Saudi-based Acwa Power, a leading power generation and desalination firm, has joined hands with Huawei, a leading global ICT and network energy solutions provider, to launch an innovative energy efficiency programme at the ongoing World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

The FusionSolar Smart PV Management System is a centralised control and monitoring system that helps photovoltaic (PV) power plants run more effectively through better technology, said the company in a statement.

The system improves communications capabilities to enable a solar power network, remote control, and automatic troubleshooting at a solar power plant. FusionSolar Smart PV Management System aims to increase availability, reduce cost of O&M (operations and maintenance) and reduce the power loss of whole PV plant.

FusionSolar leverages state-of-the-art technology and digitalised intelligence to help boost efficiency of solar plants.

The system allows solar plant operators to control and monitor performance without being on site, especially the senior experts can manage several PV plants at the same time. This greatly lowers the labour and cost requirements for O&M.   

Julio Torre Gutierrez, the president and CEO of Nomac, the wholly-owned operations and maintenance contractor of Acwa Power, said: "Technology in the renewable energy industry is rapidly evolving not only on how electricity is generated but also in how plants are operated."

"This pilot programme is an important step in our continuous pursuit of delivering power reliably and at the lowest possible cost, a mission that necessitates the implementation of the latest solutions. The pilot programme is the first step in rolling out this technology in current and future sites as we strive to digitize our operations," observed Gutierrez.

Yin Feijun, general manager of FusionSolar Smart PV Global Sales, Huawei, said: "For the solar industry to continue to reduce cost and compete with fossil fuel alternatives, adopting the cutting-edge technologies to improve performance and operating efficiency is vital."

"We are confident that the FusionSolar Smart PV Management System will significantly contribute to this mission. What’s more, we’re looking forward to team up with Acwa to build more innovative PV plants in Mena and all over the world," he added.-TradeArabia News Service