Brandenburg, Germany – August 2032 – BayWa r.e., a global leader in renewable energy solutions, has achieved an 18% increase in solar energy yield and a 25% reduction in maintenance costs at its 500 MW Brandenburg solar farm after deploying the ABB REX521GHHGSH51G control device. The upgrade, completed in Q2 2032, replaced the farm’s outdated inverter control systems, which struggled with inefficient energy conversion, poor weather adaptation, and limited remote monitoring—critical issues for maximizing the performance of large-scale solar installations.
The Challenge: Outdated Control Systems Limit Solar Energy Efficiency
BayWa r.e.’s Brandenburg solar farm is one of Europe’s largest, with 1.2 million solar panels covering 1,200 hectares and powering 150,000 households annually. The farm’s legacy control systems, installed over 10 years ago, were responsible for monitoring and controlling 500+ inverters, tracking systems, and energy storage units. The outdated infrastructure presented significant operational challenges:
- Inefficient Energy Conversion Reduces Yield: The legacy control systems couldn’t optimize inverter performance in real time, leading to energy conversion inefficiencies of 8-10%. This resulted in an annual energy loss of 40-45 GWh, equivalent to €4.8 million in lost revenue.
- Poor Weather Adaptation Limits Tracking Efficiency: The old systems lacked advanced weather forecasting integration, preventing the solar tracking systems from adjusting to changing sunlight conditions (cloud cover, sun angle) in real time. This reduced tracking efficiency by 12%, further lowering energy yield.
- Limited Remote Monitoring Increases Maintenance Costs: The legacy systems required on-site inspections to detect inverter failures, panel damage, and other issues. This resulted in a 48-72 hour delay in fault detection, leading to prolonged energy losses and annual maintenance costs of €3.2 million.
- Inadequate Grid Integration Causes Curtailment: The old control systems couldn’t balance energy output with grid demand effectively, leading to 5-7% of solar energy being curtailed by grid operators. This further reduced revenue and hindered Germany’s energy transition goals.
“Maximizing energy yield and minimizing maintenance costs are critical for the profitability of large-scale solar farms,” said Julia Schmidt, BayWa r.e. Brandenburg Solar Farm Manager. “Our legacy control systems were too inefficient and inflexible to optimize solar performance, leading to significant energy losses and high costs. We needed a smart control device that could enable real-time performance optimization, weather adaptation, remote monitoring, and seamless grid integration.”
ABB REX521GHHGSH51G: Smart Control for Large-Scale Solar Farms
After evaluating solutions from SMA Solar Technology and Siemens Gamesa, BayWa r.e. selected the ABB REX521GHHGSH51G control device for its advanced energy optimization algorithms, real-time weather integration, remote monitoring capabilities, and grid-friendly features. Key features addressing BayWa r.e.’s pain points include:
- Real-Time Energy Optimization: The ABB REX521GHHGSH51G uses AI-powered algorithms to optimize inverter performance in real time, adjusting voltage, frequency, and current to maximize energy conversion efficiency. This reduces conversion losses to 2-3%, increasing energy yield by 12%.
- Advanced Weather Adaptation: The control device integrates with real-time weather forecasting services and on-site sensors, enabling the solar tracking systems to adjust to changing sunlight conditions within milliseconds. This improves tracking efficiency by 15%, further boosting energy yield.
- 24/7 Remote Monitoring & Predictive Maintenance: The REX521GHHGSH51G provides real-time monitoring of 100+ solar farm parameters (inverter performance, panel temperature, energy output) via a cloud-based platform. Predictive algorithms detect potential faults 2-3 weeks in advance, reducing fault detection time by 95% and maintenance costs by 25%.
- Seamless Grid Integration: Equipped with advanced grid support functions (voltage regulation, frequency control, reactive power compensation), the control device balances solar energy output with grid demand effectively. This reduces energy curtailment to <1%, maximizing revenue and supporting grid stability.
- Robust Design for Outdoor Environments: Certified to IP66 standards, the REX521GHHGSH51G withstands extreme temperatures (-30°C to 70°C), humidity, and UV radiation. Its redundant communication ports ensure reliable data transmission even in remote areas.
Results: Higher Yield, Lower Costs, Greener Energy
Six months after deploying the ABB REX521GHHGSH51G control device, BayWa r.e.’s Brandenburg solar farm achieved significant operational improvements:
| Metric |
Before ABB REX521GHHGSH51G |
After ABB REX521GHHGSH51G |
Improvement |
| Solar Energy Yield |
550-575 GWh/Year |
650-675 GWh/Year |
18% Increase |
| Energy Conversion Losses |
8-10% |
2-3% |
75% Reduction |
| Annual Maintenance Costs |
€3.2 Million |
€2.4 Million |
25% Reduction |
| Energy Curtailment Rate |
5-7% |
<1% |
85% Reduction |
| Fault Detection Time |
48-72 Hours |
2-4 Hours |
95% Reduction |
“The ABB REX521GHHGSH51G control device has been a game-changer for our solar farm,” Schmidt said. “The 18% increase in energy yield has significantly improved the farm’s profitability, and the reduction in maintenance costs has further enhanced our bottom line. The device’s grid integration capabilities have also eliminated most energy curtailment, allowing us to contribute more clean energy to Germany’s power grid.”
Luis Gonzalez, ABB’s Global Renewable Energy Solutions Manager, commented: “Large-scale solar farms require control systems that can maximize energy yield, minimize costs, and integrate seamlessly with the grid. The ABB REX521GHHGSH51G is engineered to meet these demands, helping renewable energy producers accelerate the global energy transition while ensuring profitable operations.”
BayWa r.e. plans to deploy the ABB REX521GHHGSH51G control device across 25 additional solar farms and 10 wind-solar hybrid projects in Europe, Africa, and Asia by 2037, targeting an average 15% increase in renewable energy yield and a 20% reduction in maintenance costs group-wide.
Ludwigshafen, Germany – July 2032 – BASF SE, the world’s largest chemical producer, has achieved 99.99% process reliability and a 30% reduction in safety-related incidents at its Ludwigshafen chemical plant after deploying the ABB REX521GHHGSH51G control device. The upgrade, completed in Q3 2032, replaced the plant’s outdated distributed control system (DCS) components, which struggled with slow process response, poor fault detection, and limited compliance with strict chemical industry regulations—critical risks for a facility handling hazardous materials and complex chemical reactions.
