With the negative effects of climate change—stronger storms, colder winters, hotter summers—becoming more and more visible, the utilization of renewable energy sources is becoming more and more commonplace. In Germany, for example, solar energy has become one of the top sources of electricity in the country.
Besides the greater emphasis on using renewable energy sources, there is also a movement toward the decentralization of power production. Given the scalability and portability of many potential alternative energy sources, this has become a reality in countries where a shift to alternative energy is being encouraged.
While both shifting to alternative energy and decentralization are both great advances in energy production, there are challenges that still need to be met. One of these is proper monitoring, which must be done to ensure the health of the system as a whole.
The challenge for monitoring is that decentralization of power production means that monitoring needs to be decentralized as well. While this is easily achieved by individual power producers monitoring their own equipment, it can make it very difficult to assess the health for the entire system this way.
The solution to this decentralization problem is achieved by using remote monitoring equipment, such as voltage and current transducers that can be hooked up to a power meter with Ethernet capabilities. This way, data on the entire system can be gathered in real time, allowing for precise and accurate assessment of overall system health.