In the renewable energy sector, a power station’s availability is not merely one technical parameter amongst many: it is a key driver of profitability. Closely monitored by the entire ecosystem, it lies at the heart of the operation and maintenance contracts between asset owners, operators and maintenance providers.
Whilst unavailability quantifies and categorises the duration of outages, availability measures the power station’s actual operational performance. It is determined on the basis of a fundamental principle: the continuous comparison of measured generation against available sunlight.
Going beyond theory: measuring a site’s actual availability
To provide an accurate picture of the situation on the ground, Energysoft draws on raw data streams sourced directly from the monitoring system. The platform automatically identifies equipment downtime in order to produce precise availability rates, which can be broken down on a daily, monthly or annual basis.
To adapt to the specific circumstances of each infrastructure, Energysoft’s calculation engine offers a standard method for calculating downtime, including the handling of missing data or zero output, with aggregation weighted by inverter power, and also allows the formula to be customised at various levels:
- A configurable radiation threshold
The calculation of unavailability can be configured to be triggered only once a certain level of sunshine is reached (for example, from 100 W/m²).
- Precise management of electronic data transmission
The user specifies whether a loss of communication or a lack of data should be recorded as a field outage or not.
- Automatic adjustment depending on the equipment
If there is no pyranometer on site, the platform uses sunrise and sunset instead. The calculation also adjusts automatically depending on the level of detail in the available data, whether at the inverter lever or the main meter level.
Reliable data and contractual compliance: zero false alarms
Energysoft’s approach eliminates the risk of errors and false alarms by relying exclusively on measured, reliable and verified data, reported directly by the on-site communication gateways.
However, a tool’s capabilities extend beyond automated calculations. Whilst Energysoft detects and quantifies the outage, the categorisation of the event remains at the user’s discretion. Using the data consolideted within the interface, the user can categorise the outage period according to their contractual or technical requirements.
Categorising outages provides a clear overview of the power station’s operational disruptions, broken down by customised categories. This advanced tool from Energysoft is a major asset when it comes to justifying production variances during reviews with end customers, investors or banking partners.
A feature designed for real-world use and capable of evolving
As operation and maintenance contracts set out increasingly detailed and demanding rules, it had become essential to provide a highly precise lever of analysis. The detailed and advanced availability management within Energysoft perfectly illustrates S4E Software’s commitment to developing its tools to meet business needs.
Whilst the very first version operated at hourly intervals and across the entire site, the module has evolved significantly in response to customer requirements. It now allows users to drill down to the ray data level (sub-daily) and to generate reports or manually enter unavailability data directly at the lever of each piece of equipment.
Tomorrow: focusing on multi-technology storage and monitoring
S4E Software continues to refine its algorithms to support the transformations taking place in the energy market. Currently applied to solar and wind power, the availability calculation will very soon be extended to installations equipped with storage systems.
The platform will therefore offer three distinct, dedicated availability indicators, solar availability, wind vailability and storage availability, ensuring bespoke management for all the hybrid power stations of the future.
