Reliable DER control and optimisation for a complex multi OEM commercial site
SwitchDin’s site architecture brings secure cloud connectivity and local control to PV inverters, battery storage and metering across a multi-OEM site.
Overview
A global water, waste and energy services provider engaged SwitchDin to provide a unified control and optimisation platform for a complex commercial and industrial site incorporating solar PV, a battery energy storage system and multiple protection systems. The deployment faced a range of challenges including multi OEM integration, networking constraints and commissioning delays typical of commercial and industrial environments.
SwitchDin successfully delivered a stable and fully integrated Distributed Energy Resources ( solution, demonstrating the strength of its technology, engineering expertise and project delivery capability. The operator now benefits from a fully integrated, compliant and stable DER system operating across a complex multi building site, prepared for long term optimisation and ongoing operational value.
The client is a global environmental solutions company focused on resource efficiency and sustainability. At its Australian commercial site, solar and battery assets from multiple manufacturers required coordinated control to improve energy performance and reduce electricity costs.
Challenges
The deployment faced a range of challenges, including multi OEM integration, networking constraints and commissioning delays typical of commercial and industrial environments.
Multi building wireless networking constraints
The site relied on wireless networking to link three buildings hosting different DER assets. This approach avoided civil works but introduced challenges such as antenna misalignment, weak signal quality and intermittent communication dropouts. These issues affected inverter visibility and contributed to repeated false protection relay trips.
Smart Hub meter configuration complexity
The Smart Hub meter initially provided no readings despite correct wiring. The devices can be complex to configure, particularly for installers not familiar with their required settings.
BESS integration with a non-standard network design
The BESS vendor operated its equipment on an isolated internal network with its own 4G connectivity. As a result, the DNSP assigned static IP could not be used to communicate with the BESS. SwitchDin was unable to reach the device via the local network and the operator had to implement custom routing rules to create a viable communication path. Vendor support was limited, which added to the long term risk of this approach.
Limited visibility into protection relay trips
The protection relays on site did not provide a direct interface for monitoring events. This created operational blind spots for both the installer and the operator, delaying the identification of root causes during commissioning.
External and environmental commissioning delays
The commissioning process also faced delays due to installer availability, specialist resource constraints, weather impacts on rooftop work and warranty processes for faulty PV inverters. These external factors slowed progress even when technical solutions were already understood.
Solution
The operator required a control platform capable of bringing together multiple DER asset types from different OEMs across a multi building site, while meeting DNSP compliance requirements without costly SCADA infrastructure. SwitchDin’s Energy Management Solution proved a strong fit for this environment.
OEM-agnostic architecture enabling seamless integration
SwitchDin’s platform is designed to work seamlessly with a wide range of DER technologies. In this deployment, PV inverters, BESS and metering equipment were all unified through a single SwitchDin’s Edge Controller. The OEM-agnostic architecture enabled these diverse assets to operate cohesively across the site.
Strong OEM relationships and proven integration capability
SwitchDin maintains close relationships with major OEMs. Many equipment manufacturers actively keep the Edge Controller in their laboratories for ongoing compatibility testing. This ensures integrations remain robust, up to date and aligned with vendor specifications. In this project, no new integration work was required, as all necessary integrations were already available.
Best in class engineering and pre-deployment testing
SwitchDin uses high quality engineering processes, including device simulation, site simulation and structured pre-deployment testing. These practices are supported by SwitchDin’s laboratory environment co-sponsored by the University of Newcastle. The facility includes a Grid Simulator and PV simulator, enabling accurate validation of inverter and BESS behaviour under realistic grid conditions.
Meeting grid requirements without SCADA
Because SwitchDin’s Edge Controller is CSIP-AUS compliant and able to enforce DNSP export/generation limits and operating envelopes directly, the operator avoided the need for a traditional SCADA system. This simplified the architecture, reduced costs and accelerated deployment.
Hands on commissioning and technical support
Throughout commissioning, SwitchDin provided hands on technical support to help the operator and its vendors navigate issues across networking, configuration and interoperability. SwitchDin engineers identified a DIP switch misconfiguration in the meter and resolved the issue without escalating to the metering provider.
SwitchDin adapted quickly to the BESS non-standard network design by establishing a workable integration method and coordinating with both the operator and the BESS vendor to ensure commissioning could progress.
Managing limited protection relay visibility
Since the protection relays did not provide a direct interface for monitoring events, SwitchDin relied on PV inverter telemetry available through the SwitchDin’s DER Manager to infer relay trips through detailed manual analysis. This led to direct protection relay integration being included in the product roadmap.
Strong project management and stakeholder coordination
SwitchDin’s project management team coordinated closely with all stakeholders, tracked issues proactively and ensured that dependencies were clearly understood, maintaining momentum despite multiple external constraints.
Results
SwitchDin delivered a cohesive, stable and reliable DER management solution in a complex commercial and industrial environment. Diverse asset types from different OEMs were successfully integrated through a single Edge Controller, demonstrating SwitchDin’s OEM-agnostic architecture. The Edge Controller’s CSIP-AUS compliance allowed the operator to meet DNSP requirements without a SCADA system, lowering costs and simplifying the deployment.
SwitchDin resolved multi-layered technical issues spanning networking, metering and vendor specific constraints. Dedicated project management ensured clear communication and sustained progress despite external dependencies. Insights from this deployment contributed to improved internal documentation, planned diagnostic enhancements and the addition of protection relay integration to the product roadmap.
The major waste management operator now benefits from a fully integrated, compliant and stable DER system operating across a complex multi-building site. All key assets, including PV inverters, BESS and metering, are connected and controllable through the SwitchDin platform.
Conclusion
SwitchDin brought solar PV, battery storage and metering from multiple manufacturers into one coordinated control environment. The deployment met the site’s DNSP requirements without traditional SCADA infrastructure and established a stable foundation for ongoing energy optimisation.
