Solar Availability Series Part 3: Methods for Maximization

Welcome back for Part 3 of Camelot’s series on solar availability, which is an appropriately-hot topic as the industry continues to mature. If you’re just joining us for the series, please checkout Part 1 and Part 2 of this series. We’ve set the groundwork with how availabilities are calculated and reported along with the current state of IE assumptions. Today we’ll touch on ways of maximizing availability (minimizing downtime). This topic could be its own series, so we’ll focus on the bigger picture. If you’re curious about Camelot’s stance on availability assumptions as an IE, be on the lookout for future parts in this series. Thank you for joining us!

The most impactful sources of downtime come from major component failures such as from inverters, which put entire blocks of a system offline at the same time, although more minor events can still bring smaller portions of the site down. We’ll focus primarily on the most impactful contributors to downtime here.

There are two broad, controllable factors which impact availability:

1. The frequency of downtime events, driven by component failure rates and the need for planned maintenance. The quality of the engineering and proactive maintenance is important for this piece; and

2. The duration of downtime events, driven by staffing, readiness of replacements, and other primarily-O&M considerations.

Reducing the Frequency and Duration of Downtime Events During Operations

Owners and O&M providers and can have a significant impact on both the frequency and duration of downtime events at an operational project once it’s been built. Here are a few recommendations for ensuring success:

• Follow a Robust O&M Agreement. The O&M agreement should be closely followed during operations, which unfortunately does not always occur. The agreement should be robust and include elements of the items below. More recommendations for O&M agreements are also included in the next section.

• Predictive Maintenance: Utilize data analytics to predict potential equipment failures before they occur. By analyzing trends and historical data, O&M teams can identify patterns that signal imminent issues, allowing for timely interventions.

• Sufficient Preventive Maintenance: Schedule regular maintenance based on equipment manufacturers' guidelines and site-specific conditions. This includes checking electrical connections and inspecting mechanical systems such as trackers.

  
  

  • Of note, energy-based availabilities can be optimized by scheduling maintenance events during periods of expectedly-low production. The time-based availability metric might be the same, but the smaller energy loss means a higher energy-based availability.

• Spare Parts Management: Maintain a well-stocked inventory of critical spare parts on-site or at a nearby location. This ensures that replacements can be done swiftly without waiting for parts to be ordered and delivered. Follow manufacturer recommended list and review periodically as components may become less available over time.

• Strong Vendor Relationships: Collaborate closely with equipment manufacturers and vendors to gain access to the latest updates, best practices, and support services. This can also help in negotiating favorable terms for spare parts and service agreements.

• Third-Party Audits: Engage third-parties to review the performance of the O&M program periodically. External audits can provide fresh insights and identify areas for improvement that internal teams might overlook.

• Training: conduct regular staff training and testing to ensure readiness for major component failures and extreme weather events.

Reducing the Frequency and Duration of Downtime Events During Development

O&M activities may be the most visible contributor to a Project’s operational success, but they are not everything. An ace car mechanic can still see more issues with an old, poorly-built junker than a novice will see with a durable, high-end car. Camelot encourages developers to have a mindset of ensuring long-term operational success, which leads to fewer issues and less-impactful downtime. For this, we offer a few broad suggestions:

• Environmental Impacts: Consider site suitability at an early stage. Evaluate potential environmental risks such as wildlife interference, extreme wind speeds, natural disasters, and erosion which could affect the project’s operation and maintenance.

• Durable Components: Select robust inverters, transformers, racking systems, and other components designed to withstand harsh environmental conditions and have low failure rates. This often means evaluating cost tradeoffs for more expensive components.

• Exceed Codes and Standards: At a minimum, ensure the project complies with all local, regional, and international standards for safety, performance, and environmental impact. Even more importantly, most EPC agreements only require code compliance, and code is not about longevity of the asset, it is about safety. As such, make sure your EPC Agreement reflects materials, methods, and design standards consistent with the planned (and financed) useful life.

• Access: Ensure the site has adequate access for maintenance personnel, which can impact the duration of downtime events. Make major equipment accessible near site roadways and ensure roads are wide enough to facilitate easy use of cranes and other heavy kit. Design the site to allow for spacing between components so that specialized equipment isn’t required for access and repair.

• Remote Monitoring Infrastructure: Deploy advanced SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems to monitor the performance of the solar farm in real-time. This allows for quick identification of issues before they lead to significant downtime.

• Contract with Reliable O&M providers: Developers will elect to engage with O&M providers during the later stages of development, and should do their due diligence on prospective providers to ensure they will have the right capabilities. The O&M contract should be comprehensive and include elements of the list in the prior section. A few of the most impactful items include:

  • Availability Guarantees: The agreement should include specific availability targets. These targets set clear expectations for how often the solar plant should be operational, and should be tied to incentives to increase the chance of compliance and incentivize high availability.

  • Maintenance Schedules and Protocols, including preventative maintenance schedules, corrective maintenance procedures, and component replacement protocols.

  • Regular Reporting Requirements: The agreement should mandate regular performance reports, including availability, downtime events, maintenance activities, and any corrective actions taken. Transparency in reporting helps project owners monitor O&M effectiveness.

For more details on ways of ensuring optimal operations at a solar project, Camelot has released a couple of related articles, including Navigating the Testing and Commissioning Process for Solar Projects, and Tips and Tricks for Procuring PV Modules in 2024 and Beyond. For quick examples of some of the more notable mistakes made in construction/operations which directly lead to lower availabilities, you can follow us on our ongoing Field Failure Series (FFS).

The next article in this series will cover Camelot’s balanced approach when advising our clients on availability expectations for our projects. In the meantime, for questions and more details about Camelot Energy Group and our distinct attitude towards these issues, please reach out at info@camelotenergygroup.com.

About

Camelot Energy Group is a technical and strategic advisor to owners and investors in clean energy and energy storage projects, programs, and infrastructure. Guided by our core values of courage, empathy, integrity, and service we seek to support the energy needs of a just, sustainable, and equitable future. Our team has experience in supporting 7+GW of solar PV and 10+ GWh of energy storage and offers expertise in technology, codes and standards, engineering, public programs, project finance, installation methods, quality assurance, safety, contract negotiation, and related topics. Our services are tailored to a providing a different kind of consulting experience that emphasizes the humanity of our clients and team members, resulting in a high quality bespoke service, delivered with focus, attention, and purpose. Key services include: -Technical due diligence of projects and technologies -Owner’s representative and engineer support -Strategic planning -Training and coaching -Codes and standards consulting -Contract negotiation and support