Patriot Solar Group

Patriot Solar Group relied on a black-box solution to automate solar panel tracking that was unreliable, costly to configure, and required one device per panel. The company needed a more reliable, cost-effective approach with reduced equipment wear.

Allen-Bradley MicroLogix 1400 controllers preprogrammed with NREL sun-position data replaced the legacy system. One controller now drives 500 feet of solar panels over an EtherNet/IP network, enabling multiple systems to share networked controllers.

Configuration costs were saved by $125,000. Maintenance costs were reduced by 65%. Equipment longevity was extended through minimized wear and tear, and networked controllers can be reused across multiple systems.

• Replacing black-box solar tracking solutions with open programmable controllers reduces both configuration costs and maintenance overhead
• One standardized controller serving 500 feet of panels versus one per panel creates dramatic cost savings at scale
• Network-based solar tracking creates a scalable platform for managing large commercial solar installations