pwr_january-2024 - 33

SOLAR POWER
maintenance program, relying solely
on operational data has limitations, "
he said. " To establish a robust predictive
maintenance program, additional
elements are needed to allow asset
managers and operators to anticipate
O&M needs and maintain efficient
system performance. Operational data
provides information about the current
state of equipment but may not inherently
contain predictive patterns of
future failures or performance degradation.
Additional analysis and modeling
are often required to extract meaningful
insights. "
Developing Programs
Doug Mackenzie, vice president, Energy
Resilience at JLL, which focuses
on renewable energy and sustainability
solutions, said his company " works
with our clients to provide holistic O&M
programs for sustainable infrastructure
assets, including solar PV. We use a
combination of independent technical
delivery and third-party providers to develop
and implement programs. Having
in-house capability to monitor and diagnose
equipment degradation and failure
allows cost-effective and rapid response
to common issues, while working with
third-party providers allows us to leverage
advanced analytics, diagnostic, and
repair capabilities to supplement our inhouse
capabilities. "
Mackenzie said, " Power electronics
failure and degradation are typical
problems " of solar arrays. " Detection
systems should be able to monitor for
both failures and potential root causes
such as weather, power quality, and other
issues. " Mackenzie told POWER that
adding external data such as " weather,
utility power quality, and typical equipment
trends, creates a more holistic
and accurate representation of root
causes and vulnerabilities, which in turn
increases the reliability and efficiency of
that power source. "
Along with the use of external data,
bringing more perspectives to O&M
situations can also bring value. Bullock
told POWER, " While leveraging internal
knowledge and resources is crucial
for understanding specific operational
needs, bringing in external expertise
offers diverse perspectives and specialized
tools that can complement internal
capabilities. Collaborating with
third-party vendors, service providers,
and OEMs can provide valuable insights
into advanced technologies, predictive
analytics, and industry best practices.
This combination allows for a comprehensive
program that merges internal
operational understanding with external
innovation and specialized knowledge,
leading to a more robust predictive
maintenance strategy for utility-scale
solar facilities. "
Industry analysts have identified several
common problems for solar arrays,
noting it's important for any predictive
maintenance system to be able to spot
those issues. Optimizing the performance
of solar arrays can include the
use of data analytics to identify areas
where panels are not receiving enough
sunlight, and the angle and positioning
of equipment can then be adjusted to
improve efficiency.
Archie Roboostoff, vice president
of Software at Tigo Energy, told POWER
the company " has a leading solar
monitoring and management platform
that flags issues within a system to
fleet operators. When combined with
Tigo predictive modeling technologies,
specifically through our EI Predict+
software, advanced AI and ML technolJanuary
2024 | POWER
www.powermag.com
33
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pwr_january-2024

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