O&M services is a strategic service for photovoltaic farms. Necessary for their proper functioning and to keep the yields and profits of Our investors at a constantly high level. Watch the video to learn more about it!
The market for photovoltaic farms in Poland is growing extremely fast! Operation and maintenance popularly known as “O&M” services (from Operations and Maintenance ) has grown from a simple service offered by companies that engineer, procure and build PV farms for the systems they build, to a dedicated market segment. Consisting mainly of independent service providers engaged in PV contracting.
Operation of photovoltaic farms
O&M Lighthief Subscription
- We apply our subscription services to solutions for photovoltaic installations as small as 50KW. They allow us to respond to the needs of our contractors, related to professional and active service of their investments in photovoltaic installations and farms. The service cost includes not only monitoring our clients’ photovoltaic installations but also their cleaning, drone flights and inspections, yield forecasts, and thermographic audits. We believe that only such a “tailored” comprehensive service will provide our partners with tangible benefits and a true picture of returns on investments in renewable energy sources.
- Subscription O&M care services apply to the entire photovoltaic system, including photovoltaic panels, inverters, brackets, junction boxes, meters, transformers, switchgear, cabins, wiring, security fencing, supervision, earthworks (including mowing and management of grass and vegetation), washing of photovoltaic panels, weather station monitoring , general monitoring and communication systems up to the point of connection between the photovoltaic system and the DNO.
- Services include, but are not limited to, taking appropriate measures to achieve higher yields and advising the Investor on technical issues during the operation of photovoltaic installations.
- The O&M Lighthief subscription will ensure, as far as possible, the uninterrupted operation of photovoltaic installations and farms and, taking into account the weather, the optimal use of photovoltaic panels’ capabilities. Where possible, maintenance work will be performed in such a way as to have the least possible impact on the performance of the photovoltaic system.
Subscription O&M and Our maintenance services also include:
- Insurance and guarantee management
- 24h monitoring, data analysis and shutdown
- Preventive maintenance
- Repairs and renovations
- Service on the phone or visit of a mobile inspector in 12h throughout Poland
- Claims handling
- Operating performance report
- Yield reporting and forecasts
- Reports of significant disturbances
- System updates
- Reactive maintenance services, washing of photovoltaic panels and greenery management
We invest in and use state-of-the-art equipment for cleaning and washing photovoltaic panels, providing an integrated system for cleaning photovoltaic projects with modern methods. Lighthief and Our service technicians use professional, state-of-the-art machines that are specifically designed to clean and wash the surfaces of photovoltaic panels and have fully automated cleaning systems for installations on the ground, on warehouse roofs or on water.In order to provide high quality service and maximum customer satisfaction, we approach each project individually, according to the characteristics and requirements of the client.
How do we build O&M services for our partners at Lighthief and what do we pay attention to?
There are several different aspects related to solar O&M and photovoltaic farms:
- Preventive maintenance: Routine inspection and servicing of equipment to avoid breakdowns and unnecessary production losses. Among other things, through drone inspections and specialized thermal imaging photos and audits (according to the principle thermal imaging will tell you the truth).
- Corrective maintenance: Repairs after failures to minimize unplanned downtime.
- Condition-based maintenance: using real-time data to predict failures and prioritize actions and resources.
- Each of these approaches covers part or all of a range of services, including 24/7 performance monitoring and diagnostics, energy consumption forecasting and yield projections, warranty administration and preventive maintenance, including PV panel cleaning and vegetation inspection, grass cutting.
- This may also include integration with a third-party company to commission the system, update the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system, replace broken parts, and support the replacement of structures for photovoltaic panels, for example.
Lighthief is also risk management for photovoltaic farms. How does it work?
Risk management is the ability to identify what can go wrong at a PV farm and predict the likelihood and consequences.
This enables PV farm owners or asset managers of their investors to effectively plan for unplanned maintenance and mitigate problems. Risk management is becoming a distinct field, with many companies offering software and services to “insure” solar energy production.
How do you choose an O&M services partner for your PV farm?
If you are considering establishing a relationship with an O&M partner there are a number of factors to evaluate in potential partners. Solar Power World writes: “Outsourcing solar O&M is not only about technology and techniques, but also about working with someone who has a best-practice perspective on PV inspection procedures, quality assessment plans and maintenance checklists for PV farms.”
A successful O&M company is not just about preventive maintenance services. The contractor you choose must be able to fully monitor and analyze the performance of the photovoltaic farm and work to ensure its optimal operation.
The company should be able to follow the control procedures adopted with the Investor and implement quality assurance plans. It should provide real-time monitoring, data analysis and reporting for accelerated error handling and optimal resource utilization. This should include periodic and preventive maintenance checks with IV curve analysis and thermographic imaging.
For all major photovoltaic systems and photovoltaic farms, one of the most important factors in ensuring the successful operation of a photovoltaic system in the long term is the ability to maintain uninterrupted operation. The maximum operating time of a photovoltaic farm allows for maximum financial efficiency of the system and revenue stream, aspects that are extremely important for any investor. One problem, for example, is inverters, which are often a major source of failure in photovoltaic power plants, and their operation and maintenance improves efficiency and reliability to increase yields. It is estimated that by 2025. The service life of chain and central inverters will increase from an average of 15 to 20 years – this can be achieved through regular preventive maintenance.
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