Operation & Maintenance
What solar contractors need to know
Solar O&M
Operations and maintenance, commonly called “O&M”, has grown from a simple service offered by engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) companies for systems they built, to a dedicated market segment comprised of independent service providers and robust branches of solar contracting companies. The maturation of the solar industry has also led to increased O&M specialization to address the more complex demands of both the market and the grid. Regardless of whether solar contractors engage directly in O&M, it is important to understand — particularly given the long lifespan of solar systems and the ongoing need to ensure they generate as much power as possible.
What is O&M?
Broadly speaking, O&M is a set of activities or programs that deals with the practices, tasks, and labor that help systems run properly and efficiently. O&M includes a variety of basic functions such as: rapid problem identification and resolution, minimizing downtime due to faults, and comprehensive reporting and transparency.
What is solar operations and maintenance?
As you may have guessed, solar O&M is this same set of activities, but applied specifically to solar PV installations to help optimize how they produce energy.
There are several different aspects of solar O&M:
Preventative maintenance: The routine inspection and servicing of equipment to avoid breakdowns and needless production losses
Corrective maintenance: Repairs after a breakdown occurs to minimize unplanned downtime
Condition-based maintenance: Using real-time data to predict breakdowns and prioritize activities and resources; offered by an increasing number of third-party integrators and turnkey providers
Each of these approaches employs a number of services, which can include: performance monitoring and diagnostics, energy forecasting, warranty administration, and preventative maintenance like module cleaning and vegetation control.
It can also involve integration with a third party for system commissioning, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) upgrades, parts replacement, and re-roofing support.
Solar EPC Solutions
Commercial O&M vs. Residential O&M
Commercial Solar O&M
Commercial O&M often involves the management of expansive solar arrays, sometimes spread across multiple locations, making real-time monitoring, advanced diagnostics, and regular preventive maintenance critical. These setups often use sophisticated software and tools to ensure consistent energy production and to manage large amounts of generated data.
Residential Solar O&M
Residential O&M is generally more straightforward, dealing with single-home setups. The focus here leans towards periodic checks, ensuring system safety, and maximizing longevity. While commercial systems may require specialized technicians trained to handle intricate and large-scale systems, residential O&M often centers around customer education, ensuring homeowners understand basic system functionalities and when professional intervention is required.
What does solar O&M entail?
The maintenance aspect
Maintenance includes both scheduled and unscheduled elements. While scheduled services are outlined by equipment manufacturers’ product manuals, unscheduled maintenance involves fixing problems once they occur (fairly self-explanatory).
Scheduled maintenance lowers the frequency and cost of unscheduled work, ideally achieving a system that operates properly due to constant monitoring and clear recovery systems.
The risk management aspect
Risk management, another side of O&M services offered by some industry players, is the ability to identify what can go wrong and predict probability and consequences.
It enables PV owners and asset managers to effectively plan for unscheduled maintenance and mitigate issues. Risk management continues to develop as a distinct field, with a number of companies offering software and services to help ensure solar production.
Creating a foundation for lower-maintenance O&M
When a PV system is designed and built with the highest quality in mind, using complete software solutions, there can be fewer costs and less wasted time associated with O&M.
As an example, AERONEX’s Plan Sets Service not only enhances the speed and quality of post-sales processes but also provides peace of mind to design and engineering teams. It simplifies and standardizes the site data collection workflow, consolidating all the required information into a user-friendly intake form and automatically populating numerous fields within the form. It all takes place within AERONEX’s sales and design tool, and includes features like AHJ identification. Once you’ve gathered the necessary site details, you can directly request a solar permitting plan set package from within the platform, including engineering stamps. The AERONEX team reviews the site information, ensures compliance with all AHJ requirements, and delivers a permit-ready plan set package within 24 hours.
Including solar O&M in-house
Benefits of in-house solar O&M
Benefits for solar companies that offer O&M services in-house include the ability to be your customer’s key point of contact from initial design and construction to maintenance over the long-term. This may mean lower costs for asset owners and greater value from each customer (increased customer lifetime value) due to the ability to maintain a relationship with customers for the 25+ year lifespan of their systems. This allows for more payments over time, as well as more opportunities for referrals or subsequent jobs.
Challenges with in-house solar O&M
There are also some important challenges to consider, however:
- Does your company have the necessary expertise and workforce?
- Can your team support these additional services without compromising your current design and installation commitments?
To effectively provide solar O&M services, a company needs to be able to address three areas of functionality: core systems, supporting systems, and management.
Core systems
Core systems include data monitoring systems and the data analysis capabilities to interpret results and identify problems. Appropriately skilled field personnel and strong engineering capabilities are also key.
Supporting systems
Supporting systems include protocols for efficiently running O&M operations, such as quality assurance systems, development of a comprehensive knowledge-base to assist with diagnosis of similar issues, and field tracking and measurement.
Management
Management entails having proper technical knowledge as well as the ability to oversee maintenance activities, in-house and subcontractor personnel, and inventory.
Your company also needs to be able to provide a comprehensive, precise assessment of the potential profitability of a system and the O&M risks and costs. This allows you to price and schedule your services in a way that is both accurate and in line with the asset owner’s risk tolerance.
Keep in mind, this process can be complex and may require robust software as well as a sophisticated approach to plant operational health, particularly if your company has a large number of smaller systems or larger commercial solar plants.
Solar O&M Checklist for Contractors
Detailed Visual Inspection
Conduct systematic examinations for damages such as panel cracks, discolored cells, and broken glass. A trained eye can catch issues that may be missed by the untrained observer.
Panel Cleaning Protocols
Using specialized cleaning equipment, ensure that panels are free from debris, bird droppings, and other obstructions, optimizing their effectiveness.
Advanced Electrical Checks
Employ diagnostic tools to detect corroded terminals, assess loose connections, and monitor any potential damage to cables or connectors.
Performance Monitoring Systems
Use professional-grade monitoring systems to continuously track energy output, enabling rapid detection of any deviations from expected performance.
Inverter Health Checks
Beyond just reading the display, delve into detailed inverter logs and software diagnostics to catch potential issues early.
Alignment Optimization
Use tools and software to ensure panels are at the ideal tilt and orientation, taking into account local solar angles and potential shading.
Ventilation Assessment
Ensure cooling systems are efficient, especially for inverters, to avoid overheating and potential system failures.
Battery Health Monitoring
For installations with energy storage, conduct detailed battery health checks, monitoring charge cycles, potential leaks, and ensuring optimal functionality.
Safety protocols
Regularly test all safety devices, including ground fault protection systems and disconnect mechanisms. This not only ensures system safety but also complies with regional and national standards.
