The Challenge

The management team for Ireland's largest solar farm, a 500-acre site in Ballymacarney, needed an effective perimeter security solution. The key challenge was the nature of the site: it operates automatically, is usually unstaffed, and is monitored remotely, with only one or two maintenance visits per month.

The customer required a reliable detection and alarm system that could:

Instantly detect and send alerts for any breach of the site’s extensive perimeter.

Differentiate between genuine threats and false alarms (e.g., from animals, moving branches, or leaves).

Provide effective long-distance detection and monitoring across the large, rural location

The Solution

Installation company CU Group Fire and Security was engaged to design and implement a comprehensive solution using Dahua technology.

This hybrid approach provides the best of both worlds. By focusing on heat signatures, the thermal sensor delivers highly-accurate intruder detection while drastically reducing false alarms. Operators can switch between visible light, thermal, and "fusion" images (which combine both views) for robust 24/7 surveillance. The cameras also feature intelligent video analytics, including tripwire detection and human/vehicle classification, to further enhance accuracy.

2. Centralised Management The video feeds are managed by a 128-channel Ultra series NVR with eight hard disk drives for storing all recorded footage. The entire installation is unified by Dahua’s high-performance DSS security management system. This platform is designed for large-scale applications, providing centralised video monitoring, access control, and other security functions for the remote operators.

The Result

The new system provides powerful, automated perimeter protection for the critical infrastructure, allowing it to be monitored effectively from a distance.

A spokesperson for the solar farm praised the outcome: "As the solar farm is usually unstaffed and is monitored remotely, the ability of the system to automatically detect intruders and send alerts to the control room and key personnel works well with our way of operating. We have found the system performs to a high standard and it is intuitive to use."

Overview

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