Hikvision protects solar power in Latin America

A ‘revolutionary’ concept for Latin America is taking shape in Argentina: it’s the concept of solar power. More to the point, this is Latin America’s – not only Argentina’s – first solar plant project.

Generally speaking, you would expect an integral plant such as this to be located in (or near) a major metropolitan area. For Argentina, Buenos Aires would be a logical choice. Instead, though, the city of Ullum – located in the San Juan province – is the genesis of this Argentinean revolution.

While Ullum may be a relatively far-off town in San Juan, it’s still a very accessible site based on Hikvision technology.

“We employ three Hikvision products in this IP CCTV solution, but it’s not a standard CCTV set-up that’s used for basic surveillance functions,” asserted Lic. Christian Uriel Solano, president of security at One Argentina (Hikvision’s official Argentinean distributor for this project).

“Unlike a normal security-based CCTV system, ours is seamlessly integrated into the overall plant control. In essence, this system allows plant operators to perform normal management functions, such as remotely adjusting any of the 1,000 solar panels that this facility houses based on changing sunlight patterns – or access security camera footage all on the same IP CCTV platform.”

Accommodations for solar technology

Solar technology demands certain accommodations, such as a location in the desert. Yet, when building a plant in the middle of the desert – located 100 kilometers from the nearest town – the importance of connectivity cannot be overstated.

It quickly became apparent to engineers working on the project that the most efficient manner in which to control both daily plant operations and security functions would be by remote control as opposed to an extensive (and potentially cost-prohibitive) onsite facility.

The first step was to harness Argentina’s already-existing multimode optical fiber and 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi networks. “For this plant, approximately 80% of transmissions are completed through fibre optics and 20% through wireless,” noted Salano.

While this solved basic communication issues, the stakes were raised from a security standpoint.

“Based on the unique set of challenges this plant represented, and the importance of this being Argentina’s initial foray into the solar field, we really needed top-of-the-line security technology to ensure the success of this project. In short, we needed Hikvision,” explained Salano.

Hikvision’s solutions line-up in Argentina

Solano recognised the DVR used in this project would be critical. As such, Hikvision’s DS-9016HFI-S Embedded Hybrid DVR was chosen for technical flexibility.

“The DS-9016HFI-S supports both standard resolution cameras and IP models with HD resolution,” he stated. “This is not a common feature among most DVR models. Ggenerally, units are either standard resolution or IP but not both.”

Since the demands for this project dictated that the DVR units be located at the plant, the DS-9016HFI-S’s hybrid functionality allowed the plant’s various camera types to be used; as well as the ability to record onsite for back-up purposes.

Additionally, the requirement that 20 days of video be stored inevitably dictated the need for a large storage capacity. As such, the DS-9016HFI-S’s up-to 8 SATA hard disk drives were critical to meet this goal.

Transcending even technical concerns, it’s fair to say the issue of reliability was paramount. “We really wanted Hikvision because this brand is synonymous with quality, stability and top-of-the-line technology,” said Solano. “The DS-9016HFI-S brings an unmatched value balancing all of these and, most importantly, it brings the confidence that it will do the job. Now, we have no concerns that specific requirements, such as real-time viewing, will be anything but successful.”

Additional features the DS-9016HFI-S provides are H.264 video compression, advanced motion detection, three independent local video outputs (VGA, MAIN and AUX video/audio out), up to 32 users, an easy back-up to USB and CD/DVD-RW function as well as dual-streaming.

While these Hikvision DVRs are located indoors, thus protected from the desert’s brutal conditions, many of the cameras are not so fortunate. A good case in point is Hikvision’s DS-2DF1-672 1.3 megapixel network speed dome which is placed outdoors and used for both viewing security and plant operational functions.

As this camera has the dual function of both running and protecting the plant, a great deal of importance was placed on crystal-clear HD imaging in real-time. The DS-2DF1-672 accomplished this with its 1.3 megapixel resolution, yet other environmental factors also had to be taken into consideration.

Difficult environment for CCTV cameras

“The desert is a very difficult environment for a camera to operate in. Obviously, the DS-2DF1-672’s IP66 weatherproofing standard is essential for both functioning and longevity requirements. Specifcally, these cameras were placed upon high-altitude poles in order to take advantage of the DS-2DF1-672’s 360 degrees endless pan range, and -5 degrees and -90 degrees tile range, as well as plus or minus 0.1 degrees preset accuracy. This was critical for both security and control purposes, but also demanded a high-quality zoom function.”

The zoom feature is very important for staff in the remote control centres to accurately see pictures in real-time. “Additionally, we need the ability to record highly-detailed HD images for future plant considerations. Thus, we wanted Hikvision technology in a top-of-the-line megapixel model,” Solano explained.

The final Hikvision ingredient to round out this solution is the DS-2CD863PF-E 1.3 megapixel network camera. Placed both indoors and outdoors, this camera is tasked with perimeter security, entrance/exit surveillance and internal surveillance needs within the plant itself (such as machinery rooms and employee rooms).

Again, since both security and plant functions are directly tied to this camera’s imaging, project engineers deemed high resolution a ‘must’. An up-to 1.3 megapixel resolution, 1/3″ Sony progressive scan CCD and HD 720p real-time video technology fulfill this requirement.

However, since this camera is also used outdoors, and at night, a slightly different skill-set was necessary.

Plant operates on a 24-hour basis

“This plant operates 24/7, so we need to be able to see what is happening at any given moment, regardless of the time of day,” explained Solano. “The DS-2CD863PF-E’s true day/night feature is very, very important for us. At night, we are able to see extremely sensitive and clear black/white pictures that offer us HD imaging and information.”

Additionally, the DS-2CD863PF-E’s H.264/MPEG4/MJPEG video compatibility provides additional compression options, as does PoE with powering choices.

Finally, as with both Hikvision’s hybrid DVR and network speed dome, the issue of real-time, high-quality video was essential.

For Argentina’s first foray into the field of solar power, this is commonsense. The wise decision was made not to take any chances and instead use high-quality Hikvision technology that promises reliability.

“We also appreciate the help from SYS NOA, the system integrator for this project,” concluded Solano. “They helped to use the solution and did a good job.”

• This case study was written by Hikvision. To find out more about Hikvision products please visit www.hikvision.com.