What are the preventive maintenance methods for PV

       Preventative maintenance is critical to the sustainability and health of PV solar systems for a number of reasons. While solar is frequently marketed as a long-term and resilient power generation tool, it is not immune to external factors such as time, weather, or equipment failure. As a result, for the longevity and health of your system, an effective preventative maintenance plan is required. Preventative maintenance differs from reactive or corrective maintenance in that it keeps owners ahead of repairs, keeps the system operating at its intended capacity, and prevents larger, more damaging problems.

　　When to schedule preventative maintenance

　　There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question because many factors influence all PV systems. However, once a site is finished, commissioned, and deemed operational, a maintenance plan should be implemented to track the site's pain points and production numbers.

　　Preventive maintenance should be performed once a year for the first five years, with two visits in Year 1. This is critical for evaluating a system's output and making the necessary changes to achieve peak performance.

　　When deciding when to schedule preventative maintenance visits, one important factor to consider is solar irradiance and how it relates to peak production. Solar irradiance is the intensity or output of the sun measured on Earth over a specific area. High irradiance will be felt in many areas during the summer months, particularly in mid-July. As a result, scheduling your PM visit in the spring to check the health of your system is a wise strategy. This will give you enough time to make any necessary adjustments before the peak irradiance months.

　　An effective project manager must take action in addition to reporting. "It requires doing the work," said Wayne Williford, Day Electric's VP of operations. Remote monitoring can only reveal so much information. Get out there, visit the site, and devise a plan that is specific to that location.

　　After developing an effective plan in Year 1. it can be implemented for the next five years. At that point, you frequently see external factors that will become pain points in the coming decades. A preventative maintenance schedule will be developed based on the location, environment, design type, equipment type, initial build, and product quality of the site.

　　What factors have an impact on preventative maintenance measures?

　　Design type

　　The design of a commercial solar system will also have an impact on the preventative maintenance schedule. Trackers, for example, necessitate a more time-consuming maintenance schedule than a fixed-tilt site. A PM schedule must take into account the location (rooftop or ground), racking type, inverter type, and overall design of the system.

　　Equipment type

　　PV All solar systems require a core set of components for energy production and structural stability. Modules, inverters, wiring, DC/AC disconnects, racking, and mounting are among the essential components. The type, brand, and quality of these components frequently determine the frequency of future maintenance required.

　　Initial build quality

　　An effective preventative maintenance plan's overall goal is to keep a system operating at "as-built" production capacity. Despite normal degradation, this is achievable with an effective and aggressive PM plan. However, depending on the initial design and product quality, this goal is sometimes unattainable. Some sites have severe production and safety issues from the start due to poor construction standards, poor equipment quality and failure, and/or a lack of proper or unbiased commissioning.

　　When recommending preventative and corrective maintenance on a site, an O&M provider will take these factors into account.

　　Preventative maintenance may appear to be an aggressive strategy, but when done correctly, it can extend the life and quality of a system and is a must for safety and peace of mind. An effective PM schedule can transform a site that has become a burden to owners and asset managers into what it was meant to be: a powerful and sustainable power generation system.