Renewable energy plants: photovoltaic and hydroelectric

RENEWABLE

PHOTOVOLTAIC

We offer solutions for intelligent management systems that increase self-generated usage by about 15%. Using storage systems (batteries) that store and optimize the use of excess energy, when needed, can increase this percentage up to 70%.

■ raise independence from increase of electric energy prices
■ lower electricity bills
■ higher return from photovoltaic plants

Photovoltaic plants are convenient for two simple reasons:

The cost of electricity on bill varies between 0,20 and 0,30 €/kwh while the cost of production for photovoltaic ranges between 0,05 and 0,10 €/kwh.
Tax credits for implementing plants for homes and companies.

Thus, the energy that is produced and consumed by a photovoltaic plant represents the major saving factor for the user. Generally speaking, the amount of electric energy generated by a solar source does not correspond to the amount electricity that is used. In particular, energy usage could exceed the amount of energy that is produced during morning, night and through the winter period. Shifting usage to peak periods of photovoltaic production, self-produced electricity consumption can be increased.

The most important fact is that the cost of self-produced electricity will be fixed for years and that in future, the profits from the photovoltaic plant will increase every time the price of electric energy goes up. Of course every situation has its own variables: size of roof, number of residents, time spent at home and annual consumption. All these factors must be held into consideration when designing a photovoltaic plant in order to reach the best return: a self-consumption system can generate up to 70% autonomy.

Zanocco SMI has a team of designers, technicians and sales staff that is always available for evaluations, operative surveys and quotes.

HYDROELECTRIC

Hydroelectric renewable energy source has one characteristic that makes it differ from other renewable sources in that it produces continuous and non-intermittent energy.

The objective of a hydroelectric plant is to exploit energy generated by water flow. Several operations are required in order to transform the potential energy of water into electricity.

The plant must enact automatic management concerning:

Start/stop generator following manual/automatic control, or interaction of the protection barriers automatically activated by PLC;
Automatic PLC regulation of power supply depending upon water supplies in reservoirs or in charge basins upstream of the plant;
Survey of normal running conditions, with prompt automatic PLC indication of faults or failures;
Regulation of power factor, in compliance with mains connection regulations of the chosen distribution operator (ENEL, ENEL Energia etc);
Data capture of all information required for local or remote monitoring of the plant.

Thanks Zanocco SMI, the automation systems allow all information to be viewed on an operating display installed on the control board that interfaces between the operator and the PLC so that the operator can interact with regulations and the main controls. Furthermore, Zanocco SMI offers a remote-control system that acquires data and, following any necessary transformation, sends them to the remote-control station where they are processed so they can be viewed, allowing the operating parameters of the plant to be monitored and adjusted in remote. The only remaining, necessary manual operations are planned and extraordinary maintenance. In this way, use of personnel on site is optimized.