meteocontrol GmbH, a leading provider of independent photovoltaic monitoring systems, is the monitoring partner for Phanes Group who is currently delivering Phase I of Dubai’s largest distributed solar industrial rooftop project for the international port operator DP World. Together with the project developer Phanes Group and its asset construction company Oryx Solar System Solutions LLC (Oryx), meteocontrol is implementing complex photovoltaic rooftop systems with a total installed volume of 25.8 MWp. meteocontrol designed the customized monitoring platform for these rooftop solar systems.
The DP World’s Solar Power Programme represents the largest solar rooftop-system project in the Middle East to date. During the first phase of the project 88,000 photovoltaic modules are being installed and will produce energy that equals the power supply to 3,000 households. The total installed output power amounts to 25.8 MWp. With its solar program, DP World is making a significant contribution to the planned expansion of clean-energy production in Dubai, operating under the “Shams Dubai” initiative.
Custom-fit monitoring system, support and training
DP World’s first solar systems are already connected to the grid and meteocontrol is providing the monitoring. “The entire system portfolio is equipped with data loggers from the blue’Log X series and the VCOM Cloud (virtual control room). Therefore, it can be easily taken stock of and professionally monitored,” explains Martin Schneider, Managing Director of meteocontrol. meteocontrol adapted the modularly constructed monitoring system to meet system as well as country-specific requirements, put it into operation and conducted training sessions at Oryx.
Monitoring “made in Germany”
meteocontrol is relying on the collaboration with experienced local companies during project execution. “This has tremendous advantages for the investor, off-taker and project developer alike. They receive proven high-tech solutions ‘made in Germany’ but also have the possibility to contact experts directly on site. With Oryx, we were able to collaborate with a competent partner in the United Arab Emirates,” says Martin Schneider, clearly delighted. meteocontrol’s comprehensive monitoring solution is effective and cost-efficient for large photovoltaic projects such as that of DP World. “Once set up, additional solar systems can easily be integrated into the monitoring platform, allowing comprehensive surveillance at a glance. This reduces the amount of time and efforts associated with operation management,” says Dr. Rainer Gegenwart, Managing Director for Projects, Phanes Group. “So far everything has been running according to plan. The collaboration with meteocontrol is very efficient, as it has been in operation and monitoring of other utility scale PV systems”. Future continued collaboration is targeted between Phanes Group and meteocontrol.