The renewable energy industry is increasingly reliant on data-driven decision-making to optimise performance, reduce inefficiencies, and ensure maximum asset availability. Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems play a crucial role by enabling real-time monitoring and control of renewable energy assets such as wind turbines and solar PV systems.
For asset managers, SCADA systems provide the foundation for operational insights, but leveraging this data effectively requires advanced analytics and automation. This is where Enlitia’s AI Platform comes in, enhancing SCADA data interpretation with AI-driven insights that optimise asset performance without requiring constant human supervision.
A SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system is an industrial automation solution designed to monitor, control, and manage infrastructure or industrial processes in real-time. It collects data from sensors, controllers, and other devices, enabling operators to track performance, detect anomalies, and make informed operational decisions.
In the renewable energy sector, SCADA systems are essential for overseeing power generation, grid integration, and asset maintenance in wind farms and solar PV plants. They gather extensive real-time and historical data, such as:
In renewable energy, SCADA systems (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) are typically structured across two main levels, each serving a distinct purpose in how operational data is collected, integrated, and analysed across assets such as wind turbines and solar inverters.
These are the SCADA systems provided by the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Each wind turbine or solar inverter brand typically has its own proprietary SCADA solution. These systems:
While OEM SCADAs are essential for real-time turbine or inverter monitoring, they can be restrictive when managing multi-brand portfolios due to their closed nature and inconsistent data structures.
Level 2 SCADA systems act as a centralised integration layer, pulling data from multiple Level 1 SCADAs, often from different manufacturers, into a single, unified interface. This is especially important for operators managing multi-technology or multi-brand portfolios.
Key characteristics of Level 2 SCADAs:
Level 2 SCADAs are essential for modern asset managers who require portfolio-wide decision-making capabilities, going beyond basic control to unlock deeper performance insights and operational efficiency.
SCADA systems operate through a four-step process:
While SCADA systems provide critical real-time data, they are not designed for predictive analytics or deep pattern recognition. Enlitia’s AI Platform bridges this gap by integrating SCADA data via data importers connectors.
Data connectors connect SCADA systems to Enlitia’s AI Platform, enabling the continuous flow of real-time data into advanced AI models. These importers:
While SCADA systems provide an extensive amount of operational data, they lack advanced analytical capabilities for recognising trends, forecasting failures, or providing decision-support insights.
Instead of manually reviewing thousands of data points, asset managers using Enlitia’s AI Platform receive only the most relevant insights, such as:
For Enlitia’s AI Platform to generate accurate, actionable insights, it requires access to high-quality, real-time SCADA data. Without SCADA-level monitoring, AI models cannot operate with the precision necessary to optimise asset performance.
SCADA systems are the foundation of real-time monitoring in renewable energy, providing critical data for wind and solar asset management. However, they lack the advanced analytical capabilities required to extract meaningful insights from vast datasets.
Enlitia’s AI Platform unlocks the full potential of SCADA data by automating performance analysis, identifying inefficiencies, and delivering actionable recommendations allowing asset managers to optimise operations without being overwhelmed by excessive raw data.
If you’re ready to leverage AI-driven insights on top of your existing SCADA system, explore how Enlitia’s platform can transform your asset management strategy.
Enlitia is an innovative provider of asset performance management & monitoring solutions, empowering the energy industry to thrive in the digital era. With our pioneering AI Platform, we deliver transformative results, driving growth, performance, and value for our clients. Unlock the power of data with Enlitia today.
