How to take care of your Solar PV system's output

Have you invested in commercial Solar PV at your organisation, or are looking to do so in future? If so, you may be interested in how you can improve its output.

With an expected lifetime of over 25 years, Solar PV is a long-term asset to your site’s energy strategy. With no moving parts, the risk of general failure faced by Solar systems is rare – so you can rely on it for the long term. And, by taking care of it correctly, you could maintain the results of your investment.

In our Economics of Solar guide, we explored how an example food manufacturer could improve their Solar PV system's output. By investing in the right Operations & Maintenance solution, we found that they could expect improved performance, compared to systems that had not been maintained. Read on to learn how your organisation could do the same.

How could your Solar PV system degrade over time?

Depending on your installation, you could expect your Solar PV system to last for over 25 years. That’s a significant investment into the future of your organisation, and one that could yield impressive financial and strategic results.

But, naturally, your system’s output will degrade over time. Wear and tear can impact your panels and inverters, besides the risk posed by any potential maintenance issues.

Let’s take an example from our Economics of Solar guide. Our food manufacturer installed a 1000kWp ground-mount Solar system, designed to meet 1/3 of their energy requirements. At the start of their system’s lifetime, they could expect it to generate around 900,000kWh of electricity per year.

After the first few years of the system’s lifetime, they could expect this figure to drop. With industry-standard O&M, their system’s output could fall to just over 847,000 annually by its 10^th year. And by the 20^th year of its expected lifetime, this could drop to around 806,000kWh.

So, as expected, the system has degraded over time. This could have a real impact on the food manufacturer’s energy strategy. The less electricity their Solar system can generate, the less it can meet their energy needs. So, they’ll need to rely on imported grid electricity – which can be expensive, volatile, and carbon-intensive. As a result, their cost and carbon reduction strategies could both suffer.

How can you prevent degradation and improve your Solar PV system’s output?

Fortunately, there is action that our food manufacturer can take to avoid this – and your organisation could, too. Our analysis has found that our premier O&M could yield impressive results for the long-term performance of your Solar system.

For example, our food manufacturer could see performance closer to their system’s expected output. By the tenth year of their system’s lifetime, they could see an output of around 868,000kWh annually, versus the 847,000kWh potential output achievable with industry-standard maintenance.

And by its final year, their system could still generate over 850,000kWh of electricity per year. This is a huge improvement on the approximately 806,000kWh annual output offered through industry-standard O&M.

To achieve the best possible results for your Solar system, your O&M package should include:

• Yearly panel cleaning, to ensure that your system is generating electricity effectively
• Inverter replacement within your system’s lifetime, to ensure efficient operation
• Corrective maintenance for any faults that may arise, to keep your system up and running
• Regular scheduled maintenance to pre-emptively address any potential issues
• Account management
• Ecological management to take care of wildlife in the area

Taking care of all these aspects means that you’ll know it's working as efficiently as possible. With corrective maintenance bundled into your O&M package, you’ll know that any risks can be quickly and effectively resolved. And, with greater expected power output, you’ll know that you can rely less on grid electricity and more on your own power generation. This can shield your business from volatile prices, and improve your long-term resilience.

Ready to secure your Solar system’s future?

If you’re interested in taking care of your Solar system with our premier O&M, our team can help. We offer the highest standard of Solar aftercare in the market, combining strong customer service with 20 years of Solar experience. With 140 technicians in the UK field to help you to resolve any potential issues, we can support you through every aspect of your system’s lifetime.

To start your journey to improved Solar PV output, fill out our simple form today to get in touch with our Solar experts.