Featured in The Quality Issue – 04-2019

Operator, connect me

Like many areas in renewable energy, the operations and maintenance of large-scale solar power plants is becoming an increasingly sophisticated affair. Granular data gathered using hardware such as drones and thermal imaging equipment, in combination with complex analytics software, mean that service providers now have oversight of a plant right down to the performance of individual cells and components. A look at fault detection offers several examples of these trends in action.

By

Mark Hutchins

02 Apr 2019

Ensuring that cables and connectors are compatible and fit for purpose is a key consideration when it comes to procuring components for a PV system, but one that some industry players appear to take lightly, which can cause problems further down the line. | Image: Leoni

The market for operations and maintenance in solar is a challenging one, as evidenced by the many providers that have exited the segment or been acquired by larger players in recent years. Costs have fallen steeply, and investors and plant owners are aware that O&M activities can have a huge impact on a project’s revenue …

This article is part of pv+

Subscribe digitally to unlock exclusive investigative reporting, expert insights, in-depth analysis, and premium background coverage. Your subscription also includes full access to the digital edition of our magazine.