Automation of Renewable Energy Installations: Challenges and Solutions
Automation of Renewable Energy Installations: Challenges and Solutions
Automation of Renewable Energy Installations: Challenges and Solutions
Energy Transition: A Bet on Automation
In the face of CO₂ emission reduction targets, the rapid growth of renewable energy sources (solar, wind, hydropower, etc.) brings a new challenge: the automation and intelligent supervision of these facilities.
Production fluctuations, weather variability, and the need to integrate storage systems and grids make this challenge both technical and strategic.
At Automatique & Industrie, we support project developers and operators by delivering automation solutions that address these challenges and transform installations into smart assets.
“For a solar power plant to produce energy, installing panels is no longer enough: it requires a system that supervises operations and controls inverters in real time to ensure production and compliance with ENEDIS requirements.”
— Michael Morancé, Head of New Energies Business, Automatique & Industrie
Automation: Fundamental Technical Levers
To successfully automate a renewable energy installation, several key technical elements come into play:
Real-time supervision and control of equipment (PV inverters, trackers, batteries, weather sensors),
Integration of open protocols (OPC UA, Modbus TCP/IP, IEC 60870-5-104, IEC 61850, DNP3) to ensure interoperability and scalability,
Intelligent management of energy flows, particularly through storage systems and aggregators,
Data acquisition and consolidation for performance and production analysis through KPIs, as well as for financial analysis and profitability assessment.
Client Challenges: Variability, Storage and Resilience
The clients we work with often face:
Significant production variability, requiring real-time supervision and dynamic control of generation,
The need to integrate energy storage solutions (batteries, hydrogen, etc.) to smooth production, shift output to periods of high demand (such as the evening peak), or provide ancillary services (e.g. frequency support),
A requirement for resilience and system stability, particularly in isolated areas or environments subject to strong constraints,
Regulatory and reporting requirements, imposing traceability and compliance.
It is within this context that Automatique & Industrie deploys its expertise: by defining tailored software and hardware architectures, interfacing with production and metering equipment, meeting both client requirements and grid operator expectations (such as those of ENEDIS), training project development as well as operations and maintenance teams, and offering third-party application maintenance when required.
An Example of a Turnkey Automation and Supervision Project
On Europe’s largest floating solar project, Automatique & Industrie delivered:
A complete control and command system, tailored to an installation of this scale,
74 MWp of installed capacity,
A network of lakes spread across five former quarries,
4 delivery points (PODs) and 12 transformer substations,
Integration of data from inverters, POD and transformer substations, weather sensors, and more,
Active and reactive power control in compliance with ENEDIS requirements,
A unified interface enabling operators to visualize production, anticipate deviations, and trigger corrective actions,
Continuous support (maintenance and training) to ensure performance and reliability.
Toward an Automated and Sustainable Future
The automation of renewable energy installations is far more than a technological choice — it is a strategic requirement to:
maximize production and profitability,
strengthen reliability and resilience,
and actively contribute to the energy transition.
Through its expertise in automation, supervision, and third-party application maintenance, Automatique & Industrie positions itself as a trusted partner for industrial players, operators, and public authorities ready to take this step.