Grant: Applied Research and Development Grants - Level 1

In order to track the sun for maximum energy output, there are various types of controllers on the market that are used in photovoltaic (PV) systems: commercial programmable logic controllers (PLCs), electronic platforms like Arduino and Raspberry PI, and controllers that are included in complete, turnkey tracking systems. It has been reported that some of these controllers are unable to withstand the harsh Canadian winter, resulting in damaged equipment and power loss. The SmartEnergy Company is an experienced sustainable energy developer focusing on projects that guide socially responsible behavior. As part of their activities, they design, test, and manufacture their own solar tracking systems. In the context of this project, The SmartEnergy Company will increase their PV system's solar tracker capabilities by developing the functionality to adopt various configurations like seasonal tilt adjustment, wind storm protection, and snow removal modes, to be able to cope with difficult local climatic conditions. Nergica will accompany The SmartEnergy Company by providing technical assistance in the development and programming of an electronic platform that will act as a controller for their tracking system. In addition, Nergica will implement Internet of Things (IoT) technology to the controller, which will give the ability to collect, process and transfer raw data to a remote station for further analysis. This IoT capability will allow The SmartEnergy Company to better analyze their data and to produce meaningful insight regarding their system's performance, technical availability and improvement opportunities.