Affinity Energy integrates custom PLC and SCADA systems for groundbreaking BESS project

Rows of solar panels at utility-scale solar farm in Western U.S. with project text detailed.

Background

In another step towards achieving a clean energy future, the world’s largest generator of renewable energy, with more than 24,000 MW of renewable energy from the wind and sun, has also become a world leader in battery storage. In their efforts to deliver Real Zero™ for its customers, the American premier clean energy provider chose Affinity Energy to implement BESS PPC PLC and SCADA and system integration services at the world’s largest Photovoltaic (PV) solar plant in Riverside, California – Desert Sunlight.

What Our Clients Say About Us

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Once again, we’ve received awesome support from the Affinity Energy team. Thanks for being there in the trenches with us. The foundation we’ve laid now with Affinity Energy for these types of projects is going to benefit us greatly moving forward.

Senior Project Manager

World’s Largest Generator of Renewable Energy

Challenge

In January 2015, the 550 MW power station, Desert Sunlight, located in Riverside, California, approximately six miles north of Desert Center in the Mojave Desert, became operational. The facility owned by the world’s largest generator of renewable energy, General Electric, and Sumitomo of America is expected to generate 1,060,000 MWh of clean energy per year while preventing 614,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually. The addition of 230 MW of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) will help relieve the demand on the electrical grid by storing the renewable energy generated by the Desert Sunlight Solar Farm, allowing for consistent energy delivery during peak hours when the system may not be generating energy.

Using Power Electronics inverters and CATL EnerOne batteries, Affinity Energy was tasked with integrating and controlling the pair as one battery entity. Not only was this Affinity Energy’s largest battery energy storage project, but this project would become one of the largest battery systems in the world. Similarly, this BESS system was one of the first of its kind. The clean energy provider had never used CATL EnerOne for battery storage, so while this presented a challenge, our team of engineers made it their mission to fully understand this new battery technology.

They needed a BESS PLC and SCADA systems integration expert.

Solution

Having worked on multiple projects in 2021 for this clean energy provider – Dodge Flats (Washoe County, NV) and Fish Springs Ranch (Washoe County, NV) – Affinity Energy was chosen to configure, program, and commission all SCADA and PLC integration services for the Desert Sunlight Battery Energy Storage Systems.

Affinity Energy engineers began by utilizing the sample BESS Ignition Backup gateway and PLC Code from previous projects with the clean energy provider and customized it to fit the specific needs of this project. The team then worked on developing Ignition Vision SCADA HMI, OPC Server, plant control narrative (PCN), and point checkouts for the project. The SCADA network architecture was designed to allow the clean energy provider to remotely control and monitor the site’s performance.

Next, the BESS systems needed to be connected to the utility-scale PV solar system through medium voltage interconnections at the existing substation. Affinity Energy’s engineers developed, deployed, and commissioned Ignition SCADA software to monitor and control the energy storage parameters for the BESS project.

Affinity Energy’s SCADA integrators modified the existing solar PLC to create a communication interface with the BESS PLC to provide solar plant monitoring. Using Schneider M340/M580 as the BESS plant controller PLC, the BESS PLC would monitor the output of the solar plant, ensuring that the rate of battery charging does not exceed its renewable generation.

The team then had to make modifications within the PLC and SCADA platform to properly incorporate the 78 Power Electronics FP4200 inverters used in conjunction with the new CATL EnerOne batteries while ensuring that the controls system could be controlled to its Point of Interconnection independently of the PV solar plant and SCADA server, directly integrating with inverters, BMSs, relays, breakers, meters, gateways, and other interfaces.

The team also took on the additional scope to configure the clean energy provider’s OrionLX remote terminal units, which served as the communication interface between the substation and BESS yard.  Successful integration allowed the clean energy provider, SCE, and CAISO to interface to the system in a way that was compliant with CAISO requirements. Lastly, Affinity Energy engineers remained responsible for the successful development, functional verification, commissioning, and validation for all SCADA Acceptance Testing (SAT) including: MOD-26/27 NERC Standards testing, remote alarm tests, automatic BESS Logic, communication failure evaluation, plant controller BMS Cell Protection Logic, and others.

Results

Affinity Energy completed work on the Desert Sunlight BESS systems in Q3 2022. While our engineers viewed this project as a challenge, our dedication to clear and concise communication, coupled with our expertise in SCADA system integration and PLC controls, made this project successful. Our teamwork, thoroughness, and passion for learning, understanding, and integrating the new, cutting-edge CATL EnerOne batteries proved invaluable to these efforts and will be instrumental in future integrations.

The first of its kind, the Desert Sunlight BESS plant, generating 920 MWh, can provide electricity to power over 1,030 homes per month in the U.S. The grandeur of this BESS system and SCADA integration proves to the world that these systems can be economically viable. With its success, the groundwork has been laid for future projects across the industry and across the world.

Staying true to its core Affinity Energy took the initiative to continuously learn and seek a better way throughout the entire project. As a result of Affinity Energy’s exceptional performance, the company has been awarded its Desert Peak project as well as four other utility-scale PV solar and BESS projects in 2023.