Solar power and the Internet of Things revolution

Solar providers can exploit the IoT boom, but they need to tie-up with a reliable communications network that offers robust remote monitoring. Mohsen Mohseninia explains how it works.

Use of the Internet of Things (IoT) is set to increase massively across all industries in the coming years, but how can solar companies benefit and maximise the opportunity while overcoming potential obstacles?   

IoT adoption and digitalisation in the renewable energy industry is still in its infancy in comparison with sectors such as automotive. Its use, however, is expected to boom in the coming years, with annual revenues in the renewable energy IoT market predicted to surge to £4 billion by 2030, while the US solar market is expected to triple in size in the next five years.

This explosion of IoT-powered solar devices creates a huge opportunity for renewable energy companies to enhance their offerings and increase their ability to maintain and monitor products. But to fully maximise this opportunity, businesses must must understand the problems they face.

Solar devices are often deployed in isolated and inaccessible areas. If companies do not use IoT in their products, this inaccessibility can lead to problems with device maintenance and repair, which can impact customer satisfaction, as well as the company’s bottom line. Additionally, if solar companies are already deploying IoT solutions, the remoteness of these devices can create connectivity issues that threaten successful global deployments.

We are working with Lorentz, a provider of solar-powered water pumping solutions, to help them overcome problems like this. Its solar pumps provide clean water for people and livestock, as well as the irrigation of crops, but often need to be deployed in remote areas. Lorentz operates around the world, with products purpose-built for off-grid, rural, and often hostile environments. Because of these distant locations, the company requires a reliable global mobile network that provides consistent connectivity worldwide, thereby enabling effortless remote monitoring of systems.

Without reliable connectivity, remotely monitored solar devices simply would not work efficiently.

Current wireless infrastructure deployments can struggle to meet these challenges. They can leave providers facing problems because of outdated technology, unknown or unreliable third parties, and other variables that make them highly susceptible to market changes.

To add to this, many solar providers manufacture products without a known destination. As such, with certain mobile network providers, a local SIM card would have to be inserted into the device following sale and then would require local configuration. This costs time, increases security risks, and hinders the business process.

Solar providers also must be able to gather real-time data, while having solutions that feature robust reporting capabilities, if they want to ensure actionable insights on a consistent basis.  

If solar providers install a global subscriber identity module (SIM) at the point of manufacture and use a single global access point name, systems can be deployed anywhere in the world on a simple plug-and-play basis without the need to configure local network settings. By taking this approach, solar providers can enable reliable connectivity and deliver solar IoT solutions to even the most remote locations.  

Most cellular IoT providers have device and SIM card management software built into their subscription platforms. This technology enables solar providers with the ability to set real-time alerts to prevent data overuse. They also provide immediate insight into malfunctions and customer-facing problems. These devices often can be diagnosed, and sometimes fixed, remotely, thereby removing the cost of sending out a technician. For example, if a solar energy provider knows its power inverters should be sending at least 150kb of data per day at a minimum, they can set alerts for devices that fall below that threshold. If, after some analysis, they find the device is not sending the data it needs to be sending, they can deduce that the problem has to do with the device connecting to the network.  

Even if a problem occurs that does require a technician, alerting the customer before they become aware of the problem themselves is a proactive step that increases customer satisfaction and confidence in your company.

Once solar IoT solutions are deployed and have reliable connectivity, they can realise the true potential that IoT offers businesses in this industry.

By embracing and understanding the benefits and problems associated with an IoT deployment, solar providers will be able to remotely monitor devices, get real-time alerts on the health of their products, spot potential problems before they become an issue, increase efficiency, and improve business workflow. This, in total, will enable solar companies to save money on maintenance, improve the capabilities of their solution, and increase customer satisfaction. This is what we have been able to do with Lorentz, which is now able to globally deploy its solutions to even the most remote locations, safe in the knowledge its devices have reliable connection and can be continuously monitored remotely.