adds.
Remote monitoring addresses key challenges. It enables the benchmarking of performance and the monitoring of equipment failures due to environmental factors like lightning or hail, and overcomes the logistical difficulties of managing remote locations. “Without effective monitoring systems, issues such as misaligned solar panels or electrical faults can lead to significant energy losses,” notes Van der Walt.
Advanced solutions
Iritron’s remote monitoring systems stand out for their adaptability and reliability. Many solar farms in South Africa rely on imported proprietary technology, often without local support. Iritron provides locally supported solutions built to European standards and optimised for South African conditions.
Compliance Executive Andre Roeloffze, says, "Our systems enable a significant step up in solar farm management. Providing real-time insights and leveraging edge technology, we enable operators to make informed decisions faster than they can otherwise."
With access to real-time data, maintenance teams can predict potential issues before they become critical. From this basis, a proactive approach reduces downtime and extends the lifespan of solar modules and structures, improving the overall efficiency of the solar installation.
A key innovation in Iritron's offering is its edge technology, which uses Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) capabilities to provide seamless data transmission even in low-bandwidth environments. This means remote solar plants remain connected and monitored at all times.
The systems also incorporate fault detection and alert features that enable operators to pinpoint issues such as dirty or damaged panels, tripped circuit breakers, or overheating equipment with precision. Automated notifications via SMS or email facilitate quick response times, reducing downtime and maximising energy production.
Iritron’s solutions also provide for integration with existing infrastructure. Standardised communication protocols, including Modbus TCP, Profinet and Ethernet IP, ensure compatibility with a wide range of equipment. This means solar farm operators can upgrade their monitoring capabilities without the need for extensive hardware replacements.
“To further enhance safety and efficiency, we recently developed and customised a locally compliant 16-way combiner box for a solar farm that was experiencing issues with intermittent failures. This innovation ensured secure dc switching and integrated monitoring capabilities to streamline fault detection,” Roeloffze adds.
For data analysis and long-term planning, the system offers robust historical analysis tools and customisable dashboards. Users can access detailed graphs for root cause analysis and performance benchmarking, providing valuable insights for future optimisation and expansion.
For more information visit: www.iritron.co.za
