Spring cleaning also applies to solar! After harsh exposure to winter’s snow, ice, and rain, systems benefit from routine inspection and maintenance. This ensures performance will be optimal as the season progresses.
Why is this important for owners and financiers?
The solar peak generation season is April through September. Unplanned outages in this season costs the owner more in lost revenue.
Typical ground mount system seasonal performance in the North East US:
What gets done during a PM?
Planned maintenance involves a few key tasks:
Step 1 – Visual Inspection and Repair
Weather, landscaping, insects, dirt and debris can all contribute to equipment degradation, which can lead to full breakdown. We look for:
Step 2 – Diagnostic Inspection and Repair
Some issues require a more in-depth inspection utilizing specialized tools:
Step 3 – Performance Testing
The final and most important step is confirming the operation of the system performance. What we look for:
What should happen leading up to the PM?
Ideally, the system should be monitored throughout the year, to ensure issues that arise are dealt with in a timely fashion. Monthly performance reporting is also an effective tool to ensure the system is performing as expected.
However, for certain issues, it may be more cost effective to push repairs to the PM interval. This reduces repair costs by minimizing truck rolls.