Energy storage photovoltaic power station operation and maintenance contract

What is operation & maintenance (O&M) of photovoltaic (PV) systems?

This guide considers Operation and Maintenance (O&M) of photovoltaic (PV) systems with the goal of reducing the cost of O&M and increasing its effectiveness. Reported O&M costs vary widely, and a more standardized approach to planning and delivering O&M can make costs more predictable.

How does energy affect a PV operation contract?

In most PV operation contracts, energy will be the driving factor of whether the system is operating as expected. EPC guarantees, operator guarantees, owner measure of ROI, and other considerations for a contract are mostly based on whether the system produced energy as it was expected to.

What is a life cycle cost and optimization of PV systems?

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Life-Cycle Cost and Optimization of PV Systems Based on Power Duration Curve with Variable Performance Ratio and Availability report provides a mathematical functional form for the annual power duration curve for the output of a photovoltaic power system with imperfect performance ratio and availability.

How competitive is PV plant operation & maintenance?

The world of PV plant operation and maintenance (O&M) is increasingly competitive, reflected clearly by a significant drop in the O&M service fee over the last decade; e.g. Bloomberg New Energy Finance has reported a drop of 73% of average full-scope O&M price in Europe be-tween 2011 and 2017.

Why is energy availability important in assessing PV systems?

Both energy and availability are necessary metrics for assessing PV systems. If the stakeholders involved in a contract are most interested in energy production, and if the contract holds parties responsible for energy production, then it is crucial that energy losses associated with unavailability and system performance are accounted for.

Is there an O&M contract template for solar power plants?

There is also an O&M contract template prepared from the joint effort between the Terawatt Initiative and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) ; this template is specific to solar power plants.