| Power plant products
Smart PV inverter with inbuilt fault diagnosis
For years, the complexity and inefficiency of keeping large PV inverters operational have persisted as a major industry challenge. In large utility PV plants, a single failure in a central inverter can bring an entire megawatt-level power generation unit to an immediate halt. From fault reporting to final repair, recovery can take several days. To address this long-standing issue, Sungrow has introduced what is believed to be an industry-first combination of smart fault diagnosis and a separable modular design in its new 1+X 2.0 modular inverter. This approach targets two major trouble points: the difficulty of pinpointing faults and prolonged repair cycles caused by
dependence on the manufacturer’s response. To validate its real-world performance, Sungrow recently partnered with TÜV Rheinland to conduct a field test of the 1+X 2.0 at the Tuanfeng plant in Hubei Province, China.
During the test, an IGBT fault was deliberately induced in the inverter. Within three minutes, the 1+X 2.0 system successfully detected the issue and identified the affected component. Detailed fault information and corresponding repair guidance were immediately displayed via the system backend. Two on-site personnel then used specialised tools to remove the front cover, disconnect the copper bar terminals, replace the faulty inverter module
with a spare, and complete the reinstallation. The inverter unit was fully restored and reconnected to the grid in only 58 minutes.
The 1+X 2.0’s smart fault diagnosis combines neural networks, machine learning, and expert systems, allowing the system identify faults automatically. It can identify the problem within seconds and generate practical repair suggestions simultaneously, rapidly improving diagnostic accuracy while reducing O&M time. Currently, this feature can diagnose more than 20 common faults types, covering the inverter’s core components, including IGBT faults and PDP faults, with a diagnostic accuracy over 96%.
ZX 300e wind Lidar fleet to support UK wind repowering
Nadara has selected the ZX Lidars’ ZX 300e wind lidar to support its repowering programme in the UK. The agreement covers the purchase of a fleet of wind Lidars delivered under a fully turnkey offering, including field services and operational support from ZX Measurement Services, alongside dedicated ZX Power systems to enable long-term standalone operation. The Lidars will be used to provide direct, bankable wind measurements at future hub heights, supporting repowering decisions without reliance on legacy met mast infrastructure or SCADA-only reconstructions.
The UK onshore wind sector is seen to be entering a pivotal repowering phase, with a proportion of operational projects approaching or exceeding their original design life. At the same time, planning, grid and land-use constraints increasingly favour
vertical wind profiles a key focus in technical and financial assessments.
Standalone wind lidar is increasingly being adopted in the UK to address this gap, enabling direct measurement across the full rotor-swept area at proposed repowering heights. The ZX 300e is the only wind lidar to have achieved an IEC 61400-50-2 classification with 0 % standard uncertainty, and the only system to have achieved this across a classified measurement range from 21 m to 200 m.
repowering existing sites where possible. Modern repowering schemes typically involve significantly higher hub heights and larger rotors than those originally installed. In many cases, historic wind measurements do not extend into the vertical range required for today’s turbines, making uncertainty around wind shear, veer and
Finley Becks-Phelps, UK Head of development at Nadara said: “Repowering is central to Nadara’s long-term strategy for maximising value from our onshore wind portfolio. As turbines reach the limits of their original design life, we see a significant opportunity to increase generation from existing sites, but only if the underlying wind data supports confident decisions.”
Celeros strengthens Its valve lifecycle services
Celeros Flow Technology is enhancing its valve lifecycle services, designed to optimise valve performance and operational reliability and minimise downtime. The company is investing in valve aftermarket service capabilities in the Middle East and expanding its service teams in the USA and UK, and in new diagnostic equipment that is expected to further improve service efficiencies.
David Young, newly appointed director of valve aftermarket service development, said: “Aftermarket services are becoming increasingly important for our customers as they seek to improve competitiveness, reduce environmental emissions, and extend the life of existing plants.”
Celeros’ valve lifecycle offering includes installation and commissioning, field services, such as pre-outage inspections and troubleshooting, workshop repairs and
overhauls, spare parts and obsolescence management and fugitive emissions reduction, all from its global network of strategically located service centres.
www.modernpowersystems.com | March 2026 | 41
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45
