Solar energy autonomy: B&R APROL controls
4.32 MWp solar power plant in Upper Austria
With B&R APROL handling process control, the solar power plant in Eberstalzell (Upper Austria) runs autonomously and supplies 1,200 households with solar power each year with an annual output of 4.32 MWp - an important contribution to the energy transition. A single automation PC serves as the server for plant automation and ensures autonomous operation.
Initial situation of the project
Safe, clean and, above all, renewable energy sources must be developed to ensure the supply of electricity in the future. Wind and solar energy also play an important role in the security of the Austrian power grid. The SolarCampus was searching for a reliable and scalable industrial control system and with B&R APROL they found what they were looking for. The solar power plant was completed in 2010 and expanded in 2021.
Reasons for the project
Renewable energy plays an important role for utility companies. This is the reason the SolarCampus was built and equipped with B&R technology. Energie AG chose the B&R APROL industrial control system because it has already proven itself in operation at several of the power plant operator's sites – primarily in full-scale plants. B&R's industrial PCs are robust, reliable, scalable and ultimately more economical than cheap office PCs thanks to the long product life cycle.
Challenges faced in the project
There was uncertainty as to whether the new system would meet the complex requirements. Now that the project has been completed, it is clear that expectations were exceeded and the concerns were unfounded. Any authorized user can connect to the APROL industrial control system from any location. Process and operating data can be visualized. Numerous filters in the software ensure efficient work, as has come to be expected with this system.
By 2030, electricity generation from photovoltaic systems in Upper Austria is to be increased tenfold to 3,500 GWh according to the photovoltaic strategy for the province of Upper Austria.
Energie AG has long been a pioneer in sustainable power generation. For Energie AG, renewable energy sources and the responsible use of resources over generations play an important role: 43 hydroelectric power plants, 13 wind turbines and 19 photovoltaic energy generation plants produce clean, CO2-free electricity.
With APROL, Energie AG can count on future-proof and efficient operation of the SolarCampus project
The easy-to-use APROL industrial control system, the fast implementation of the project despite many special requests, the integration of the entire building services technology such as heating, ventilation, shading and cooling, and the operation without on-site personnel – these are arguments in favor of using APROL. "With the SolarCampus, we are ideally equipped to continue to play a pioneering role in energy use and generation in the future," states Energie AG summing up the project.
