A large photovoltaic power plant intelligent control integration system developed by Hefei high-tech zone company SNE GRID is providing efficient operations for one of the key projects in China's first large-scale wind and solar power bases in Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region.

The Ningdong Photovoltaic Base in Ningxia Hui autonomous region is the largest single centralized PV power plant in China. [Photo/bm.cnfic.com.cn]

Relying on unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAV devices, the system is about eight times more efficient than manual inspections and is estimated to save about 10 million yuan ($1.46 million) in trimmed power costs.

"It's a huge project with a large number of power generation units and a complex control network, which requires a very high capacity for data processing," said Li Xiaofei, technical director of SNE GRID.

SNE GRID provided the project with a wide variety of intelligent UAV products, ranging from control platforms to inspection systems and safety production management systems. These products provided a data base for the whole life cycle management of the PV base, and made it even smarter.

Equipped with a cutting-edge AI diagnosis algorithm and infrared and visible light dual cameras, the UAVs automatically discriminate faults such as bypass diodes and bird droppings that may exist in a single PV module, with a fault recognition accuracy of 95 percent. [Photo/bm.cnfic.com.cn]

Hefei high-tech zone resident company SNE GRID [Photo/bm.cnfic.com.cn]

Founded in 2014, SNE GRID is committed to empowering the new energy industry with artificial intelligence, machine vision and other technologies. The company has a strong R&D team of technicians accounting for more than 60 percent of the company's workforce.