Cypress Creek Renewables (CCR), one of the fastest growing solar IPPs, has over 5 GW deployed or in development. Joe Brotherton, Executive VP of O&M, was charged supporting CCR’s aggressive growth while preserving the ability to offer renewable energy at or below market costs. With over 290 plants, over 2600 maintenance workorders and rising labor costs, Brotherton saw no alternative to implementing IIoT automation technology. The Power Factors platform offered these three things: 1) Scalability. CCR wanted one system to deliver a holistic view of the portfolio. 2) Data quality and analytics A trusted data foundation and industry-tuned analytics to move away from reactive maintenance practices 3) An end-to-end solution PI System data works with Microsoft Azure for advanced analytics and triggers workflows in an embedded Salesforce CMMS system. Power Factors helped CCR reduce errors, improve efficiency and standardize solar O&M workflows to drive efficiency and reduce costs.
Speaker
Dave Roberts
Mr. Roberts is senior executive in the renewable energy industry with over 20 years of senior leadership experience spanning development, operations and services. He is currently the Senior Vice President of PowerFactors LLC, an OSIsoft Connected Services Partner. PowerFactors is the leading renewable energy operational and analytic SaaS utilized by many top-tier owners and operators of large renewable energy fleets. Prior to his role at PowerFactors, Mr. Roberts is the Founder-CEO of a startup: SenseOps, Inc. SenseOps was founded to develop edge-based software IIoT solutions connecting distributed renewable energy assets leveraging IoT hardware and pervasive connectivity.
Prior to PowerFactors and SenseOps, he spent 12 years at OSIsoft in various Executive roles. As Global VP for Business Development, Mr. Roberts managed OSIsoft’s vertical industries, including Power, T&D, Oil & Gas, Metals&Mining, Chemicals, Pharmaceutical and other process industries. He was also the Industry Principle for Renewable Power Generation Prior to OSIsoft, he worked for wind power developer, owner and operator, SeaWest WindPower. As the VP Project Development for SeaWest, he was responsible for the development of hundreds of MWs of wind farms in the western US. During this period, SeaWest started-up and owned Prasentia, LLC. Mr. Roberts served as President of Prasentia, defining product and service strategies, launching the business, and conducting commercial transactions with end-use customers. Prasentia’s main business was the development and implementation of Real-Time Wind Farm Management Systems, including Wind Farm SCADA systems and Management/Enterprise Level systems.