Courses

Location: Nairobi, Kenya

Target Audience: Engineers, Solar Technicians, Facility Managers, and Policy Stakeholders.

The first day establishes the hardware and software layers required to transform a "passive" solar site into an "active" smart system.

Defining the EMS: Difference between SCADA, Monitoring, and Energy Management.
The Hierarchy of Control: Edge devices vs. Cloud-based platforms.
Data Acquisition: Sensors, smart meters, and weather stations.

Bridging the gap: Modbus TCP/RTU, CANbus, and MQTT.
Integrating third-party hardware (Inverters, HVAC, and EV chargers).
Cybersecurity essentials for grid-connected assets.

Designing intuitive dashboards for facility managers.
Real-time vs. Historical data: Identifying "Energy Leaks.

Day 2 dives into the logic that drives savings—shifting from "seeing" data to "acting" on it automatically.

Automated Demand Side Management (ADSM).
Using EMS to avoid "Maximum Demand" penalties from utility providers.
Priority logic: Critical vs. Non-critical load shedding.

State of Charge (SoC) management and cycle optimization.
Arbitrage: Charging from solar/off-peak and discharging during peak price windows.

Forecasting generation based on satellite weather data.
Machine learning for preventative maintenance (detecting soiling or string failure).

The final day focuses on the "Bottom Line"—how to choose a system and prove its value to stakeholders.

Vendor evaluation: Open-source vs. Proprietary systems.
Scalability: Ensuring the EMS grows with the facility.
CAPEX vs. OPEX: Evaluating the lifetime cost of software licenses.

Calculating "Avoided Cost" through intelligent dispatch.
Impact on LCOE (Levelized Cost of Energy).
Case Study: Commercial factory retrofit — Before vs. After EMS implementation.

Automated ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) reporting.
ISO 50001 (Energy Management) certification alignment.
Final Workshop: Drafting an EMS implementation roadmap for your facility.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
Design a communication architecture for a complex solar-plus-storage site.
Implement automated control logic to reduce peak demand charges.
Audit existing solar installations to identify where an EMS can provide the highest financial uplift.
Select the right EMS vendor based on specific industrial or commercial needs.