Press release January 19, 2023
Starting signal for Sensaia
Software platform from Iqony successfully completes test phase and is now available to customers
Würzburg/Essen. Iqony Solar Energy Solutions GmbH (SENS) has completed the test phase of the “Sensaia” software solution. The platform allows comprehensive operational monitoring of photovoltaic and wind energy plants. This is made possible by the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and a predictive maintenance module. This means that the software uses real-time analysis of operating data to detect impending malfunctions or damage before they occur. That saves time and money. Today, almost 80 PV farms are already being monitored with the help of the innovative Sensaia platform from Iqony
Sensaia is a further development of software solutions that have beenin use reliably at Iqony and STEAG for several years now. The Sensaia prototype, specially designed for monitoring of photovoltaic and wind energy plants, was presented by SENS for the first time at the Intersolar Restart forum in October 2021.
Since then, the project team has finalized the platform and brought it to market. The results from Sensaia’s deployment with pilot customers have also helped. A total of 178 megawatts (MWp) in nearly 80 solar farms are currently being monitored by Sensaia. “Thanks to feedback from the internal operationand maintenance team and fromour customers, the platform was able to reach the quality it now has for its market launch,” explains Florian Dauber, Sensaia’s project manager. “This provides us with an optimumstarting point for further development ofthe platform in a customer-oriented way.”
Anticipating errors and avoiding downtime
Sensaia is a smart software platform for people who own, operate or manage solar and wind power facilitiesand want to increase their profitability. This is made possible by collecting all the operating data of a solar park or wind farm on the platform, storing it there and analyzing it at the same time. Using artificial intelligence, it is then possible to make accurate predictions about possible sources of error and implement them as predictive maintenance.
This has the advantage that valid and early fault detection saves users time and money, as downtimes and major damage with corresponding repaircosts are avoided.
Proven software with powerful AI
Artificial Intelligence, which analyzes the data and triggers alarmsin the event of foreseeable problems, plays a key role. The underlying software has already been in service for more than ten years, monitoring plants with a total capacity of over 45 gigawatts (GW) across the globe. The data obtained in this way ensures that the software is continuously optimized – to the benefit of all our customers.
Sensaia also takes advantage of this tried and tested artificial intelligence, and enables comprehensive application inrenewable energy generation plants. For example, the software can generate soiling forecasts for solar farms or stipulateperfect maintenance periods for wind turbines at times of low wind. “This is associated with considerable optimization potential in the area of plant profitability,” says Christian Gross, who is responsible for the Sensaia project at SENS.
Satisfied customers
The pilot customers to date have found the experience satisfactory. Arthur Leutgeb from Green Source, one of the first test customers for Sensaia, confirms this: “As a long-time customer and partner, we expect the digital Sensaia software to be of the same quality as the analog PV services provided bySENS. We trust the team and have not been disappointed: Sensaia is a customized and innovative approach that can secure the performance of our solar farms in the future,” says Arthur Leutgeb, describing his initial experiencewith Sensaia.
Currently, SENS is monitoring a 50 MWp Green Source solar farm with the help of Sensaia. “We have been able to test and further optimize the various performance components, such as alarms, action planning, and the customized user interfaces of the software, the so-called dashboards,” Christian Grossreports; the test phase went similarly well with other pilot customers.
Strong performance thanks to a strong team
That is also how things are intended to go onafter Sensaia’s market launch: “Now it’s a matter of gaining further experience with new customers and constantly developing the features. We will continuously evaluate their feedback and implement it in the best possible way. With the strong team at our side, I have no doubtthat we can master this together,” says Christian Gross, looking forward to the challenges of the coming months.
Florian Dauber is also satisfied: “Being involved in the development of the software and now seeing Sensaia take off with customers makes me both proud and happy,” he says. It is an incredible amount of fun to work together with the team on a product and towards a common goal. In addition to the technical challenge, the fact that the software can make an important contribution to the energy world of tomorrow also plays a role: “Sensaia is driving the energy transition forward, and that motivatesme and the team as a whole,” says Florian Dauber.
“With the successful completion of this challenging development, Iqony is delivering on the promise it made at the start of this year to be an enabler of the energy transition: We provide real added value for our customers with the help of our digital know-how and significantly increase the yield of PV and wind power plants by avoiding downtime. Thatcreates economic added value and helps the climate,” says Dr. Ralf Schiele, COO of IqonyGmbH, emphasizing the importanceof the project for the company
More information on the product website
Plant operators can find detailed information onthe software solution from Iqony at www.sensaia.com. Contactsfor all aspects of the innovative software platformare also listed there.
