It offers a tool that monitors the solar farm's productivity. Should a fault arise, it can identify the precise location so that it can be resolved quickly, helping to reduce maintenance costs.
The order was placed via Burnell Switchgear, the supplier of bespoke electrical switchgear products, who designed and installed the packaged substations housing the Slimline XR ITS2 and the medium voltage switchgear and transformers.
Solarcentury commissioned Burnell Switchgear to deliver the power containers for several new solar farms including Southwick, which has a capacity of 48MWp.
Southwick solar farm is also one of the first to use the latest low voltage technology for remote monitoring, for enhanced operational efficiency.
John Blake of Burnell Switchgear said, "There is growing pressure on the solar industry to supply up to date information on the generation of power and the identification of potential faults, as most solar farms are unmanned remote monitoring is essential."
The Slimline SR ITS2 is the second-generation intelligent monitoring switch. It has applications in commercial and industrial buildings as well as data centres, hospitals and solar farms.
In the event of a fault or a blown fuse at a solar farm, the ITS will detect a voltage drop and transmit its readings to a control centre. The voltage drop will set off an alarm and will identify exactly where the fault lies, prompting a technician to visit site with the right equipment and spares to rectify the fault and with no need for on-site investigation.
Another benefit is that the plant's operator will be able to monitor production in real-time.
Solarcentury installed 340 Slimline XR ITS2 switches in 20 cabinets at Southwick solar farm, that also contain inverters and MCBs supplied by ABB as well as a 400V / 33kV transformers and switchgear, which controls power injected into the local distribution network. The switches monitor voltage of key infrastructure, which is transmitted to a remote control centre in London.