Solar power is an increasingly popular form of energy production, due in large part to its many economic and environmental advantages. Solar power deployments are long-term investments in sustainable energy production that promote energy independence by reducing reliance on fossil fuels. To protect these investments and maximize the economic benefits offered by solar power, users and servicing companies need an easy way to monitor the components in their solar power systems as well as their energy production and consumption.
XBee® and XBee-PRO® ZB modules embedded into solar inverters bring wireless network connectivity to solar energy deployments. Existing deployments can easily be retrofitted for wireless connectivity using XBee and XBee-PRO ZB adapters. Digi’s wireless XBee products form secure, reliable ZigBee mesh networks and eliminate the need for wired infrastructure.
A Python-programmable ConnectPort® X4 H gateway collects data from each XBee-enabled solar inverter in a deployment area. This information is sent over a cellular data network to the Internet-based iDigi™ Cloud. Users and servicing companies can easily access this information in real-time from anywhere around the world. Additionally, by creating simple front-end applications, iDigi users can receive system updates and alerts via a website, email or SMS.
Benefits:
- Real-time solar energy system monitoring
- Wireless solution reduces infrastructure costs
- Certified cellular data connection for out-of-band connections
- Remote troubleshooting reduces maintenance costs and system downtime
