Improving the Integration of Supervisory Controls and Data Acquisition Technologies into the Renewable Energy Sector

There has been a tremendous growth in renewable energy over the past decade, evidenced by the proliferation of thousands of biofuel, wind turbine, and solar panel installations across the country. Since each of these devices has its own individual Supervisory Controls and Data Acquisition (SCADA) communications output, this has also resulted in an explosion of data for renewable energy system operators. The data from a SCADA system can have enormous value for renewable energy system owners, operators, and the greater community. Therefore, the Center for Renewable Energy Advanced Technological Education (CREATE), in collaboration with industry and academic partners, aims to advance the use of SCADA technology for the energy sector. SCADA technology is of crucial importance to the electric industry to manage the extraordinary growth in renewable energy installations, while also ensuring the security and resilience of our nation's electric grid.

The goal of the project is to advance renewable energy education by enabling faculty leaders to integrate SCADA into existing energy technician educational programs. SCADA systems are core technology for the operation of many key industrial processes, including oil and gas refining, food and beverage production, water treatment, and electric power production. SCADA systems allow engineering technicians to control systems in real time, and log data for monitoring of system performance. SCADA data analytics allow for system optimization, preventive maintenance scheduling, and for rapid detection and correction of faults and alarms to prevent or minimize system downtime. This project will result in the creation of an educational open source SCADA system that will be deployed and shared among participating colleges and universities nationwide. Technician education in SCADA technology will be advanced through a series of professional development workshops for college and university faculty, and SCADA instructional activities will be integrated into existing courses and curricula for undergraduate energy technician education programs. The project will have enormous impact on the renewable energy sector, ultimately benefitting society by providing more reliable and lower cost energy to consumers, while creating a more resilient energy grid and reducing the environmental impact of America's energy sector.