Enterprise Automation was selected to integrate the equipment for LADWP’s utility-scale 11.6MW solar PV installation at their Adelanto converter station in February 2012. The PV installation adds renewable energy generation to the existing system at the Adelanto station.
Enterprise Automation’s role included network architecture design review, support for device selection, SCADA integration functional specification development, programming, and commissioning services, primarily for communications and control. There were approximately 40 PV related field devices including: inverters, meteorological stations, power meters, and protective relays.
An SEL 3530 RTAC (Real Time Automation Controller) served as the data collector, programmed by Enterprise Automation to poll and convert data as required into consistent formats required by LADWP. Communications protocols included DNP3 over serial, DNP3 TCP, Modbus RTU, and Modbus TCP. All data was converted to DNP3 serial for LADWP’s plant HMI and control center SCADA systems, bringing the powerful data logging and timestamping of DNP3 to the otherwise uncategorized data.
Enterprise Automation’s rigorous in-house testing procedures allowed the identification of potential communications and data issues prior to plant start-up, reducing the time required for start-up and the quantity of re-work required in the field.
