Solar Plant Efficiency 101

Solar works differently depending on where it has been installed and the things surrounding it. However just like a car or any machine it requires servicing and upkeep to ensure that it functions at its optimum. When you install solar, the company that does it for you, will offer you an operations and management plan, but there are a bunch of things you can do yourself on a day to day basis to ensure that the maintenance of the plant never dips below the best.??

Consider these steps as protective measures more than solutions. All it will take will be a few simple steps to ensure you are getting the best return from your investment.?

Research: The best thing you can do even before you delve into a maintenance checklist is to ensure that whichever company you sign on with is a good one and that they have a good operations and maintenance plan so you can be hassle free.?

Proper cleaning: One of the most common reasons why the power generation output of solar panels reduces over a period of time is because it is dirty. Simple dusting, cleaning and ensuring that there is no water clogging on the solar panels is important.?

Unplanned shade: If your energy output has dropped then another thing to check is if there is shade in the form of a tree or maybe construction of a nearby building or something else that is obstructing the sun from falling directly on the panels. If the amount of sun falling reduces, the output automatically gets affected.?

Animal infestation: Very often solar panels if built on a farm will see wildlife take over the panels, mostly to build their homes and for resting. This too can cause the solar energy output to reduce.?

Optimal utilisation of Fill factor: Simply put, fill factor is the proper and complete use of available surface area during installation. The shape and dimensions of the photovoltaic cells will enable and in many situations determine your energy output. If output maximisation is your goal then ensuring that every space on that panel is filled is important.?

Software data analysis: It is imperative that you analyse and get experts to read the data from your solar panel output monitor, to see if you can identify where the problem rests. Some companies also offer daily power generation data directly to your mobile, which is why choosing the right company is also important.?

Vivaan solar for example, has the SCADA technology installed which monitors your system round the clock and then gives you daily generation data straight to your phone via an app. SCADA or Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) software is a monitoring system that tracks the performance of an installation. It provides real time and historical data, performance based alerts and web-based monitoring too.?

Systems like SCADA help in?

• Gathering real time data from anywhere anytime.
• Give you a detailed analysis to understand if power generated is as expected/designed.
• Know and understand issues on-field with equipment and manage with effective O&M(Operations and Maintenance).

Overall it is not just one thing that determines your energy output. Everything works in tandem to ensure that you are able to generate energy to the solar plan’s maximum efficiency. Getting on board with a good installation company is the first step to ensuring this.?

If you have any further questions feel free to check out our website and also get in touch if needed.?