Discover how EDF ENR has innovated with its connected solution for supervising photovoltaic installations. A solution integrating real-time data and forecasts to optimise producers’ self-consumption.
Yuze : intelligent management of renewable energy
Presentation
A subsidiary of the EDF Group, EDF ENR designs, markets, installs and maintains turnkey solar photovoltaic solutions for the roofs of individuals, professionals and local authorities.
Date of the project
2020
Support
Linux, Microsoft Azure Edge, Yocto, functional MVP development, deployment management, TMA
Presentation of the client
As a pioneer in photovoltaic energy in France, EDF ENR’s mission is to make solar energy, an inexhaustible, local and carbon-free resource, accessible to everyone.
Producing your own solar energy and saving money: this is the solution provided by EDF ENR to its customers. By installing solar panels, private individuals can act in favour of the energy transition while benefiting from lower bills.
Managing solar energy production
The project and its challenges
Producing your own solar energy and saving money: this is the solution provided by EDF ENR to its customers.
By installing solar panels, individuals can contribute to the energy transition while reducing their bills. To enhance this energy production monitoring solution, EDF ENR partnered with Rtone.
The goal was to: develop a stable version that also integrates a connected solution for monitoring photovoltaic installations.
A complex project already underway, involving various technologies. After an initial audit, the team prioritized fixing bugs and implementing necessary developments to ensure deployment within the agreed timelines.
Driving the project to deployment
The central challenge: ensuring a stable product to meet the deployment deadlines set by the EDF ENR team.
This focus on stability and continuous evolution has guided and continues to guide the EDF ENR/Rtone project team in the ongoing collaboration.
Agile mode organization
- Under 4 months to transition from a PoC to a functional MVP
- Sprints to structure and validate progress incrementally
- A team of 2 to 5 members: Linux, Azure IoT, business modules, deployment support
3 project objectives
The project was initiated with a primary focus: ensuring deployment by March 2021.
The six-month project timeline was structured around these three objectives:
Functional MVP
The first goal for the initial four months with the Rtone team was to transition from a PoC to a functional MVP, ready for deployment.
Integration of the hot water tank management system
EDF R&D teams developed an algorithm for hot water tank management. The goal: determining whether it’s optimal to use solar panels to power the tank. Rtone integrated this algorithm into the MVP.
Deployments and maintenance
Finally, the Rtone team focused on the deployment phase, maintenance, and continuous product improvement.
2 key technologies
Embedded Linux
Linux is used to manage the embedded aspects of the device. Simply put, it powers all the functionalities that make the device operational and functional.
Our role was to strengthen this existing part to stabilize the device.
Edge
Edge acts as the bridge between the device and the Cloud. It encompasses:
- all functions that utilize the data stored in the Cloud
- the capability to send data to the Cloud
The hot water tank management solution based on weather data was implemented.
Progressive deployment
The decision to anticipate the solution’s deployment with various pilot phases proved to be a significant advantage. It allowed for collecting feedback from users and installers. This on-the-ground information was invaluable for optimizing development, training installers, and supporting after-sales services.
Key deployment figures for EDF ENR:
- 1 test phase with about ten participants
- 1500 products deployed by the end of March 2021
- 1000 products/month deployed by the end of April 2021
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