CCEBA recently spoke with new member SmartTrak AI to learn more about their offerings. Read on to find out about this innovative company!
Q: How did SmartTrak get started and what inspired you to apply AI to energy?
A: SmartTrak AI began in 2019 as a consulting venture focused on data & artificial‑intelligence solutions for industrial clients. Our founder, Bhagawan Gnanapa, had previously scaled a solar‑tracker manufacturing company to $15 million in annual revenue, so he knew the operational pain points of renewable‑energy assets first‑hand.
During those years he saw two recurring challenges:
- Data overload: Modern solar plants stream millions of telemetry points daily, yet insights reach decision‑makers too slowly.
- Underutilized AI techniques: Proven methods in adjacent industries (predictive maintenance, digital twins, generative design) were rarely adopted by small‑to‑mid‑sized power producers.
SmartTrak was founded to bridge that gap: combining deep solar‑domain knowledge with state‑of‑the‑art AI to deliver actionable, plant‑level intelligence that developers and operators can trust.
Q: What services and products do you offer—and how do they help renewable developers?
A: Bottom line: We help developers shorten the road from the commercial operation date to steady‑state cash flow, improve annual energy yield, and protect asset value over more than 20 years.
| What We Deliver | Why It Matters to an IPP or Developer |
| Unified Monitoring & Analytics Platform | Single dashboard for solar, storage and hybrid plants—one place to see performance, alarms, and commercial KPIs. |
| Day‑Ahead & Intraday Energy Forecasting | >5 % accuracy lift vs. typical baseline models, supporting tighter PPA bids and merchant market participation. |
| AI‑Driven Fault Prediction | Early‑warning signals for inverters and now battery‑storage systems, transformers, trackers, and switchgear—cutting unplanned downtime and warranty headaches. |
| Immersive Digital Twin | 3‑D plant replica that accelerates root‑cause analysis and gives stakeholders a “walk‑through” view of asset health. |
| White‑Label SCADA to EMS Upgrade Path | Start with monitoring and seamlessly grow into a full Energy Management System (EMS) with dispatch optimization—all powered by an AI agent that can suggest and even automate set‑points. |
Q: Can you give us a case study? What’s an example of how your expertise helped an independent power producer?
A: Of course—
Client: 40 megawatts (MW) solar plus 10 megawatt hour (MWh) storage site
Challenge: Summer inverter derates and unexpected battery cell temperature excursions shaved around three percent off gross revenue.
Our Solution?
- Enabled unified monitoring across PV and storage.
- Deployed AI fault‑prediction models that flagged string imbalances 48 hours in advance and battery thermal anomalies 24 hours ahead.
- Provided an automated financial impact report to support warranty claims and prioritized O&M dispatch.
As a result, our client saw a 70 percent drop in inverter derates, a 2.4 percent uplift in delivered energy (photovoltaic and storage), and secured a $220k warranty reimbursement.
Q: What’s next in applying AI to better energy management?
A: There are a number of things on the horizon.
- Asset‑class expansion: Extending fault prediction to battery packs, battery management systems, medium‑voltage transformers, tracker gearboxes, and even drone‑based PV inspections.
- Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) → Energy Management System (EMS) evolution: Our platform will graduate from monitoring to agent‑driven Energy Management, automatically orchestrating charge/discharge, curtailment, and market bids.
- Conversational work assistant: Field crews will soon ask, “Why is String B‑12 under‑performing?” and receive a root‑cause hypothesis, recommended fix, and digital work order—hands‑free.
- Portfolio‑level optimization: AI agents that balance dozens of plants as a virtual power plant, maximizing fleet‑wide revenue while respecting grid and contractual limits.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to share?
A: Here are a few final thoughts—
- Local roots, global view. Our team sits in Research Triangle Park, NC, and we actively recruit from the state’s universities while serving clients across the US and abroad.
- Open partnership mindset. We integrate with existing SCADA, ERP, and finance systems rather than forcing rip‑and-replace.
- CCEBA engagement. We’re eager to collaborate on policy, pilot projects, and workforce development to keep the Carolinas at the forefront of intelligent clean‑energy operations.
Thank you for welcoming SmartTrak to the CCEBA community—we look forward to accelerating the region’s clean‑energy future together.