Perfect for service assignments: VCOM O&M app

Our new VCOM O&M app is now available for downloading: you can download the app quickly and easily from Google Play and the App Store!

The new VCOM O&M app is helpful and practical when working either at the system on site or while on the move. Regardless of your location, you can view and edit the VCOM tickets assigned to you – even offline. Call-outs to system sites can be documented in full by uploading comments and images. At the end, all information is transferred to the VCOM. As a result, staff in the control room are automatically provided with information straight away. With the app, you always have access to the most important system data such as the location and the contact details. The interface is optimized for efficient work in the field and is therefore particularly suitable for service technicians on assignments.

The app can be used on smartphones and on tablets. In order to use the VCOM O&M app, you must be registered in the VCOM and already use the ticket system.

Do you monitor your systems with safer'Sun Professional? Are you interested in switching to monitoring in the VCOM? We would be happy to offer advice – e-mail our sales staff at sales@meteocontrol.com or call them on +49 (0)821 / 34 666-80.

We appreciate your feedback regarding the new VCOM O&M app. You can also look forward to another app which we will be developing for investors next year!

New editor for system availability: parametrization of the calculation

With the new editor in the VCOM, you can modify the parameters that you use to calculate system availability. This allows you to set the irradiance threshold from which the calculation will be carried out. Two methods are available to choose from:

• With availability on a system level, the energy of the entire system is monitored.
• With availability on an inverter level, the energy of every inverter is tracked. These individual values are then used to create an overall value.

You will find the editor in the system configuration: Just click the wrench icon in the system level. The feature will be available to all partners with the Premium service level from the November release on 11/21/2017.

New Stable Firmware 1.8.4

The new Stable Firmware 1.8.4 for data loggers in the blue’Log X series is now available. It offers the following new features:

Power Control: optimized on-site energy consumption (Intelligent Power Limit - IPL)

In a number of markets, grid operators require grid feed-in of electricity from PV systems to be limited to an agreed value on a permanent basis. It must also be ensured that the feeding of electricity into the public grid is avoided and that all PV power is used for on-site energy consumption at any time instead.

PV systems with on-site energy consumption and one of the described requirements on the part of the grid operator require a technical setup which dynamically limits the feed-in active power and thus ensures that no power is fed into the public electricity grid. With the “IPL” function offered by our data loggers in the blue’Log X series, this requirement can be met in conjunction with the relevant energy meters.

With the new firmware, we have further improved the IPL function and made it as flexible as possible with regard to the system topologies used in practice.

The following meter combinations are now available to regulate on-site energy consumption:

1. Feed-in and import meter as well as consumption meter (or alternatively in combination with yield meter) allow optimum regulation; for plants
   - with a very low permitted feed-in active power (e.g. 0 % feed-in) and high energy consumption.
   - with dynamic systems, e.g. with significant fluctuations in consumption (highly fluctuating load profile).
   - with the feed-in active power permanently limited to < 100 %, particularly recommended for 0 % grid feed-in.
    
2. Feed-in and import meter
   sufficient if permanent limiting of the permitted feed-in active power is not required, e.g. only temporary regulation by solar direct marketers is to be expected (e.g. grid-coupled free field systems with full feed-in).
    
3. Consumption meter
   for systems without a feed-in and import meter and without mandatory reactive power control by a central park controller (GS controller), e.g. small to medium-sized commercial roof systems.

Depending on the requirements profile, you can select the relevant measuring devices from our portfolio:

• Power quality analyzer UMG604 24 V: Item No. 422.129
• Power quality analyzer UMG604 230 V: Item No. 422.128
• Schneider Electric energy meter iEM3155 (3-phase, direct connection up to 63 A): Item No. 424.206
• Schneider Electric energy meter iEM3255 (3-phase, transformer connection): Item No. 424.207

Other meters can also be connected to the system on a project-specific basis. A Modbus interface (Modbus RTU / TCP) is always required.

Expansion of compatibilities

Push service:

• The ftp push function is now compatible with Windows servers.

Effective immediately, the following inverters are supported:

• Ingeteam / INGECON SUN B Series and INGECON SUN 100TL
• Huawei: SUN2000-33KTL-E001, SUN2000-40KTL-US, SUN2000-33KTL-US, SUN2000-36KTL-US, SUN2000-33KTL-A and SUN2000-24,5KTL
• Delta with Sunspec protocol: RPI M15A, RPI M20A, RPI M30A, RPI M50A, RPI M60U, RPI M80U and M88H
• Sungrow SG-36KTL-M

Sensors:

• Configuration profiles for the new Si series irradiance sensors are now available.
• EKO pyranometers with a Modbus interface (e.g. MS-602) are now supported.

Meters:

• Schneider Electric meters from the PM5000 series are now supported.

As announced in our July newsletter, we will stop sending portal alarm messages via SMS from 12/31/2017.

Please remember to switch your alarm contacts to e-mail.