New Energy Insights Blog

Sustaining Solar: The Vital Role of O&M In Renewable Energy

By: Caresse Reid

The journey of a solar energy project doesn't end once panels are installed and generating power. In fact, that is just the beginning! Solar Operations and Maintenance (O&M) services play a pivotal role in ensuring the sustained productivity, efficiency, and longevity of all types of solar energy projects across the US. The comprehensive suite of services they offer benefits solar developers, long term asset owners and the landowners hosting solar projects.

What is Solar O&M?

Solar O&M encompasses a range of services aimed at ensuring the proper functioning and longevity of solar energy systems. Solar O&M includes both preventative and corrective maintenance. Preventative maintenance is focused on keeping the system running smoothly and flagging potential issues that can be dealt with preemptively to avoid major equipment malfunctions. This is done via routine inspections, component replacements or upgrades, cleaning, online performance monitoring, and safety compliance checks. preventive and corrective maintenance, data analysis and safety compliance. Corrective maintenance focuses on addressing the many events that occur throughout a project's lifespan that can impact the system's integrity. This often requires site visits from techs, who work to diagnose the problem and develop a solution. Effective solar O&M practices also play an integral part in maximizing the return on investment in solar energy systems by ensuring optimal performance, minimizing downtime, and extending the lifespan of the equipment.

Improper O&M services lead to system failures, thus leading to an underperforming or non-functioning system. If more effort is put into preventative maintenance, less time and money will need to be spent on correcting issues later. When there is an issue with a system, it is important that an expert with solar-specific experience provides the maintenance, as they will know how to properly account for the unique characteristics of solar systems. Incorrectly implemented repairs can lead to years' worth of headaches for system owners.

What are the Benefits of Solar O&M for Developers?

For solar developers, investing in quality O&M services is crucial for safeguarding reputation and ensuring customer satisfaction. By partnering with a reliable O&M provider, developers can deliver projects that are well-maintained and perform optimally over time. This helps meet the increasingly stringent requirements of permitting authorities. Proper documentation of O&M activities also enhances the resale value of solar systems, as potential buyers look for evidence of regular maintenance and adherence to manufacturers' recommendations.

There are significant advantages to having a close relationship with a solar O&M provider. A strong relationship allows for direct feedback loops between the O&M technicians servicing a system and the engineers designing them, facilitating continuous improvement in system design and specification. By identifying and addressing issues encountered in the field, the developer can improve future project designs and make informed decisions about equipment selection and supplier partnerships. This feedback loop not only enhances system performance and reliability but also strengthens relationships with the landowners and communities that host these projects.

What are the Benefits of Solar O&M for Long-Term Asset Owners?

Long-term owners of solar projects rely on consistent energy production to recoup their investment. They are selling the produced energy to their local electric utility, so the more energy that a solar project produces and the less downtime it experiences, the greater the financial benefit for the asset owner. Spending the time and effort to monitor the system online and conduct regular site visits helps keep energy production as high as possible and prevent mechanical issues that may lead to downtime.

What are the Benefits of Solar O&M for Landowners?

Landowners hosting solar sites eventually need their land to be restored to its original condition, making vegetation and land management a vital piece of the Solar O&M process. A quality provider will develop and implement vegetation management plans to ensure that the site is planted with the appropriate plants and grasses and well maintained and will focus on minimizing negative impacts on surrounding communities and landscapes. This proactive approach helps avoid potential issues during the decommissioning process and prevents situations where poorly maintained systems become liabilities, causing headaches for landowners and the communities in which they reside.

Conclusion

Solar O&M has a myriad of benefits for developers and landowners alike. Solar O&M entails much more than simply fixing a solar system when it breaks. It is not only imperative to developers and asset owners, but to the entire solar industry, as proper management will further ensure that the use of solar energy is an asset and not a liability to landowners and communities nationwide.

If you are interested in exploring Solar O&M options, Energy Support Services (ESS) provides operations and maintenance services, as well as system quality assurance, quality control audits, and asset management. Click here to learn more.