What Is Solar O&M And Why Do You Need It?

In any industry, operations and maintenance (O&M) are a crucial part of keeping the system running properly and efficiently. The solar industry is no exception and solar operations and maintenance (O&M) services or programs are required in order to maintain a standard level of performance for a solar energy system.

Regular servicing helps you to optimize the productivity you get from your solar power plants while reducing costs for maintenance and repair. Compared to most other power generating systems, solar power stations are simple to maintain. However, you need to make sure that you invest in high-quality O&M which is carried out professionally. This is one of the most important ways to make sure that your solar power plant stays in good condition, does not experience unnecessary breakdowns, and runs at peak performance levels.

There are three main aspects to solar O&M — preventative maintenance, corrective maintenance, and condition-based maintenance.

Preventative maintenance (PM)

Preventative maintenance, as the name suggests, includes regular inspection and servicing of your equipment in order to avoid the system from malfunctioning, which can cause unnecessary losses in production. This kind of maintenance takes place before your solar power system has witnessed any sort of breakdown, and the upfront costs associated with it are usually low to moderate.

Corrective maintenance (CM)

Corrective maintenance pertains to corrective action required to be taken after your equipment has already experienced a breakdown. Although this strategy may not appear to cost much on the surface, there is a higher risk of component failure and potentially higher costs on the backend. That can otherwise be avoided more easily with proactive, preventative and condition-based maintenance.

Condition-based maintenance (CBM)

Condition-based maintenance is when your solar power systems are monitored using real-time data. This strategy places a high priority on optimizing operations and maintaining peak performance levels, and can even be done by third-party providers and integrators. However, it comes at a higher cost than the other two strategies of maintenance, but these may actually pay off because your system runs as smoothly and efficiently as possible.

So, it is safe to say that no matter which strategy you employ, solar O&M is a crucial aspect of your solar power system to ensure that it continues to operate at optimal levels at all times. Timely maintenance significantly reduces the possibility of breakdown and production loss. O&M providers like VEMC can offer planned maintenance schedules to optimize equipment performance and minimise downtimes. Additionally, creating an elaborate breakdown impact analysis of solar plant sites is necessary in order to prepare a priority matrix for spare management and better maintenance.

For more information on our products, feel free to contact us on +91 98199 07445. We would be happy to assist you in finding the best match, based on your requirements. As a leading solar power plant company in India, VEMC provides seamless end-to-end services to its clients. VEMC is ISO 9001:2015 certified and a pioneer in the field of electromechanical engineering products, allied equipment, and services.