By Hennie Colyn, direct sales executive, Process Automation at Schneider Electric.
The establishment of solar farms continues to grow in South Africa, with Eskom’s renewable statistics page indicating that 2787 MW of solar generating power is connected to the grid. Of this capacity 2287 MW are from PV photovoltaic (PV) plants, while a further 500 MW comes from concentrated solar plants (CSPs).
However, it is important to note that solar farms are not a silver bullet solution to South Africa’s energy crisis. While they can play a significant role in addressing the country’s energy needs, they are unlikely to completely replace traditional forms of energy generation soon.
Hennie Colyn.
Instead, a combination of renewable energy and traditional energy sources may be the most effective solution. Here renewable sources such as solar farms must be implemented correctly from the get-go to ensure they effectively contribute to the country’s distributed energy resources (DERs).
Enter process automation
With any project there are several issues that come into play when establishing a solar farm. One is process automation, which plays a vital part in ensuring solar farms are reliable and efficient over a long period of time. Importantly, process automation reduces time to market and cost of solar projects, with optimised engineering and design, and simpler installation and commissioning that are compliant to grid codes and standards. This in turn maximises revenue and optimises operations, with a focus on people and asset safety, system reliability, operational efficiency and security against cyberattacks.
The benefits of process automation in solar farming
To contextualise the important of process automation in the establishment and running of farms, we need to unpack the benefits.
Process automation provides insight into how energy is being used and how it can be optimised. Some of its benefits are:
• Tracks how the PV energy produced is consumed by the loads, stored, or injected to the grid.
• Follows and analyses the trends of the PV production alongside the loads’ consumption.
• Calculates economic benefits related to the reduced consumption of energy from the grid.
• Assesses PV system performance by detecting drifts or malfunctions, with immediate fault notification.
• Provides information on power quality disturbances, especially harmonics and unbalance, since inverters can affect the power quality of the electrical installation.
Process automation also provides insight into grid-connected PV production and offers the following important control functions:
• Limits PV production to avoid injection of power to the grid.
• Manages power factor at the point of grid connection to avoid penalties.
• Shifts loads to the period of PV production to maximise self-consumption.
• Participates in demand response, especially when storage or generators are also part of the installation.
Lastly, together with advanced cloud-based analytics, solar plants can benefit from the optimised usage of local electricity production, which generates additional economic savings. By considering complementary criteria such as changing electricity tariffs, weather forecasts and expected consumption, advanced analytics provide the optimal system configuration.
The next generation of engineers is building living labs of innovation Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
Graduate engineers at Schneider Electric East Africa designed, integrated and commissioned the smart building systems in the company’s new Nairobi head office, demonstrating how practical, real-world project experience accelerates engineering capability and confidence.
Read more...Accelerating pharmaceutical digital compliance and operational efficiency Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
Cosmos Limited, one of Kenya’s leading pharmaceutical manufacturers, has partnered with Schneider Electric to implement an integrated monitoring, energy management and digital validation platform that has improved operational visibility, data integrity and regulatory compliance readiness.
Read more...How certified industrial automation channels become co-creators in the AI era Schneider Electric South Africa
System Integration & Control Systems Design
As industrial automation becomes software-driven and AI-enabled, the role of channel partners is shifting from equipment supply to outcome-based consulting, software integration and lifecycle services that require continuous certification and capability development.
Read more...Mining’s decarbonisation journey starts now Schneider Electric South Africa
Electrical Power & Protection
Mining companies are embedding decarbonisation into core operational strategies as technology, advisory services and digital platforms help translate ESG commitments into measurable environmental and business outcomes.
Read more...AI data centres, nature and innovation Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
Artificial intelligence is driving unprecedented demand for data centre capacity, with liquid cooling now central to managing the heat generated by high-density GPU clusters. Schneider Electric examines how next-generation data centres can balance performance with environmental responsibility.
Read more...Decarbonising the energies and chemical industry without the risk Schneider Electric South Africa
Electrical Power & Protection
Schneider Electric argues that decarbonisation in Africa’s energies and chemical industry need not compromise production or profitability. A phased, digitally enabled approach, starting with energy efficiency improvements, can reduce emissions while strengthening competitiveness.
Read more...South Africa’s space balls
Editor's Choice News
South African engineers are preparing to take low-frequency radio astronomy to the Moon with three locally developed B.A.L.L.S. spheres aboard China’s Chang’e-8 mission. This could pave the way for a 55-antenna lunar array and marks another step in the country’s growing space engineering capability.
Read more...Practical tips to build a successful engineering career
Editor's Choice
Award-winning civil engineer, Tinashe Mukalela of AvenirHoldings shares ten practical tips for young engineers navigating a competitive job market, from professional registration and mentorship to emotional intelligence and leadership development.
Read more...Why mining operations need local lightning early warning Senseca
Editor's Choice Electrical Power & Protection
Lightning can develop into a serious mining hazard before the first local strike, leaving crews little time to stop work and reach safety. Local early-warning technology can provide valuable lead time, allowing mines to connect developing storm conditions to defined trigger actions that protect people, explosives and equipment.
Read more...XPlanar aids innovation in laser processing Beckhoff Automation
Editor's Choice Motion Control & Drives
Aalborg University is among the first in the world to test Beckhoff’s XPlanar intelligent transport system in advanced laser processes, achieving micrometer-precise workpiece positioning and dramatically shorter lead times compared with traditional tool-based manufacturing.
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.
printer friendly version