The main thing to consider when implementing your battery control system is the fact that delays will occur due to complications in some shape or form. Especially if you are integrating more than one software (e.g. an optimiser software and a controller/integrator software), the likelihood of communication and interfacing issues is high or in fact, inevitable.
For example, during the implementation of the control system for the YEF battery they experienced numerous delays, complications involving interfacing the c3x and Mill software, fixes needed to the optimiser and/or integrator software themselves etc. These were complicated fixes that couldn’t be done overnight and required testing and troubleshooting over several months (and beyond).
Implementing your battery’s control system could therefore fit under the stages of:
- Initial set up period: finalise and begin running software and interfaces (few weeks)
- Trial period: monitor battery’s operation to see what is and isn’t working, troubleshoot errors (few months)
- Monitoring & evaluation period: check battery’s operation and performance over a longer period, check it is working against battery and project objectives, make necessary software updates (battery lifetime, ~10-15 years)
Yarra Energy Foundation (YEF) cover some of their choices and implementation issues with the control system for their North Fitzroy battery in their final report.
You can also refer back to the Battery & Control System section where considerations for choosing your control system are discussed.