Case Study: Central Iowa Power Cooperative achieves solar-powered remote monitoring and time-lapse project documentation with Sensera Systems

Solar/wireless Site Cameras Monitor Substations and Renewable Solar Power Plants

Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO), Iowa’s largest cooperative energy provider, needed a flexible way to monitor and document construction of a five-site, utility-scale solar rollout (initial phase up to 5.5 MW) and multiple substation projects while maintaining site security and keeping members informed. CIPCO turned to Sensera Systems for a camera solution that could be easily installed, relocated, and remotely shared with the public.

Sensera Systems provided a turnkey package of solar-powered cameras with LiFePO4 batteries (up to 5MP stills and 720p HD video), cellular connectivity, cloud-hosted servers, time-lapse and built-in DVR functionality, and easy-to-use software. The deployment enabled fast installations across multiple sites, remote real-time monitoring and public engagement, documented progress on the multi-site solar and substation builds, and supported site security—with cameras able to run up to five days on battery power.

Central Iowa Power Cooperative

Terry Fett

PE. Manager of Engineering