Different types of Solar Maintenance

The long-term efficiency of a solar PV system is critical to its performance. The process of capturing solar energy does not end with the installation of a PV system. Post-installation maintenance, also known as solar maintenance, is required to maximize the yield from individual solar panels.

Despite their reputation for requiring little maintenance, solar PV systems are not immune to the effects of long-term wear and tear. To ensure smooth and efficient operation, we must maintain the necessary to get the most out of our installations and increase returns on investment, just like any other electrical system.

In general, there are three types of solar maintenance:

• Corrective Solar Maintenance

• Solar Preventative Maintenance

• SolarPredictive Maintenance

Solar Corrective Maintenance is typically performed if the system experiences repair issues or breaks down for unknown reasons, promptly sending an error message to the owner to resolve the issue. It includes activities performed to return a PV plant system, equipment, or component to a state in which it can perform its original function. To identify the problem and find the best solution for its repair, a fault diagnosis or troubleshooting is performed.

Solar preventative maintenance, also known as proactive maintenance, entails the systematic and regular maintenance of solar equipment in order to reduce the possibility of system failure due to unplanned downtime. Solar preventative maintenance focuses on testing electrical connections, panel fixation control status, and overall panel health.

Solar Predictive Maintenance is a combination of data monitoring and machine learning algorithms that are designed to "predict" any possibility of a solar PV system failure, thereby suggesting better maintenance intervention plans. Predictive maintenance is gaining popularity as the latest technological requirement for solar plant owners due to its ability to predict failure and improve long-term plant performance.

Despite its popularity, there are some drawbacks to using solar predictive maintenance. While the technology exists, there is a lack of detailed maintenance logs and standardization protocols, which ultimately impedes its development within the context of the solar industry.

Maintenance logs are required for accurate model training, and standardization reduces the occurrence of error codes during data analysis automation, which is a serious problem in their absence.

However, the future is not doom and gloom. It is recommended that owners, operators, and manufacturers collaborate to develop procedures to ensure proper document standardization and digitization in order to achieve smooth automation of O&M logs for routine data analyses.