EPCs and developers placing more emphasis on operational assets in the wake of damaging cuts to FiT schemes, non-O&M companies developing new business lines to services the O&M markets, and the secondary market of new owners keen to achieve optimum performance, are driving a competitive O&M market.
Energy output has never been more essential: If you do energy trading and you have to sell your energy in advance, then you can be penalized if you dont deliver the energy. Its a double hit says Stefan Mueller, COO, Enerparc.
The impact of O&M practices on output and yield is clear: A 1% increase in the performance of a system can translate into as much as a 10% increase in profit comments Stefan Degener, Senior Director O&M EMEA, First Solar.
As assets age the O&M market is likely to remain active. Another driving factor is that the financial community is not yet convinced of the stability of PV revenue, and it is up to O&M to reduce performance risk through proven and effective yield-enhancing practices. For these same suppliers, a trend towards simpler and cheaper O&M contracts is expected (Angelo Guardo, Manager Technical Services, Enel Green Power).
Several key strategies for improving O&M have been established:
Identifying and controlling under-performance
Developing in-house capabilities versus out-sourcing
Centralizing and automating monitoring processes
Geo-tagging and smarter systems
Advanced data analytics
Robotics and drones
In European PV O&M: Trends and Market Outlook these strategies are discussed in relation to the experience of the industry.
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