Featured in More than just a number – 03-2018

Knowing the cost

O&M costs: Solar PV plants remain a relatively low-maintenance means of electricity production, but as PPAs strike record low after record low across the globe, the issue of profitability and competitiveness becomes starker. So the question arises: How can O&M activities maintain their affordability when certain costs, such as labor, are on the rise?

By

Ian Clover

13 Mar 2018

Solar plants will always require some level of hands-on maintenance, but increased digitalization, simplified system architectures, and predictive monitoring is reducing the labor intensity of PV O&M.

The factory floor of a typical modern solar cell or module production facility is an impressive sight. In these state-of-the-art fabs, every square meter of space has a distinct purpose. The factory layout has been calculated to ensure maximum productivity. Capital expenditure (capex) is lavished on the latest equipment, most obviously to ensure firms are …

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