Selected Projects

Engineering work that delivers on site.

A selection of recent projects across solar, battery storage, hybrid, and other renewable plants — showing the challenge, the engineering approach, and the measurable result. Project names are anonymised on request.

Utility-Scale Multi-MW PPC deployments
Day-One Grid-code compliance engineered
Multi-Vendor Inverter & OEM integrations
Ongoing Post-commissioning support

Real plants. Real numbers.

Commercial Microgrid

11 kV Retail Microgrid — 4.96 MW Solar + 4 MVA BESS + 2.6 MVA Diesel

Tshwane, South Africa · Commissioned 2025

Challenge

A large retail mall needed to insulate trading operations from loadshedding, reduce exposure to Eskom's peak-period demand charges, and co-ordinate solar, battery, and diesel assets from multiple vendors — in a live commercial environment where a control failure has direct revenue impact.

Solution

A bespoke SEL-based Power Plant Controller acting as the single point of authority for every asset on site. Near-seamless islanding on grid loss, battery arbitrage across off-peak and peak tariff windows, autonomous blackstart and mode transitions, and zero-export enforcement. A client-provided third-party EMS integrates as an enhancement layer over an 87-point Modbus interface.

Technologies

SEL Power Plant Controller · Bespoke control software · Purpose-built SCADA · Bluelog XC · Huawei Smart ACU · BESS PCS · Modbus TCP/IP · Dual-frequency heartbeat monitoring

MillisecondsGrid-loss island transition
Peak-shiftDaily tariff arbitrage
AutonomousNo operator intervention
Municipal Microgrid

Waste Water Treatment Works Microgrid — 2.1 MVA Solar + 4.6 MWh BESS + 1.6 MVA Diesel

Western Cape, South Africa · Commissioned 2025

Challenge

A critical municipal WWTW where supply interruption has direct public-health consequences. Energy cost reduction was a parallel priority — requiring grid-compliant PV export, energy arbitrage, and peak shaving across a multi-asset site.

Solution

A bespoke microgrid controller managing every energy asset autonomously, around the clock. Structured blackstart on grid loss, BESS restart in off-grid VSG mode, and energy arbitrage on TOU windows. 50% of battery capacity is permanently reserved for backup — the facility is always protected, regardless of trading strategy.

Technologies

SEL Power Plant Controller · Setcon bespoke control software · Bluelog centralised PV controller · Battery containers · PCS with built-in transformer & RMU · DSE gen controllers

50%Battery reserved for backup
AutonomousBlackstart & mode transitions
TOU arbitrageDaily cost reduction
11 kV Retail Microgrid

Retail Mall Microgrid — 4.46 MWp Solar + 5 MWh BESS + 3.9 MVA Diesel

Gauteng, South Africa · Commissioned 2025

Challenge

An 11 kV retail mall with a 2.5 MVA municipal incomer that is undersized relative to full mall load — multiple energy sources must always supplement the grid. The selected BESS PCS does not reliably back-synchronise from off-grid to grid, requiring a redesigned transition. Six gensets across three independent banks needed runtime-balanced sequential dispatch.

Solution

A bespoke SEL-based controller coordinating PV, BESS, six gensets, and an undersized grid incomer. Where the PCS could not reliably back-sync, Setcon re-engineered the transition entirely — delivering a deterministic, 11-step verified grid return sequence safer than the OEM approach. Runtime-balanced genset dispatch ensures even wear distribution across all six units.

Technologies

SEL Power Plant Controller · Setcon bespoke control software · Sungrow Logger (PV) · Sungrow Power Titan PCS · Transformer with RMU · DSE gen controllers · Modbus TCP/IP

11-stepVerified grid return sequence
6 gensetsRuntime-balanced dispatch
ContinuousTrading through grid events
Industrial Microgrid

Manufacturing Facility — 500 kVA Solar + 1.46 MWh BESS Double-Conversion Microgrid

South Africa · Commissioned 2024

Challenge

A manufacturing facility where any supply interruption — however brief — carries direct production-downtime cost. Industrial maximum-demand penalties demanded active peak management, balanced against battery charge requirements. Loadshedding during production shifts represents direct financial loss, and the optimal grid charge setpoint is site-specific with measurable consequence in either direction.

Solution

A double-conversion topology means there is no physical changeover on grid loss — the load inverter never stops supplying the facility, so grid events are invisible to production. The Setcon Eta 1 controller manages PI-controlled PV curtailment, maximum-demand limits, synchronous gen start, and BESS VSG sync without operator intervention.

Technologies

Setcon Eta 1 controller · Purpose-built HMI · Huawei SUN2000 inverters · Bluelog XC · SolarMD battery · Sungrow PCS · DSE gen controllers

No changeoverGrid events invisible to load
Demand-managedActive peak limit enforcement
950 kVACoordinated dual-genset backup
Revenue-Critical Microgrid

Commercial Office with Electronic Billboards — Seamless Changeover Microgrid

Gauteng, South Africa · Commissioned 2025

Challenge

A commercial office with two large electronic billboards (30–180 kW each) that generate revenue continuously — any supply interruption is a direct financial loss. The building's electrical incomer has a fixed power limit that the new billboard loads risk tripping during peaks. Excess solar must never feed back into the grid, and the diesel generator must operate strictly between 30% and 80% of rated output at all times.

Solution

A Setcon Eta 1 controller delivering seamless on/off-grid changeover via the Huawei Gswitch, active peak shaving on the building incomer, real-time PV anti-feedback via analog power control, and continuous management of the gen output window. 4G VPN remote access enables off-site parameter control and diagnostics.

Technologies

Setcon Eta 1 controller · Huawei SUN2000 inverters + Bluelog XC · Huawei LUNA2000 BESS + Logger V5 · Huawei Gswitch (seamless changeover) · DSE gen controller + ATS · Acuvim bulk & load metering · Ewon Cosy 4G VPN

SeamlessBillboards never go dark
30–80%Generator loading window held
RemoteVPN ops & diagnostics
Retail Energy Optimisation

Retail Supermarket Phase 2 — 1.4 MVA Solar + 645 kWh BESS Retrofit with Weather-Predictive Control

KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa · Commissioned 2025

Challenge

A live retail supermarket with an existing Phase 1 grid-tied PV installation that needed to be brought under unified Phase 2 control without disrupting operation. On cloudy days a static peak-shaving threshold risks battery depletion before the peak window ends, spiking grid demand. Zero export must be enforced in real time.

Solution

A Setcon Eta 1 controller with weather-predictive peak shaving — on cloudy days the controller adjusts strategy before the peak period begins, not during it. Real-time PV throttling enforces zero export across both PV phases. On grid loss, the controller safely throttles PV and BESS to zero without interfering with the independent genset.

Technologies

Setcon Eta 1 controller · Meteocontrol Bluelog data logger · Cloud weather forecast integration · Sungrow SG125CX inverters · Sungrow PowerStack BESS · Existing genset integration (DSE) · Modbus TCP/IP & RTU

PredictiveCloud-aware peak shaving
Zero exportReal-time PV throttling
Two phasesUnified under one controller

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