What We Do

 

INTRODUCING OSE

Spider9’s OSE is a unique software, controls and data analytics system that uses advanced and predictive logic combined with a dynamically reconfigurable electrical architecture to improve the performance of renewable energy systems.

The OSE system has six key performance characteristics:

• Control: Spider9 manages renewable energy components as single systems providing the user with not only a singular control point but also controls architecture and operating logic that manages the flow of power from each device within the system. Adjusting voltage levels created in solar, wind and battery devices to maximize the output transferred to the next component within the system. Ensuring each component is operated at its peak efficiency point. Mitigating the effects of changing sunlight or wind conditions and maximizing the systems electrical performance.

• Reconfiguration: In order to mange the power characteristics of a renewable energy system Spider9’s OSE reconfigures the series and parallel electrical architectural elements within the system, conditioning voltage flow to maximize power output. OSE reconfiguration technology is applied at the solar string, battery cell module and inverter module level to create a finite element of controls that maximizes output as it minimizes parasitic energy losses and system reliability concerns. 

• Isolation:  Should a component become compromised or fail within an OSE system the OSE will automatically isolate it at a sub module level and reconfigure the system so that it continues to operate at optimal efficiency. This OSE feature drastically increases the safety and reliability of renewable energy systems avoiding expensive system downtime and blind maintenance faultfinding costs.

• Alert :OSE is an intelligent operating system, should a system be compromised OSE not only self corrects the system through isolation and reconfiguration it also provides the operator with an alert notice that pinpoints the system issue and assess its performance and commercial effects. Advising the operator if system maintenance is required immediately or if the performance / cost trade off is such that it should wait to the next scheduled maintenance event.

• Prediction:OSE’s operating intelligence allows it to not only monitor and manage the performance of a renewable energy system in a real time state. It also allows the operator the ability to plan for regular energy events. OSE ensuring the correct amount of energy is available from the system to support that event.  For example a building operator is faced with a peak electricity cost surcharge should the building peak over a flat KWH usage during the hours of noon to five.  The OSE system can ensure that the storage element of the system has enough renewable or off peak electricity available to meet that need based on historical, planned and current usage needs. Enabling the operator to avoid peak electricity costs at the lowest possible cost solution.

• Storage:OSE does not require the mandatory use of electricity storage in order to be applied to a renewable energy system. However it is recommended it as it allows a renewable energy system to be managed by the operator rather than have the OSE system simply mitigate system performance issue caused by solar and wind intermittencies. Spider9’s OSE system utilizes battery based storage technologies. OSE can be applied to any battery chemistry from lead acid to advanced lithium’s to second life and mixed cell chemistry packs. Spider 9 has developed a unique battery storage design and control system that optimizes the use of the OSE system and has the ability to offer this system in a range of chemistry solutions to our clients based on our clients energy storage needs.
  
  Spider9’s OSE provides several unique battery operating features: individual dynamic cell balancing, isolation of failed cells, voltage reconfiguration, and simultaneous charge and discharge.  Providing improvements in battery energy output, life, maintenance costs, size and HVAC requirements.

Applications:

These system solutions have capacity abilities ranging from 100 kilowatt-hours to 10 megawatt-hours. Due to the modularity of the system design, Spider9 can scale their systems to match the exact site requirements.

• Commercial peak shaving
• Commercial load shifting
• Renewables firming
• Frequency regulation
• Solar power system stabilization over changing environmental conditions
• Ramp rate control
• Extended low voltage ride-through (LVRT)
• Voltage and frequency control at the point of connection (POC)
• Dynamic power factor control (VAR generation)
• Micro-grid operation (Island systems)
• Off-grid systems
• Dynamic reconfiguration of the electrical system architecture
• Monitoring and isolation of a compromised battery cell
• Optimized DC voltage output during battery discharge
• Extended battery and solar cell usable life
• Generation of additional energy by avoiding parallel string losses
• Remote site monitoring and control with cloud data management
• On-condition maintenance

Spider9’s OSE controls the sum of the parts to create an integrated system.  Storage, solar, wind, conditioning, smart metering, and facilities come together into a cohesive system.

A key additive to the system is energy storage; it is essential to transform renewable energy systems into definable, controllable, distributed generation assets. This is especially true for larger photovoltaic (PV) and wind energy systems with capacities on the order of 100 kilowatts to multi-megawatt installations. Without integrated energy storage, renewable energy power systems deliver electrical power at the whim of the sun or the wind with only limited levels of operational control and energy management. Although wind and PV systems have been included in the distributed generation category, they are sources of power rather than generators in the purest sense.  They offer a known maximum capacity but with an unknown level of predictable delivered energy.

Spider9 has developed a dynamic energy OS that can: eliminate the need for separate solar and battery inverters, precondition a solar field output, decrease maintenance costs, extend battery life, increase the usable energy obtained from cells, and optimize DC input and conversion to AC electricity.

 

THE DYNAMIC DIFFERENCE

In standard energy storage systems, the performance of the battery system is limited by the weakest cell. This leads to abbreviated cell cycles that result in further stress points and shortened life in the stronger cells. Since cell stresses limit the lifetime of batteries, storage systems typically maintain a 60 percent state of charge (SOC), not using all available energy in order to avoid stresses at bottom and top of charge. To counter this, cell manufacturers typically group cells according to capacities, requiring increased testing before production. With Spider9's OSE, cells voltages are individually balanced and variances in capacity are actively accounted for in the system. The cells can be cycled more completely without risk of energy levels exceeding safety limits; OSE can maintain over 80 percent SOC throughout its lifetime. Thus, OSE’s ability to actively balance cells to a uniform state opens the cell SOC by up to 30 percent, allowing more usable energy in the system. With the reduced stresses on the weakest cells in the system, expected system life increases by as much as 30 percent.