Ask Alexa – She now knows the current status of PV plants
Solar-Log WEB Enerest™ will soon allow PV plant owners to use ask Amazon's Alexa about their plants' performance. At Intersolar 2018, Solar-Log™ Skill will be available in Amazon's Alexa Skills store. Questions like, “Alexa, how is my plant?” or “Alexa, how much money have I earned with my plant?” can be answered in either English or German. Plant owners will also be able to ask questions like, “when is the best time to vacuum?”, with the answer not depending on how dirty the floor is but on the amount of available PV power and expected PV surplus over the next two days. With this new Solar-Log WEB Enerest™ function, PV energy will become more present and PV monitoring will become simpler and more intuitive for plant owners.
Skillfully monitor small plants – Gateway Solar-Log 50
In combination with the Solar-Log WEB Enerest™ online portal, the Gateway Solar-Log 50 provides reliable and cost-effective PV plant monitoring. This new solution is especially attractive for the price-sensitive market segments of residential plants (up to 15 kWp). These segments require products that deliver functions tailored to the needs of the target group and which are open for expansion. The Solar-Log 50 is a rail mounting model that provides relevant information such as PV yield and consumption data, for effective plant monitoring on the Solar-Log WEB Enerest™ portal. The Solar-Log WEB Enerest™ processes the recorded data, offers numerous reports and has analysis tools for the efficient monitoring and use of PV energy. Solar-Log 50 add-on functions can be enabled by purchasing licenses. For example there are licenses to increase the installed plant output allowed to 30 kWp and to enable power reductions (x% reductions).
There will be 500 Gateway Solar-Log 50 giveaways at Intersolar
Solare Datensysteme GmbH is giving away a Gateway Solar-Log 50 to each of the first 500 visitors to its trade fair booth B2/260. Questionnaires were sent with the Solar-Log™ invitation newsletter and anyone interested can complete the questionnaire and bring it to the SDS Intersolar booth. Those who present a completed questionnaire and who are among the first 500 visitors will receive two years of Solar-Log WEB Enerest™ service free of charge along with their Solar-Log 50.
Smarter energy – charging stations, heat pumps and battery systems
Developments in the area of smart energy are moving along at a rapid pace. The Solar-Log™ PV monitoring system has transformed into an energy management system and the integration of charging stations for electric cars plays an important role in the transformation. For example, the Solar-Log™ system in combination with a KEBA charging station provides optimized charging for electric cars. A charge requirement setting ensures that the car always reaches its minimum charge even when PV energy is not available. When there is a PV energy surplus, the Solar-Log™ informs the KEBA charging station that there is additional power to charge the car beyond the minimum charge level. The charge data is recorded and visualized with the Solar-Log WEB Enerest™ portal.
Save energy with precise heating controls
Combining photovoltaic power generation with heat pumps offers another way to optimize the consumption of self-produced power. The basic idea is to have the heat pump use surplus PV power. Depending on how the heat pump is connected to the Solar-Log™, a release signal or a surplus is sent to the heat pump. Heat pumps from IDM CTA, Hoval and Stiebel-Eltron can even be connected to the Solar-Log™ system via their own protocol. The protocol connection to the IDM heat pumps additionally includes transferring yield forecast data. Based on the weather forecast, the Solar-Log WEB Enerest™ calculates the specific yield forecast for the day and the following two days. IDM heat pumps factor in this data for the next 12 hours, allowing power consumption to be scheduled to ensure efficient heat pump operation.
Effectively saving energy
Battery systems are the most effective solution for the independent use of PV electricity. A major benefit is that the electricity can be stored and then used later, regardless of the time of day or amount of sun. Integrating battery storage with the Solar-Log™ system allows measured values such as the battery voltage, current charge level, and unloading capacity to be available directly in the Solar-Log™ web interface. As a helpful analysis option, the current charge is displayed as well as the charge history for the previous seven days. The Solar-Log™ provides the user with additional information from the storage medium to assist in using the battery solution more effectively. Important components are the electricity savings from using the battery and the efficiency of the battery solution itself. The user observes energy from the battery and its savings instead of purchasing electricity from the grid.
Come and see Solare Datensysteme GmbH at Intersolar Europe 2018, from June 20 to 22 in Hall B2, Booth 260.
Solare Datensysteme GmbH (SDS)
Solare Datensysteme GmbH (SDS), based in the German city of Geislingen-Binsdorf, is one of the leading companies in solar monitoring, smart energy, and feed-in management, with a global service for operators and installers. Since August 2015, SDS is a subsidiary of BKW AG (based in Bern, Switzerland) – a global company for energy and infrastructure with around 6,000 employees.
SDS has developed and distributed its Solar-Log™ product range since 2007, with the product installed in 118 countries and monitoring 270,000 plants with a total output of 12 GWp. Solar-Log™ is compatible with 130 component manufacturers and more than 2,300 inverter models. SDS solutions makes an important contribution to the successful integration of renewable energy into an intelligent power grid to help to make the successful transition to clean energy a reality. www.solar-log.com
