Imagine driving a car with no dashboard. No speedometer, no fuel gauge, no warning lights—just the vague hope that everything is working as it should.
That’s how some solar power plants operate. They generate energy, push it into the grid, and hope nothing goes wrong.
And why shouldn’t they? After all, it’s installed. It’s not on fire and it has no moving parts. So far so good.
What happens next is more about what it means to pluck electricity out of the sky and feed it into a wire. It’s a live event. You’re connecting equipment to the weather and expecting it to conform to stringent regulations, technical requirements and profit margins. It won’t. While your panels are just sitting there looking up, a world of trouble is coming down on it. The question is, will you know in time and what will you do about it? This is a job for the SCADA system.
At a basic level the SCADA system monitors what people would do manually to keep a solar plant running profitably.
Checking power meters, pushing buttons, and analyzing performance can be done by hand, but only to a point. Solar plants quickly outgrow human ability to track every parameter in real time. Even commercial and industrial rooftop solar may stretch across multiple buildings in different locations. Monitoring scattered sites while handling endless data streams and incidents is beyond manual control. A SCADA system continuously processes this information, making decisions faster, with more data, than any human ever could. Without SCADA, keeping a solar plant efficient becomes impossible.
- If it works, you don’t think about it, says Skyfri CEO Christian Blom.
But if it doesn’t? The impact is immediate.
- The moment something goes wrong, operators suddenly realize how much they rely on it. And that’s often too late.
SCADA systems are no longer just a monitoring tool, they’re also overlapping with energy management systems. They are the decision-makers that determine whether your plant runs profitably or just collects sun rays. Without them, the complexity of grid compliance and energy storage is nearly impossible to manage.
A poor SCADA setup means lost energy, inefficient operations, and compliance risks.
Operators without real-time data operate blindly, risking costly downtime and lost revenue. The difference between a good and a great SCADA system is not just data—it’s the ability to act on it.
- The biggest mistake? Assuming everything is fine just because the numbers look normal, Blom warns.
- If your SCADA system isn’t proactive, you’re already behind.
It’s not enough to simply track power generation. The best SCADA systems go further, automating complex decisions, predicting failures before they happen, and integrating seamlessly with weather data, energy storage, and compliance regulations.
- A good SCADA system doesn’t just tell you what’s happening—it shifts you from reacting to anticipating, Blom says, and adds:
- Without it, you’re always one step behind, fixing problems after they’ve already cost you money.
We want you to avoid some typical pitfalls of SCADA systems. From the basic to the advanced. Our list is not exhaustive, but we feel the below mentioned points are functions you should be able to identify and ask for.
Solar panels can’t reach full potential if light levels aren’t measured. If actual sunlight isn’t tracked, operators can’t tell if low output is due to weather or equipment failure. The system measures irradiance and compares it to power generation in real time.
This ensures that every watt of available sunlight is converted into electricity.
One faulty inverter can silently cut revenue, but you won’t know if you don’t compare their output. An inverter producing 15% less than others under the same conditions is likely malfunctioning. Without comparisons, slow failures remain undetected for months. The system continuously monitors and flags deviations.
Spot declining performance early and prevent long-term losses.
A solar plant runs best when it learns from its own data.
Over time, patterns emerge in how equipment performs under different conditions. Tracking production history helps spot trends, detect slow failures, and refine maintenance schedules. The system collects and analyzes this data, giving you insights to optimize operations.
The more you track, the smarter your plant becomes.
Communication issues don’t always mean power loss. Inverters can stop reporting data while still generating electricity. Sending technicians on a high speed rescue mission for a communication issue, wastes time and money. A SCADA system distinguishes between real failures and lost communication.
Only deploy maintenance crews when there’s a real problem.
Too much solar can drive prices below zero, turning production into a cost.
When supply outstrips demand, electricity prices can go negative, forcing you to pay to keep generating. Without control, you lose money instead of making it. The system enables real-time throttling, letting you scale back output when market prices drop too low.
Sell when it’s profitable, not when it’s costly.
Too much solar power can overload transformers, trip breakers, or violate grid rules.
A Power Plant Controller (PPC), is a subfunction of a SCADA system that automatically adjusts power export, voltage, and frequency to prevent damage and penalties. It considers site constraints, regulatory limits, and predefined market conditions to keep production within safe operating ranges.
Stay within limits, avoid shutdowns, and keep your plant running smoothly.
You shouldn’t have to be on-site to manage your solar plant.
Weather changes, equipment issues, and power fluctuations can happen anytime. With remote control, you can adjust production, reset inverters, and monitor performance from anywhere. Real-time access means faster decisions, less downtime, and lower operating costs.
Stay in control no matter where you are.
Your grid operator needs a simple way to change your plant’s output in real time.
Central Grid Control is a subfunction of a SCADA system that connects directly to your Power Plant Controller (PPC), letting the operator dial back production or tweak power settings from their own system. It also includes a safety backup if the connection fails, plus an easy dashboard to set rules and watch performance. Comply with country and county specific regulations without extra hardware—just give the grid operator the tools they need.
Stay safe, stay compliant, and let the grid operator do their job.
Rooftop solar owners can save by timing energy use to sunlight.
If forecasts predict a sunny day tomorrow, electricity prices may drop. Businesses that don’t run 24/7 can shift production to cheaper hours and reduce costs. The system analyzes weather and price data, helping you schedule operations for maximum savings.
Run equipment when solar makes power cheapest.
Energy infrastructure is a prime target for hackers.
Most businesses underestimate the risk and ease with which an attack can be performed. Unauthorized access can shut down power production. Data manipulation can lead to false reporting and financial loss. Secure authentication and encryption protect the system.
Prevent cyber threats from taking control of your solar plant.
Solar panels lose efficiency every year.
Panels degrade 0.3–1.5% annually, reducing total power output. Without tracking, revenue losses build up unnoticed. A SCADA system monitors degradation trends and alerts operators. Should one panel degrade faster than others, you may even prove a warranty case with the supplier.
Plan ahead and maintain profitability as panels age.
Heat destroys inverters if not managed in time.
High temperatures reduce inverter lifespan and efficiency. Extreme heat events, like in Texas, have led to complete system failures. Automatic shutdowns or cooling measures prevent catastrophic damage.
Protect equipment from unnecessary wear and costly breakdowns.
Knowing output isn’t enough—you need to know if it’s the best output possible.
Fixed solar panels don’t track the sun, so their angle affects power generation. If the system doesn’t account for azimuth, you can’t tell if a panel is truly optimized or just consistent. The system calculates expected output based on azimuth, ensuring every panel delivers at peak potential.
Measure what matters, not just what’s constant.
Your data shouldn’t be stuck in one system.
An API lets third-party software access live system data. Use it to run custom analytics, monitor performance in external dashboards, or integrate with other tools. This ensures flexibility, deeper insights, and better decision-making.
Make your solar data work where you need it.
Many solar plants are silently leaking profits—through inefficiencies, poor insights, and missedcompliance risks. Let’s fix that.
We’ll help youuncover hidden performance issues and show youwhat a next-generation SCADA system can reallydo for your plants.
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