Common SCADA Problems O&M Teams Inherit and How to Fix Them

When an O&M team takes over a utility-scale solar project, they’re inheriting whatever SCADA system the construction team left behind – for better or worse. Unfortunately, there can be loose connections, misconfigured device IDs, missing documentation, and more. These are the kinds of problems that can quietly undermine plant performance from day one.

In this clip, Connor Krening walks through how he approaches SCADA troubleshooting and what O&M teams most commonly run into when they inherit a system.

Want to go deeper? Enroll in SCADA Communication Systems for Utility-Scale Solar on HeatSpring, or get the full picture of utility-scale solar from development through O&M with the Utility-Scale Solar Executive bundle. 

Transcript below. Lightly edited for readability.

Brittany: What are some of the more common SCADA problems that an O&M team might inherit, and how do those problems typically happen during construction?

Connor: There are kind of two layers I look at when troubleshooting. You want to work through your physical layer first, and then your digital or virtual layer.

If I’m having an issue with a device and I’m on site – or someone else is – the first thing I ask them to do is trace the physical power supply, make sure the device is actually on, and check the physical communications to confirm it’s plugged into the network switch and can actually be reached.

From there, you move to the computer and work your way down from the top. If you’ve got your laptop plugged into the network switch, you ask: can I talk to the switch? Yes or no. Can I talk to the protocol converter? Yes or no. Can I reach the next network switch in the chain? Yes or no. You keep working your way down until you find where communication breaks down.

Sometimes the problem is just a loosely seated connection. Those are always the best – a pain because it’s such a simple thing to miss, but a relief because it’s an easy fix.

Device IDs and keeping documentation around that is another common issue. Devices not showing up because they’ve reverted to their default configuration, or were set incorrectly somewhere along the way.

Honestly, one of my biggest struggles as someone who’s mostly self-educated has been documentation – creating the initial drawings and schematics, and then maintaining them when anything changes. That’s one of the areas that I think really sets you up for success.

Ready to build a practical foundation in SCADA? Enroll in SCADA Communication Systems for Utility-Scale Solar on HeatSpring!