In the world of solar energy, work doesn’t end when the panels are up. Like any hard-working machine, solar systems need regular care to run at their peak.
Solar O&M is all about keeping your system humming, catching problems early, and squeezing every drop of energy out of those panels. In this post, we’ll break down what solar O&M is, why it matters, and how to help your customers get the most out of their systems.
What is solar O&M?
Solar O&M, or operations and maintenance, is the ongoing upkeep of a solar system to ensure it runs at its best and has optimal energy output and duration.
As professionals in the field, you understand how essential this maintenance is. But your customers may not. Analogies can help. Feel free to use this one:
Think of it like routine maintenance on your truck. To ensure it keeps running, you change the oil, rotate the tires, and replace squeaky brakes. Solar O&M is the same idea but for solar panels. The goal is to keep the system clean, running smoothly, and producing as much energy as possible for as long as possible. Leveraging solar project management software can streamline these O&M processes, making it easier to track maintenance schedules and optimize system performance.
Why is solar O&M important?
Solar O&M is the key to maximizing a system’s solar energy sustainability, efficiency, and lifespan. A well-maintained solar panel system produces more electricity, lowering energy costs.
This translates to a healthier bottom line for commercial installations. For residential owners, it means more savings and a faster return payback period for their systems.
In the energy market, we often discuss the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). The LCOE is the total cost of owning and operating your solar system over its lifetime, divided by the total energy it produces. Effective O&M helps drive down that LCOE by helping a system produce more power for longer, making the initial solar investment even more valuable.
The core components of solar O&M
Solar O&M is like a three-legged stool, supported by preventive, corrective, and predictive maintenance through real-time performance monitoring. Let’s explore each component in detail and how SiteCapture can help streamline your O&M process.
Preventive maintenance
Preventive maintenance is about being proactive and avoiding problems that you know will come up. It includes:
- Checking all the solar panel system components and other solar equipment, such as inverters, wiring, batteries, etc.
- Regular inspections
- Vegetation control
- Module cleaning
As an integrated solar CRM platform, software like SiteCapture can be a game-changer here. It streamlines inspections and enhances operational efficiency by allowing O&M personnel to capture and share high-res images of installations, making it easy to spot potential problems. It also keeps all your maintenance records organized in one place.
Corrective maintenance
Despite your best efforts, things sometimes break down. Corrective maintenance involves troubleshooting and fixing system malfunctions, equipment failure, and other problems photovoltaic systems tend to encounter.
The idea is to get the system back to optimal performance as quickly as possible.
SiteCapture can also help here, especially for commercial projects. It helps solar asset owners track and manage repair work orders, ensuring problems are fixed quickly and efficiently.
Performance monitoring and predictive maintenance
This is the high-tech side of O&M. It uses real-time data from performance monitoring and fancy tools like AI to predict when components might fail.
Think of it like your truck’s dashboard warning lights—but for your photovoltaic system. It lets you catch problems early and fix them before they cause downtime.
Predictive maintenance is different from preventive maintenance because it anticipates potential failures. It helps predict when a part of the system is about to fail, enabling proactive repairs.
If you’re looking for a deeper dive into maintenance strategies for solar panels, inverters, and battery storage—plus safety protocols and sustainability tips—check out our guide to best practices for solar O&M.
Scheduled and unscheduled maintenance
Now that we discussed the three-legged stool of maintenance:
- Preventive maintenance
- Corrective maintenance
- Performance monitoring and predictive maintenance
Let’s divide these into scheduled and unscheduled maintenance.
Scheduled maintenance:
- Preventive maintenance
- Performance monitoring
- Predictive maintenance
Unscheduled maintenance:
- Corrective maintenance
The more planned (scheduled) maintenance we can perform, the less unplanned (unscheduled) maintenance we should have to perform. This should save us and the customer time, money, and frustration — leading to better reviews, referrals, and revenue.
Active monitoring and automation
The two best ways to practice scheduled maintenance are active monitoring and automation.
Active monitoring can include things like:
- Alignment optimization (with tools and software)
- Performance monitoring systems
- Battery health monitoring
Automation can include some of the above active monitoring but can also include additional data analysis using various software. With the right tools, this type of scheduled maintenance can detect problems like dirty filter panels and malfunctioning inverters before they become major issues.
Omnidian is a perfect example of how preventative maintenance can streamline processes and improve efficiency, enhancing a company’s bottom line. With SiteCapture they onboarded 75+ new partners and saved over 400+ hours each month on-site. They used preventative maintenance forms, custom reports, and surveys to create a comprehensive solution.
Residential vs. commercial solar O&M: Understanding the needs
Residential and commercial solar systems run on the same principles, but their maintenance needs differ. Let’s break down what sets them apart.
Residential O&M
Since residential solar systems are generally smaller and less complex than commercial ones, the maintenance is simpler. This convinces many homeowners to handle most maintenance themselves. However, it’s important that they understand how crucial professional inspections are.
Without adequate education and understanding of their system, they’ll likely miss red flags. That could be disastrous and lead to system failures.
When communicating with your residential customers, focus on educating them about the maintenance their systems will require and what they should and should not do on their own.
Commercial O&M
Customers with commercial solar systems won’t hesitate to schedule professional maintenance since they’re larger and more complex.
O&M for commercial systems enables precise energy forecasting and maximizes uptime and ROI. Downtime means lost revenue, so preventive and predictive maintenance are critical.
SiteCapture has unique product features that can significantly streamline O&M for multiple commercial sites. It centralizes data, simplifies communication, and ensures nothing falls through the cracks.
O&M services options for solar system contractors
As a solar business, you have some options when it comes to O&M service offerings. You can build an in-house team or outsource your O&M services. Which is better? It depends.
Let’s explore the benefits and challenges of each option.
In-house O&M services
Offering in-house O&M services isn’t for everyone, but it does provide opportunities for added revenue, referrals, and business expansion, especially when bundled with your existing solar sales strategy to increase customer lifetime value.
It’s essential to examine whether your business can support an in-house team and, if so, how many technicians your customer base requires. As your business grows, there are ways to handle expansion while maintaining your in-house team and providing exceptional service.
Let’s look at the benefits and challenges of having an in-house O&M team.
Benefits of in-house O&M services
- Increased customer lifetime value (CLV): Rather than only earning revenue from the installation, you’ll earn revenue over many years as you also provide maintenance services.
- Single point of contact: Having a single point of contact for both installation and maintenance can simplify the process.
- More referrals: As the single point of contact with the customer for many years, this provides many referral opportunities.
Another benefit of having an in-house service team is the ability to upsell active monitoring. This helps reduce the likelihood and cost of unscheduled maintenance and primes the customer to understand that future service will cost money.
Here’s what it could look like to sell active monitoring (service calls at cost) for X years (and how it could increase your profits):
Offer: 30 years of active monitoring + service calls at cost (20% off) x Number of new customers per year = $250,000+ per year
If a small in-house service department costs $200,000 annually, this offering covers the entire department’s cost, allowing you to grow and expand your business. Your customers are happy, and so is your bottom line. Win-win.
Challenges of offering in-house O&M services
- Finding skilled employees: Finding qualified talent is challenging in the solar industry. In fact, 44% of solar employers find it “very difficult” to find qualified applicants, according to the 2023 National Solar Jobs Consensus.
- Solar O&M checklist for contractors: Aurora has an O&M checklist for solar contractors to help streamline the process.
When finding employees proves too challenging, outsourcing O&M services may become necessary. It’s crucial in the solar industry to know your peers and have partners you can trust. Let’s look at how to choose the right O&M contractors to team up with.
Outsourced O&M services
Dedicated O&M service providers focus exclusively on maintaining solar systems — residential and commercial. These providers have the engineering teams, expertise, equipment, and resources to handle many O&M tasks, from routine inspections and cleaning to complex repairs and troubleshooting.
While outsourcing O&M services has pros and cons, the benefits for small solar businesses are many.
Benefits of outsourcing O&M services
- Expertise and experience: Dedicated O&M service providers have a comprehensive understanding of solar PV systems and their maintenance requirements. They are well-versed in the latest industry trends and technologies.
- Comprehensive services: They offer services ranging from regular residential inspections to large-scale commercial and industrial maintenance. Large-scale installations often include specific requirements, including minimum staff, long-term contracts, and certain guarantees. These are best handled by a specialized team with experience.
Challenges of outsourcing O&M services
- Lower customer lifetime value: Depending on the company, they may not be with you and your customers throughout the lifetime of the installation, resulting in a lower CLV.
- Linked reputations: When you work with another company, your reputation becomes linked to theirs. If they provide less-than-excellent service, it will also reflect poorly on your company. This can result in negative reviews and fewer referrals.
Although not risk-free, the benefits of working with an experienced O&M company can far outweigh the risks. It’s vital to weigh the pros and cons, examine your business needs and goals, and what your customers need. Then, make a decision that’s right for you and your solar business.
The future of solar O&M: emerging trends
The solar industry is constantly evolving, and O&M is no exception. Here are some exciting Solar O&M trends to watch:
Drone inspections
Drone inspections are becoming increasingly popular in the solar industry due to their efficiency, safety, and ability to access hard-to-reach areas.
Using drones with high-resolution cameras and thermal sensors, O&M providers can conduct inspections more quickly and accurately, identifying potential issues such as panel damage, soiling, or shading.
Advanced data analytics
Advanced data analytics also plays a crucial role in solar O&M. By leveraging data analytics tools, O&M providers can gain valuable insights into system performance, identify areas for improvement, and optimize maintenance schedules.
Integrating energy storage and smart grids
Another important trend is the integration of energy storage and smart grid technologies. As these technologies become more widespread, O&M providers will have to adapt their services to ensure the seamless operation, monitoring, and maintenance of these complex systems.
Predictive maintenance with AI
AI-powered predictive maintenance is another emerging trend. By analyzing data from solar systems, AI algorithms can predict potential failures before they occur.
Performing predictive maintenance with AI allows O&M providers to address issues, minimize downtime, and proactively maximize system performance.
By leveraging field operations software like SiteCapture, you can standardize field operations for solar O&M projects and help your business scale efficiently.
Ready to optimize your solar O&M operations? Book a demo today or start a free trial of SiteCapture!
