Case Study: First Solar achieves real-time solar plant monitoring and lower development costs with Microsoft Bing Maps

Energy plants optimize performance with dynamic map for real-time monitoring

First Solar, a renewable energy provider, faced the challenge of modernizing its static, non-interactive solar plant monitoring system. Seeking a more dynamic and scalable solution for its global operations center, the company turned to Microsoft and its Bing Maps for Enterprise platform to create a central, real-time map.

Microsoft's solution, built using the Bing Maps API and WPF control, provided a dynamic map that displays the real-time status of over 40 global solar plants. This allowed a small team of operators to monitor assets efficiently. The implementation saved $83,000 in initial development costs and is projected to save over $500,000 over five years. Microsoft's technology also reduced the labor needed for monitoring, differentiating First Solar's services and helping to generate more business.

First Solar

James Kieley

Director of O&M Global Services