You may have seen the term ‘O&M’ around before and wondered what is Operations and Maintenance and it’s relationship to commercial solar? If you’re just getting started with renewable energy or are considering it, we’ve got the full breakdown for you.
Operations and Maintenance (O&M) is a crucial element of preserving the efficiency and maintaining the safety of commercial solar PV, be it a ground-mounted or roof-mounted system. So, what is Operations & Maintenance?
What is Operations and Maintenance, and what is it for?
A solar PV system is designed to last; with a 25-year performance warranty for solar panels and with the right installer these investments will be stable sources of renewable energy for many years. However, these systems are still subject to faults and damage over time from harsh weather, animals, and external influences. It’s the solar O&M providers who identify these issues and provide efficient solutions to enable optimal performance as soon as possible.
What do we do as O&M providers?
O&M providers will perform several key services, and our team at CleanEarth keep a holistic approach that encompasses both preventative and reactive care for solar PV systems.
Preventative O&M
As system faults occur over time with pests, natural damage, and environmental changes, CleanEarth can perform on-site checks and portal monitoring. By keeping a close eye on a system, issues can be prevented before they can have any impact on generation or the safety of the system.
Reactive O&M
When faults do occur or are reported, CleanEarth take swift action. In these instances, if the fault can’t be ascertained remotely an engineer will come to site to investigate it and identify the cause. The O&M team will get to work making sure that the fault is repaired as efficiently as possible, minimising any dips in performance.
The business benefit of Operations & Maintenance
Operations and Maintenance for commercial solar PV has several crucial benefits, including:
Keeping systems compliant with regulations, safety standards, and performance expectations
O&M keeps systems in optimal condition, keeps them running safely, and makes sure they are meeting performance expectations. O&M can lower insurance costs and ensure solar PV systems meet necessary requirements.
Mitigating risk and additional costs
Preventative care keeps solar PV systems safe and functional, mitigating risk of accidents and of unnecessary damage or lower performance. This then protects against unplanned costs from faults left unnoticed.
Maximising financial returns
By staying on top of the system’s condition and acting swiftly to rectify faults, performance dips can be prevented or quickly resolved. This then brings the system back to optimal performance. The less down time a system experiences, the more it can maximise a client’s investment.
Operations and Maintenance is a key part of seeing the best possible return on investment with solar PV and keeping both energy usage and carbon reductions optimal at all times. So, make sure your solar PV is covered by the best.
Learn more about CleanEarth’s O&M service here.