Managing hydroelectric power is a constant balancing act between voltage, current, water levels, and all the components that affect these three variables.  Many hydropower plants are over 100 years old, and obsolescence is making balancing these variables increasingly more difficult.  In addition, if your Hydro power plant is like most, regulatory demands are rising, staff levels falling, maintaining the system is getting more complex, and your most experienced staff is retiring.  In addition, you want your plant to operate 24 hours a day.

Can upgrading controls such as PLCs, governors, and exciters mitigate these negative forces?  In many cases, they can. A well-designed Hydroelectric control system with current automation instruments, controls, and a SCADA system makes operating and maintaining easier.

SCADA System Benefits:

 

  • Automatic emergency callout to system operators for fast response to system emergencies before significant damage occurs.
  • Optimize power production
  • Early warning predictive maintenance to mitigate emergency or catastrophic failures
  • The data source for cost-effective asset management, process optimization, trending, and troubleshooting
  • AlwaysOn™ monitoring operator to reduce the need for 24-hour staff
  • A graphical dashboard showing the status of all process variables

 

  • Auditable historical process reports
  • Automatic delivery of routine SCADA reports
  • Secure access to monitor from anywhere, anytime
  • Lower labor costs and less process downtime
  • Optimized maintenance programs by synching SCADA to asset management software

UIS Renewable Power works in all of North America as an integrator that specializes in Hydroelectric Controls for upgrades, electrical maintenance, and NERC and FERC compliance.  Contact UIS Renewable Power for all your future control upgrades or maintenance.