Hydrocomm were asked to provide a solution for a site with a damaged head level signal cable resulting in a communication failure between the Hydro and the Intake. Without these signals the hydro scheme was unable to run at full capacity. Unfortunately the damage to the existing cable was not easily repairable, and a new cable run was not a viable option in this case, due to land being recently reinstated.

Having carried out a comprehensive site survey, we ascertained that with the right equipment a signal could be achieved via 4G (LTE) allowing high speed data comms with no fixed infrastructure required. Unfortunately no mains power was available, so any proposed solution would require a method of powering itself.

Based on these constraints, we then designed and constructed another of our bespoke solar powered assemblies specifically to meet the unique requirements of this site. A 300W solar panel, backed with 400Ah gel batteries, is used to power the 4-20mA loop for the head sensors, an IP CCTV camera, and the 4G (LTE) Communications solution. All of this equipment is commercial grade wide temperature tolerant, and is housed in an IP rated cabinet installed at the intake site.

Our specialist equipment takes the 4-20mA loop signal produced by the head level sensors and sends it over the multi-carrier 4G (LTE) connection to the Hydro powerhouse, where the signals are then converted back to 4-20mA. This means that from the point of view of the existing equipment, things are working again as if the original cable was still in place.

Redundancy on this installation is provided by utilising our multi-carrier network connection, and we also provide a failover data connection within the hydro powerhouse itself. This type of solution can also be provided with either direct microwave telemetry, LoRoWAN, or dedicated low frequency connections. Where there is no scope for any of these types of RF based data connection, we can install one of our high speed satellite based data streams in order to provide an internet connection as required.

An added bonus with this type of solution is the complete electrical isolation this unit provides. This means that any lightning strikes at the intake have no way of travelling down a signal cable to the hydro – a problem that affects many sites.

Having worked with this client and their hydro schemes since 1999, we were contracted to install all the field wiring and building services in a brand new 100KW Archimedes screw type hydro scheme.

As we had completed the wiring and communications of their 1.5MW scheme, as well as the communications of their 800KW scheme, it was decided that all the schemes should be networked in order to utilise one main point of connection.

We accomplished this using a mixture of fibre and microwave telemetry, and as a result all three sites can now be monitored remotely, as well as from the estate office locally – meaning no data costs are incurred.

Hydrocomm were asked to carry out a site survey on a large solar farm in the north of Scotland. The site consisted of over 16,000 solar panels and over 60 large inverters, all of which need a reliable network connection to function correctly and allow the energy to be exported to the grid.

We gave the client a time scale of seven days to completely renew the entire network infrastructure, and as far as possible, this had to be achieved without causing any downtime in energy production.

During the work, we laid out over 1km of new communications ducting, and pulled in over 7.5km of our specialist dual PE layered solid copper core cable. This cable is designed to withstand extreme temperature changes, and will not go brittle and break in low temperatures.

As part of the install, we swapped to a star topology for the network, with the 60+ inverters split into 3 managed hubs and no longer daisy chained. By then fitting our new data cabinets, managed Ethernet switches including dedicated 1000 Mbps fibre cards (all with lifetime warranty), and UPS back-up systems in each hub – we created super fast, and ultra reliable fibre network backbone for all of the connected devices.

The changeover to this new network was carried out on the final day over a four hour period, keeping production downtime to a minimum.

A good example of one of our bespoke standalone monitoring systems, is this install at an estate in north west Scotland.

The customer requested to be able to visually monitor the hydro pipeline intake, with the added functionality of being able to monitoring the weather conditions at site.  Our panel was designed allowing full high definition recording and remote camera access, full weather monitoring, SIP telephone capabilities and wired/wireless internet access at the intake, even though there was no mains power available.

Utilising 2 spare cores of the existing head level signal cable to create a data link,  we then connected this panel into our already installed fibre/satellite within the estate network at the power house, allowing online access.

Hydrocomm were requested to specify and install a full communications package in a remote cottage that was to be used as an office during the build of four large hydro schemes. We were also requested to provide a large scale managed wireless network to cover the workers accommodation during this period. The site had no conventional phone line, no mobile phone signal, and no grid power.

Using the cottage as the main point of connection, we installed a high speed satellite data stream to provide the cottage office and management staff full high speed internet access – as well as our own SIP telephone access connections to network printers. This allowed the site managers to easily communicate with staff in their Czech office. We installed a second high speed satellite data stream to provide the eighty or so workers housed in porta-cabin type accommodation full high speed internet access. As all of the workers were a long way from home, this system had to be robust enough to keep up with the huge amount of data generated by workers calling home each evening using skype, face-time etc.

Once our equipment was deployed at this site, we were then able to manage this network remotely, allowing office staff unrestricted network access across the entire site, while preventing the standard users abusing the connection. With flags in place to alert us when any individual was monopolising the connection, we were able to quickly address this and restrict the access for these users even further.

Once the build was completed, we used one of these satellite systems and our recently installed fibre network to link all of the hydro power houses to the internet. Not only did this allow the client to view all of the schemes online, but it also allowed us to give the meter operators a connection to download the data from the MPAN meters on-site.

We were asked to provide a solution to enable a network connection to a remote powerhouse. The building was nestled in a valley, with no easy way of running copper or fibre, and no way of achieving a satellite installation. It did however have a consistent power supply.

Utilising a satellite connection on the owners home, we were able to use our telemetry units to create a link between this building and the power house. The link was comprised of multiple hops given the adverse terrain in the area, but has proved rock solid and very responsive. This has enabled the customer to avoid continual trips to the powerhouse, as monitoring can take place from anywhere with a net connection. We also connected the meter operator to this network, allowing half hourly meter reads without the need for site visits.

A highland estate began an ambitious project consisting of three hydro schemes. These were all to be linked by SWA fibre cabling, and Hydrocomm were asked to complete the network installation. This included providing suitable communications solutions, SIP telephony, and a managed Wi-Fi solution for the guest accommodation across seven properties.

Completing the fibre works and the provision of satellite communications for remote access and monitoring were the main focus, with high speed internet access for the holiday homes being the secondary objective.

The nature of the project included an extensive fibre network backbone, which included linking buildings across the breadth of the estate. This not only provided high speed network interconnects, but is also utilised for the HV switching in the three hydro schemes. We were able to utilise this topology to install 4G (LTE) industrial grade routers at either end of this fibre run, allowing us to provide data via these connections to the entire estate network. By utilising two separate mobile networks we were able to provide active connection failover, and with both 4G routers connected, we then bonded the connections to provide speeds of around 100Mbps to the holiday homes on the estate.

Additionally, two satellite broadband connections were installed, with the first was dedicated solely to the hydro schemes. This allowed remote monitoring to take place, and utilised the solid reliability of satellite to allow the equipment at all three schemes to communicate remotely. The second connection was provided as a third tier failover for the internet connection in the holiday homes, ensuring connection to the internet even in the unlikely event of failures on two separate masts and mobile networks.

Finally, the two satellite systems were linked. Essentially the the system providing failover for the holiday homes can also do the same for the hydro satellite system, ensuring there is ample redundancy for all the systems installed.