Author: Peter Longbottom

Integrating legacy and post-warranty sites into modern control room monitoring can be a challenge for renewable energy operators. Visualwind’s WindSync SCADA software is meeting this challenge by providing remote connectivity for real-time remote monitoring and control.

How do renewable energy companies integrate older sites into their control room monitoring?

In many cases, integration is limited; legacy sites are absent from fleet monitoring systems, remote fault clearance is cumbersome if even possible and SCADA data is accessed manually.

One of Visualwind’s main focusses in recent years has been helping renewable energy companies setup their post-warranty and legacy turbines with modern web-application SCADA. For site owners and operators the benefits are clear – all sites in one system, immediate knowledge of issues, remote fault clearance and setpoint configuration, automated fault analysis and so on.

Connecting legacy communications protocols with modern data technologies

For Visualwind, the challenge has been to connect legacy communications protocols with modern data technologies on a wide range of turbines types and sites. In some cases, the OEM is no longer in existence and the turbines are left with no remote visibility. In other cases, the turbines are no longer maintained by the OEM and the original SCADA system is no longer supported. In all cases, a new approach is needed.

At Visualwind, our expectation is that the need for SCADA solutions for legacy and post-warranty turbines will remain strong as fleets age and the number of refurbished turbines increases. Our hope is that in all cases, this growing fleet of mature wind turbines will be no different to their newer counterparts when it comes to data connectivity.

Vestas SCADA

One of the most common turbine types to use WindSync SCADA is older Vestas turbines. Visualwind recently supplied WindSync to one the UK’s older wind farms. Setting up WindSync at the site gave the operators real-time monitoring, remote fault clearance and SCADA data analysis.

Refurbished turbines are another common use case for WindSync SCADA. Refurbished Vestas turbines have been a popular choice for FIT projects and for owners of refurbished Vestas turbines, WindSync SCADA gives them and their O&M teams everything they need.

Read more about WindSync or contact us to find out more.

Adamas Wind have installed Visualwind’s, WindSync SCADA as its chosen remote monitoring system bringing the benefits of a modern SCADA system to one of the UK’s older wind farms. The first turbines at Winscales date back to the late 1990s and over 20 years later they continue to operate, generating considerable renewable energy from the plentiful West Cumbrian Winds. WindSync SCADA was installed at the wind farm control room by Adamas technicians with remote support from Visualwind giving remote SCADA access to the Vestas V47 and V52 turbines.

Rob Payne of Adamas said “The system provides us with invaluable 24/7 access to real-time monitoring, data creation, fault clearance, parameter configuration, performance, and downtime analysis. With instant access available to all key personnel including our wind farm owner, our operations control room and service teams, WindSync ensures we can always monitor our assets through the simple to use web-based platform. Many thanks to Peter and his team at Visualwind for providing a smooth install and bespoke training package.”

Peter Longbottom of Visualwind said, “It’s fantastic to see Winscales integrated into modern control room monitoring. We look forward to working with Adamas on this and future projects.”

Read more about WindSync or contact us to find out more.

Read more about Adamas.