Grid operators and developers in The Netherlands are facing grid congestion due to increased renewable adoption. Co-locating solar and wind plants is one way to reduce the strain on grids. Peak solar is during the day in the summer, while peak wind generation occurs in the winter. This complementary nature of solar and wind can stabilize the intermittent nature of the energy production and maximize grid connection utilization, leading to significant benefits in terms of dispatchability, flexibility, and reliability.
Shell, as part of its global push in the renewable energy space, developed a hybrid asset in The Netherlands. The power plant consists of a 50-MW photovoltaic power plant and a 50-MW wind farm. In order to control and monitor this complex project, Shell worked with Inaccess, a global control and monitoring solutions provider for renewable energy projects. Building on their cooperation for utility-scale projects in Australia and the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region, Shell and Inaccess will continue collaborating on a project pipeline in various countries.
The Unity system of Inaccess optimizes the operation of modern renewable power plants and portfolios encompassing photovoltaic, batteries, wind, and microgrids by offering:
- Fine-tuned control: low-level distributed control architecture and grid interaction
- Crystallizing and centralizing by providing accurate data acquisition and scalability
- Maximizing energy production by identifying and evaluating cases of underperformance
- Optimizing market revenues by minimizing imbalance costs and maximizing energy capture price
According to Inaccess, the integrated nature of the Unity system ensures “no-excuses” accurate monitoring, control, and optimization and acts as the single version of truth among the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) firm, the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), asset management, and market management ecosystem.
