New Zealand’s energy sector is undergoing a rapid transformation, with large-scale solar farms playing an important role in meeting the growing demand for clean energy. The Taiohi Solar Farm located in northern Waikato, a 33MWp utility-scale project, is the latest step in this transition. To ensure seamless energy generation and market integration, Robotron New Zealand is providing its market-leading energy data management solutions.
As specialists in energy market IT solutions, Robotron NZ is partnering with NewPower Energy (NewPower) to enable the efficient operation, optimisation, and trading of solar energy. The robotron*esales software is being used, featuring our powerful energy portfolio management module designed to handle large-scale renewable energy assets with real-time data processing and advanced analytics.
The core functionalities of the system include:
- Real-time monitoring & forecasting – Utilising Robotron’s IoTHub4Utilities to efficiently extract, cleanse, visualise, and monitor large volumes of data. Additionally, the data feeds the proprietary forecasting algorithms to provide reliable and actionable insights, resulting in maximum efficiency in energy production and market trading.
- Automated market integration – Supporting various international standard protocols (ICCP / DNP3) required for seamlessly connecting solar generation to the NZ electricity market, New Zealand’s Energy Exchange (NZX), and Transpower’s dispatch systems. Furthermore the system will integrate with the Centralised-Forecast from the Electricity Authority
- Optimised revenue streams – Using analytics to optimise bidding strategies.
- Scalable architecture – A modular, microservices-based design supporting numerous third-party backend integrations, future-proofing the system to adapt to expanding renewable energy portfolios.
- Diverse data sources – Real-time, aggregation of various data sources, ranging from IoT sensors (PV systems), ICCP gateways to meteorological and NZX wholesale energy market data.
As part of the project, an intelligent trading algorithm has been developed by NewPower and Robotron. This algorithm uses real-time data from different data sources and will be processed from robotron*esales to balance generation and trading and for optimising financial returns.
Real-time decision-making is critical for the success of large-scale solar projects, where weather conditions and market dynamics change quickly. The integration of Robotron’s advanced energy data management technology will ensure the Taiohi Solar Farm, when commissioned, operates with maximum efficiency while supporting New Zealand’s renewable energy targets.
This project is the second major collaboration between Robotron NZ, NewPower and Infratec NZ, following the successful completion of New Zealand's first battery energy storage system (BESS), optimising grid stability and energy storage management. Robotron also acknowledges the support of NewPower and Infratec’s parent company WEL Networks to enable the delivery of both the BESS and Taiohi Solar Farm.
"The partnership between NewPower and Robotron NZ is another great example of how collaboration and innovation is driving progress in New Zealand’s energy sector. By leveraging our energy data management expertise, we are enabling large-scale renewable projects to deliver reliable and optimised outcomes," says Alexander Born, Managing Director of Robotron NZ.
This project reinforces Robotron NZ’s commitment to a sustainable energy future and highlights its role as one leading provider of energy market solutions. With the Taiohi Solar Farm, Robotron NZ and NewPower continue to implement new and innovative solutions in the renewable sector, working towards a smarter and more resilient energy system.
