Case Study: Enhancing Solar PV Site Management with Digital Twin Technology 

Introduction 

Solar Spy, a leader in solar energy management, sought to elevate their service offerings by incorporating digital twin technology for their clients, facing challenges with understanding true site performance and operational efficiency. Solar Spy partnered with Pragmile to develop a sophisticated digital twin solution that would transform their SaaS platform. 

Our Achievements 

• Developed a comprehensive digital twin model for large-scale photovoltaic (PV) sites.  

• Enhanced performance simulation, lifecycle management, and operational efficiency for Solar Spy.  

• Provided real-time system monitoring, accurate energy forecasting, and proactive maintenance recommendations. 

Client Benefits 

• Enhanced Operational Efficiency: Real-time mirroring of system components with AI-powered diagnostics, reducing manual inspections and maintenance costs.  

• Improved Performance: Accurate modeling of the true installation performance enabled Asset Managers and O&Ms to work on strategies to close the performance gap.  

• Accurate Energy Forecasting: Improved production predictions to enhance energy trading and avoid negative pricing impacts.   

The Problem 

Solar Spy’s clients were experiencing several challenges: 

• Manual Monitoring: Existing systems relied heavily on manual inspections and data collection, which were time-consuming and prone to errors.  

• Performance Uncertainty: Inadequate tools for accurately simulating and predicting plant performance under various conditions.  

• Lifecycle Management: Difficulty in maintaining and optimizing PV sites without real-time performance data and analytics.  

• Energy Forecasting: Inaccurate production predictions affecting energy trading and risk of negative pricing impacts.  

Our Solution 

• The Solar Spy startup was initiated with a vision to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics to analyze extensive image data (1500 Thermal and 1500 RGB images per 1MWp) and accurately pinpoint issues in solar power modules. 

• Our ambition extended beyond providing reliable and efficient assessments of solar power site health and performance, we aimed to offer a comprehensive platform for all-encompassing data management and actionable insights. 

Path to Success 

• Collaborative R&D and Strategic Planning: Merging technological and PV domain expertise, our R&D team formulated a strategic plan, ensuring our solutions were precisely tailored to address the nuanced challenges within PV plants. 

• Data Management and Model Definition: The R&D team meticulously crafted and managed data sets, utilizing domain knowledge to ensure model training was effectively targeted. Models were defined to solve specific issues, such as PV module detection on RGB images and issue identification on thermal images as well as module reference temperature calculation etc. 

• Data Augmentation and AI Training: Utilizing advanced data augmentation methods, we built extensive data sets, enhancing our AI models’ robustness and accuracy, achieving a remarkable 99% accuracy in identifying and categorizing issues in solar power modules. 

• Unified SaaS Platform Development: A comprehensive SaaS platform was developed to continuously monitor site performance and health, seamlessly integrating production data from all sites and providing a unified overview of site performance.  

• Data Analytics and Proactive Machine Learning: We implemented robust data pipelines and analytics, coupled with real-time machine learning, to detect anomalies and ensure immediate issue identification and mitigation. Our ongoing developments in predictive analytics aim to further enhance proactive site management. 

Results and Benefits 

Solar Spy continues to grow, leveraging the robust foundation provided by Pragmile. Solar Spy addressed immediate challenges and set new industry benchmarks, ensuring that solar power site owners, managers and O&Ms are equipped with reliable, efficient, and forward-thinking tools for optimal site management. 

Conclusion 

The success of Solar Spy serves as a powerful example of the transformative potential of AI and innovative solutions. By addressing industry-specific challenges with a clear understanding and a bold vision, businesses across sectors can revolutionize their own standards and practices. 

Key takeaways from Solar Spy’s journey: 

• Embrace AI and advanced analytics to optimize processes and reduce costs. 

• Foster collaboration between domain experts and technology specialists to create tailored solutions. 

• Invest in robust data management and model definition to ensure accurate and reliable results. 

• Continuously innovate and explore new solutions like predictive analytics to stay ahead of the curve and drive proactive management. 

What Pragmile Offers 

As Pragmile continues to push the boundaries of innovation, businesses that partner with us can expect to benefit from their deep expertise, cutting-edge technologies, and commitment to delivering bespoke solutions. By harnessing the power of AI, Computer Vision, and Machine Learning, Pragmile empowers organizations to build a future where ideas meet expertise, driving transformative results across industries. 

• Empowering projects with our High-Performance Developer Teams.  

• Harnessing the power of AI, Computer Vision, and Machine Learning to craft pioneering solutions. 

• Utilizing our Infrasenses technology makes tech solutions smart, intuitive, and predictive. 

• Creating robust AI-driven platforms and developing bespoke tech solutions tailored to your needs. 

Contact us directly at contact@pragmile.com and let’s discuss how innovative technologies and processes can transform your business. 

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