Custom alerts

Custom alerts in IBM® Maximo® Renewables help operators monitor clean energy power plants by exception. They enable rule-based, site-specific notifications that reduce manual monitoring and improve response times to system anomalies. Traditional monitoring platforms rely on alarms and warnings to indicate system issues. However, these notifications often lack the contextual intelligence that is needed to prioritize actions effectively. Custom alerts address this gap by allowing users to define alert conditions based on multiple device readings and operational parameters.

How do custom alerts work?

Custom alerts are configured by using rule-based logic that reflects the unique conditions of each site. You can define thresholds based on device type, plant location, and other variables. After configuration, the alert engine continuously evaluates incoming data and triggers alerts when conditions deviate from the defined rules. Alerts can be conditional, such as triggering only if a condition persists for a specified number of timestamps. You can also set different frequencies for different alerts, such as real-time or hourly.

Creating the custom alerts logic

Custom alerts are curated based on site-specific requirements. Thresholds can be customized according to parameters such as device type, plant type, and location. Setting up these alerts is a critical step in generating precise notifications and must be done by a subject matter expert to help ensure accurate trigger conditions. After the rule-based conditions are defined, the alert engine monitors incoming data for deviations. You can configure alerts to trigger only when a condition is met for a defined number of consecutive timestamps. Alert frequencies can also be personalized, which allows different rules to operate in real-time, hourly, or other intervals.

For example, to detect a solar inverter trip, you can configure an alert that triggers when:
  • Inverter active power is zero.
  • Plant active power is greater than zero.
  • POA irradiance is at or greater than 50 W/m².
  • The condition persists for 15 timestamps.
This logic can be implemented using the IBM Maximo Renewables interface. The platform automatically generates the rule expression based on user selections, even for users without a programming background. The resulting logic might look like:
[Inverter].[INVERTER-02].[Active Power] = 0 AND
[Plant].[Demo-Virtual].[Active Power] > 0 AND
[Plant].[Demo-Virtual].[POA Irradiance] >= 50

After configuration, the alert engine evaluates all incoming parameters from field devices and triggers alerts whenever a deviation from the defined thresholds is detected.

Managing alerts

Maximo Renewables provides an interface for creating, managing, and applying custom alerts. You can define alert conditions using the formula builder, set severity and frequency, and choose whether to enable automatic work order creation. Alerts can be assigned to specific devices or projects and sent to targeted user groups by email. To reduce inbox clutter, alerts can be consolidated and sent at scheduled intervals.

Reducing false alarms

IoT-based sensors and devices can generate hundreds of alerts daily. To manage this volume, IBM Maximo Renewables includes conditional filtering options. You can combine multiple parameters, such as POA irradiance and duration, and restrict alerts to specific time windows, such as 6 AM to 6 PM. These filters help eliminate false positives, such as inverter trips caused by dew or low insolation during early morning hours.

Supported use cases

Custom alerts are applicable across various clean energy assets, including solar inverters, wind turbines, battery storage systems, weather sensors, and energy meters. Alerts can be applied across entire portfolios, enabling scalable and consistent monitoring.