pwr_april-2024 - 27

INSTRUMENTATION & CONTROL
[and have] thousands of pictures related
to each module. We can analyze with
SELMA, and check to see whether it
agrees with quality standards. We can
find and reject those modules before
they get shipped. " Claire, who spoke
with POWER at the InterSolar event in
San Diego, California, in January, said it
gives solar equipment manufacturers another
level of control when it comes to
their products.
Claire said that " today in the U.S., it's
really common for companies that purchase
from Southeast Asia and other
countries to do sampling. They may go to
the factory and monitor the manufacturing
line-do pre-shipment inspections.
But how many modules are you supposed
to inspect? Sinovoltaics' software
inspects every single one, as opposed to
sampling. I'm pretty comfortable saying
we are the company inspecting the most
modules in the world today. "
Claire continued: " Module manufacturing
is a volume business, most of it
done by robots. Factories need quality
standards to define whether [the product]
is good or not. We have tremendous
experience in Asia, and we have
U.S. companies asking us to come to
their factories to help with their manufacturing
process. "
Maintenance and Reliability
Engineers involved in the design of
I&C systems recognize the importance
of monitoring equipment, including
enabling of proactive maintenance
to make timely repairs and minimize
downtime. The economics of today's
power generation put a premium on
availability and reliability.
Rick Kephart, vice president of Technology
for Emerson, told POWER that when
looking at equipment monitoring, particularly
remote monitoring, " The key factors
are less about suitable situations and
more about delivering insights, actionable
intelligence, and results to the right personas.
For issues that might be sudden
or catastrophic, teams need somebody
nearby who can intervene. That can mean
a control operator who is stationed onsite,
but it can also mean prioritizing data
delivery so an operator in a remote control
center [Figure 2] has the information
they need when they need it. "
Distributed power generation, including
increased interaction between utilities
and their customers at the residential
level, has produced a need for I&C systems
to facilitate that communication.
Lumin, which provides hardware and
software solutions in that space, recently
unveiled its newest residential load
control platform, Lumin Edge. Arnaud
spoke with POWER at InterSolar about
how the product merges Lumin's intelligent
load management software with
a modular design, providing the system
with new functionality. The Lumin Edge
pre-release program, in which the company
recently shipped units to co-op and
investor-owned utilities across the U.S.
and Canada, focuses on grid services
such as high-resolution, behind-the-meter
analytics, and advanced demand-side
management tools.
" Control is one thing, but being able
to provide insights to the customer
through the Lumin app also is important, "
said Arnaud. " Then there are the
insights the utility would gain, particularly
at a granular level-what appliances
are being turned on, who is charging an
EV-it'll be really interesting as we're
working with a lot of utility companies.
And customers can opt-in or opt-out of
demand response. "
Arnaud said the push toward electrification
means utilities are facing more
pressure to maintain grid stability. The
Lumin Edge provides behind-the-meter
analytics and offers real-time load management
capabilities, which are meant to
help grid operators shape demand with
more precision. It also allows electricity
customers more insight into increasingly
complex utility rate structures. The modular
design of the Lumin Edge Controller
means it can be placed anywhere along
the wire, from a home's service panel
to a targeted appliance. The controllers
communicate wirelessly with the Edge
Hub through a secure mesh network.
" The customer gets really cool technology,
and access to a lot of utility programs
with incentives, " said Arnaud.
Recognizing Cyber Threats
Cybersecurity is receiving more attention
as an integral part of I&C systems. Chris
Stangl, managing director of Berkeley Research
Group's Cybersecurity and Investigations
practice, told POWER, " Ideally,
this should be a strategic business decision
informed by a thorough risk assessment.
Before introducing new technology,
it is crucial to conduct an assessment to
determine the probability of a threat actor
exploiting a potential vulnerability in the
technical implementation. "
Stangl, who spent more than 20
2. Utilities are creating centralized, remote operation collaboration centers to optimize resources
and improve performance. The use of integrated control, monitoring, and analytics provides
insights that can detect anomalies, enabling the control system or an operator to take action.
Courtesy: Emerson
April 2024 | POWER
www.powermag.com
years as an FBI Special Agent in the
agency's Cyber Division, including as
a member of the Senior Executive
Service, has investigated a broad range
of cyber cases including hacking by both
cybercriminals and nation-state actors,
and has addressed counterintelligence
and insider threats.
" In the event of a successful attack,
the assessment should evaluate the
potential impact on the confidentiality,
integrity, or availability of information
and resources, " said Stangl. " Particularly
in the realm of operational technology
and industrial control systems
[ICSs], where there is potential for repercussions
on public safety or national
security, a risk assessment is imperative.
The results of such an assessment
should be methodically considered
when contemplating the implementation
of remote monitoring. "
Stangl continued: " When considering
connecting legacy ICSs, originally
designed to be isolated, to the Internet,
special attention is warranted. This
includes a comprehensive understanding
of associated risks, a well-funded
program to safeguard these critical assets,
continuous monitoring, and a meticulously
documented and practiced
response plan. " ■
-Darrell Proctor is a senior associate
editor for POWER.
27

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