ECI provided comprehensive substation, transmission and telecommunications design and EPC services for the 230 kV/34.5 kV balance of plant facilities for EDF’s Valentine Solar Project. The project included 6 miles of overhead 230 kV transmission line design and a 230-34.5 kV Substation including two 230-34.5 kV transformer bays with four total 34.5 kV collection feeder bays. ECI’s telecommunication team was responsible for SCADA system design and integration of project including providing project management services, data to a variety of off-takers such as CAISO, the developer, interconnecting utility, and inverter manufacturer.

ECI was responsible for creating a standardized SCADA COM Block diagram for the customer, a SCADA Responsibility matrix to differentiate between design, procurement, installation, and programming, a SCADA Operations Manual, a SCADA Commissioning plan and test protocol. The RTAC concentrated and provided the necessary data to the CAISO Remote Intelligent Gateway which was a SEL-3530-4 as data to the interconnecting utilities RTU. Site protocols used included OPC, DNP, and MODBUS. Remote connectivity was brought in over a 10 Mbit fiber internet connection along with a 4G backup to site.

All station points were integrated into a local OSI PI Historian as well as backhauled over the site to site VPN to the customer datacenter and operations PI Server. Integration also included multiple MET loggers using DNP over fiber Ethernet. CAISO integration included required CAISO submittals, end to end telemetry testing, the creation of pre-test protocols, and coordinating a third party CAISO certified metering firm for CAISO meter verification and testing.

• Comprehensive design and EPC build of Valentine Solar’s substation, transmission line, and SCADA system.