BASICS OF SOLAR PV O&M

Feb, 2018
Table of Contents

• Balance soiling losses with cleaning costs

• Case study

• Important assumptions and caveats

• Monitoring & Corrective Maintenance

• Other Considerations

• Impact of O&M on IRR: A Summary

© 2017 Solarig-Gensol
Balance soiling losses with cleaning costs ...

Generation losses due to soiling Costs for modules cleaning

The annual electrical power loss due to the soiling of The combined costs of labour, equipment and water for module
modules can range from 2.5 to more than 20%1. cleaning is around 30% of the total O&M cost.

Figure 1. Shows status of both cells after 80 days of experiment of a site in Punjab. The dirty Figure 2. Shows cost distribution of a typical O&M project in India whereby 24 cleaning cycles
cell produces around 2% less than its spotless counterpart after ten weeks. are considered.
. .
1. Efficient and water-saving cleaning of the PV solar systems with TF-4 technology, RollingWash
Case Study: Punjab

Cleaning with external tractor bringing clean water from the outside
Maximum profit lies at 47 Lakhs per year.

Figure 5. Shows that profits in case of tractors brought BEST FREQUENCY Every month
from the outside is lower. Also, that if this was the only
CLEANING SESSIONS AVOIDED DUE TO PRECIPITATIONS 4
method available, frequency of cleaning should be slightly
lower compared to the manual method with free water. NUMBER OF ACTUAL CLEANINGS PER YEAR 8
Case Study: Punjab

Manual cleaning method (pipeline with free water in plant and manual wiping)
Maximum profit lies at 54 Lakhs per year.

Figure 4. Shows that yearly cleaning (as is the case in Europe) is not an BEST FREQUENCY Every month
option. But clearly 24 cleaning cycles -considered as a standard in
India- is not cost effective. In this case, the best option would be to for CLEANING SESSIONS AVOIDED DUE TO PRECIPITATIONS 4
12 cleanings a year, which is reduced to around 8 actual cleaning
sessions per year due to intense reain during the year. NUMBER OF ACTUAL CLEANINGS PER YEAR 8
Important assumptions and caveats
Assuming more….
Rainfall frequency
Rainfall intensity
Tilt angle
Tariff per kWh
Speed of cleaning method
Generation limited by inverter’s
capacity
Experimental soiling data from
plant
.. we get:
Cleaning costs
(less frequency required)
Soiling losses
(dust/sand doesn’t stick)
Profitability of cleaning
(should clean more often)
Soiling losses
The more experimental data we have, the
(production returns to optimal faster)
more precise the resulting soiling model will
be for predictions.
Soiling losses
(DC production of panels is limited
anyway)
Precision of model
(our conclusions are more reliable)
Monitoring & Corrective Maintenance

© 2016 Solarig-Gensol
Monitoring & Corrective Maintenance

© 2016 Solarig-Gensol
Monitoring & Corrective Maintenance

© 2016 Solarig-Gensol
Other Considerations

Performance Ratio Guarantee / Uptime Guarantee:

Given comfort with plant design, equipment used, workmanship and plant operational data, Solarig Gensol
undertakes PR / Uptime Guarantee, effectively taking on Owner’s risk of generation.

Importance of Handover:

Drawings, Specifications, Manufacturer Recommendations and Manuals have the vital information to customize
preventive schedule according to the plant and minimize downtime in case of a corrective action.

© 2016 Solarig-Gensol
Other Considerations

Transportation & Accommodation:

Depending on plant size and location, Transportation & Accommodation can add 4 - 10% to the O&M Cost. Options
include:

● Building Accommodation / Porta Cabin for O&M team on site in case the nearest town is not adjacent
● Arranging accommodation in nearest town (not greater than 1 - 2 kms from site)
● Arranging accommodation and transportation in nearest town (greater than 2 kms from site)

© 2016 Solarig-Gensol
Other Considerations

Security

In most cases, employing security is a way to provide local employment and appeasing the local strongmen. Porous
and long perimeters of the plants allow at maximum for proper surveillance but it is not a guarantee for ZERO theft.

Lack of liability on the Security Company further makes it harder to maintain accountability.

Global Best Practices

Have effective insurance with as small deductible as possible

Employing Electronic Fencing, advanced and exhaustive Camera Surveillance with Superior Security Agencies for
instant backup

© 2016 Solarig-Gensol
Other Considerations

Tools, PPE & EHS

Although, the most insignificant cost component of O&M, it is also the most ignored leading to higher plant downtime
or EHS site incidents. Solarig Gensol maintains the highest standards of EHS with BVQI vetted EHS Manual.

Plant Health Diagnosis:

Detailed Plant Health Diagnosis - once in a year - according to internationally accepted standards and samples with
Thermographic Camera & IV Curve Tester ensures your modules are healthy and assist in degradation warranty
claims.

© 2016 Solarig-Gensol
Other Considerations

Spares

Quantity & costs depend on warranty arrangement with equipment suppliers and are typically 30% of O&M Cost.
Recommendations:

● Order recommended spares upfront at the time of procurement

● Make the equipment supplier commit to an uptime guarantee
● Negotiate extended warranty arrangements with vendors upfront

Consumables

Grease, Silica Gel, Paint, Connectors and other regularly consumed material on site typically capped to Rs. 5,000 /
MW / year.

© 2016 Solarig-Gensol
Impact of O&M on IRR: A Summary

Aspect %age of O&M Impact on

Cost IRR

Module Cleaning: Best Practices 35% 0.50%

Preventive & Corrective Maintenance 25% 0.58%

Security 23 0.11%

Tools & Consumables (Spares) 5% (30%) 0.29%

Total 100% 1.48%

© 2017 Solarig-Gensol
Solarig Gensol Background

Solarig Group Gensol Group

Based in Spain, Solarig Group has an experience of Gensol has been Owners & Lenders Engineer as well
Operation & Maintenance across 3000+ MW and 18 as Design Consultant & PMCs for over 6.5 GW of
countries spanning over 13 years. projects in India and abroad.

Solarig Gensol in India so far

2100 MWp 200+ Engineers & 53 Projects

Technicians

© 2017 Solarig-Gensol
 Puneet Singh Jaggi
Director

M. +91 99 98 025 820

Anmol Singh Jaggi

Director

M. +91 76 98 83 33 11

303, Parshwanath Business Park, 100 Ft Road, Prahladnagar

Ahmedabad, Gujarat – 380015

info@solariggensol.com
www.solariggensol.com