Design and Implementation of an Accessible Monitoring System for a Wind Energy System in a Power-to-Gas Pilot Plant Located in Middle Guajira

Abstract

This study presents the development and implementation of a low-cost data acquisition system (SAD.1) for real-time monitoring of a wind energy system installed at a Power-to-Gas (PtG) pilot plant located in Middle Guajira. The objective was to design a functional and cost-effective tool capable of recording and analyzing the energy performance of the wind system, thereby contributing to the efficient management of the PtG pilot plant. The system uses Modbus RTU communication under the RS485 standard, with an Arduino Uno microcontroller and a MAX485 module for signal conversion to TTL levels. Data are extracted from the wind inverter and transmitted through a serial port to a PC, where a Python script processes them, computes five-minute averages, and stores them in .CSV files. Operational profiles were established over one year of monitoring, identifying higher generation between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. and low or no production during nighttime hours. SAD.1 makes it possible to evaluate the behavior of the wind system both individually and in integration with the photovoltaic system, providing key data to optimize the energy planning and management of the PtG plant.