EL DORADO HILLS, CA and AUSTIN, TX, April 11, 2023

Nor-Cal Controls (Nor-Cal) has partnered with Flow Software to offer enhanced analytical capabilities as part our standard SCADA system solutions. This partnership will utilize internally scrubbed and validated data that fulfills the needs of owners and operators who are looking for in-depth site KPI’s to drive and validate operational, market, and maintenance decisions. This service will fill a gap that our customers and prospects have been inquiring about for many years. In the past, customers needed to work through another 3rd party provider to fulfill their potential. Flow will improve the Nor-Cal standard offering for our customers that will further empower them to effectively operate and manage their portfolio of sites.

Flow will be offered as bolt on accessory to our typical SCADA system solutions for Solar PV, Solar PV + BESS and BESS only sites. This will add on data analytical capabilities and enhance the real-time capabilities of Nor-Cal’s standard SCADA system solution, using Inductive Automation’s Ignition as the HMI & alarm notification software and Canary Labs as the Historian software.  

Data analytics is considered even more critical on BESS sites (co-located or standalone). Nor-Cal’s custom SCADA System with EMS/MPC facilitates synchronization and optimization of multiple generation resources at site to meet the POI requirements. BESS is considered a high investment plus it’s tied to performance guarantees. Custom EMS/MPC logic along with reliable data analytical capabilities of Flow can play a key role to ensure optimal utilization to maximize ROI. Flow uses the concept of the Unified Analytics Framework (UAF) in conjunction with Unified Namespace (UNS) to provide a single source of true information required, uniting structure and events from the UNS with actionable information from siloed databases lacking context. UAF provides an architecture which reduces and eliminates the need to create and manage custom code/scripting that centralizes integration work and creates a single source of information that functions as a bi-directional information gateway.  

The partnership between Nor-Cal Controls and Flow Software is an important step forward for the renewable energy industry. With the ability to leverage advanced analytics and manage data effectively, renewable energy customers can stay ahead of the competition, drive better business outcomes, and make a positive impact on the environment.

Bob Lopez, CEO & Founder of Nor-Cal Controls couldn’t be more excited about this partnership, “Teaching our customers to take control, be self-sufficient, and not tied to any blackbox equipment or services is goal #1 for Nor Cal. The partnership with Flow will allow us to do just that with open and customizable analytics. By adding Flow to our open architecture SCADA/EMS offerings, we will continue to build upon our solid controls and monitoring to branch out into full blown analytics. The Flow partnership will also allow us to provide the same outstanding customer support, attentive, flexible, and always quick to respond to the analytics piece of the SCADA/EMS system.”

Flow Software's founders and employees have come from both the system integrator and end-user sides of the industry, giving them a unique perspective on the importance of data management and analytics. They built Flow Software to address the challenge of effectively providing decision support to managers and executives. By empowering enterprises to set bolder information management aspirations, Flow Software provides simple, easy-to-use software that enables analytics-ready information. Renewable energy operators can break down silos and enable collaboration across different teams and departments, ensuring that everyone has access to the data they need to make informed decisions. With Flow's monitoring and management of data quality, and Nor-Cal’s best-in-breed EMS, anyone serious about optimizing their energy production and storage can be assured that they will achieve their goals.

According to Jeff Knepper, Managing Partner at Flow Software, "Flow Software and Nor-Cal Controls share a common philosophy when it comes to our customers - they are like family to us. That's why we are so excited about this partnership. Not only do we have the technical expertise to empower renewable energy customers, but we also share a deep commitment to treating our customers with the care and respect they deserve. We believe in over-delivering on every engagement, going above and beyond to ensure that our customers achieve their goals. With this partnership, we can take our customer-first philosophy to the next level and help renewable energy customers thrive in today's competitive marketplace."

“From a technical standpoint, the partnership with Nor-Cal Controls is a great fit for Flow Software. With a deep understanding of data analytics and data readiness, Flow Software and Nor-Cal's EMS offering can help renewable energy customers unlock the full potential of their data. By providing a unified view of their data and enabling advanced analytics, customers can optimize energy production, reduce costs, and improve overall performance. This partnership is a game-changer for the industry” says Knepper.

Nor-Cal’s team has over 12 years of experience providing custom on-site SCADA system solutions for renewable energy projects, adhering to industry best practices. And now, thanks to this partnership, will also offer data analytics software. Stay tuned as not only will Flow be providing analytics to Nor-Cal’s customers moving forward, but they will also be a featured presenter at Nor-Cal Controls’ Solar & Storage Operations Conference (SSOC), that will be happening August 16-17, in South Lake Tahoe.

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