The document discusses the growth and development of the solar PV market in the U.S., highlighting a 41% increase in installations in 2013 compared to 2012, along with significant projections for continued growth in 2014. It outlines the operational and maintenance objectives for solar PV systems, including production optimization, risk reduction, asset protection, regulatory compliance, and performance transparency. The text emphasizes the importance of proactive management strategies in enhancing system performance and maximizing return on investment.

1. © Copyright 2014, SunSystem Technology
An O&M Perspective
2014 PV Reliability Operations & Maintenance Workshop
May 7, 2014

2. Agenda
• The US Market
• O&M Maturation
• O&M Objectives
• A Perspective on
Achieving Objectives
• Q&A

3. US Market At-a-Glance
• 4,751 MW of solar PV installed in 2013
– Up 41% over 2012
– More than 445,000 systems in operation
• Q4 2013 was the largest quarter ever for PV installations in the U.S.
– 2,106 MW energized, up 60% over the second-largest quarter (Q4 2012)
– More solar has been installed in the U.S. in the last 20 months than in the 30
years prior
• Solar accounted for 29% of all new electricity generation capacity in 2013,
– Solar is the second-largest source of new generating capacity behind natural
gas
• GTM forecasts 26% PV installation growth in 2014
– Installations reaching nearly 6 GW across all segments
– Most rapid growth will occur in the residential segment
Source: GTM

4. O&M Maturation

5. O&M Objectives
• Production optimization and uptime
maximization for increased asset revenue
• Risk reduction for asset owners and investors
• Protection of asset value and longevity
• Compliance with applicable regulatory bodies
• Transparency on plant production,
performance, issues, risks and O&M activities

6. Objective 1: Production Optimization
• Analysis and assessment of system:
– Understanding systems as built
• Component inventory
• Layout & design
• Monitoring systems
• Review of PPA and any performance
guarantees
• Assessment report
– Validate the accuracy of metrics (Irradiance
sensors, weather sensors, temperatures)
– Validating and updating monitoring software
– Identifying all hardware weaknesses
• Environmental factors
• Prescribe a plan that maps to the system as built
– Each plan is unique – no two systems are
built exactly the same
– Boilerplate plans are inherently weak
• With more systems than ever before, diversity across systems is the new norm

7. Objective 2: Risk Reduction
• Proactive vs. Ad hoc or reactive service
• Ad Hoc
– Maximizes risk by not identifying or addressing mounting issues
until they become a problem
• Increases annual downtime
• Negatively impacts achieving production goals and ROI
• Proactive Service Plans
– Minimizes risk through a custom plan matched to the system(s)
• 24/7/365 monitoring by O&M professionals
• Addresses issues/trends before they become problems and negatively
impact production values and ROI
– Address multiple items on a single call which keeps maintenance and repair
costs down and maximizes uptime
• Can lead to increased production values and improved ROI

8. Case & Point
Case & Point - Commercial:
Site:
• Single-axis tracker
• 6 Megawatts
Issues:
• Reactive management scenario wait for a failure and react
• Recurring string failures
• Inaccuracy of sensors
Results:
Through a custom proactive plan year-over-year production increased 9.37% and
downtime was eliminated.
– Minimized logistics associated with repair approvals coupled with increased
attention on site led to much faster response times and reduced site visits
– Eliminated downtime associated with string failures
Reduced annual O&M expense and increased ROI

9. Objective 3: Protection & Preservation of Assets
• Security:
– Part of initial assessment and depending on location may require camera monitoring
• Preventative maintenance:
– Fundamental to preservation of assets
• Demands a regimen tuned to the individual system and the immediate environment
• Warranty requirements have bearing on maintenance requirements
• Maturation feature
• Monitoring:
– Maintain calibration to ensure accuracy
– Software upgrade schedules
– Utilizing benchmarks from independent regional sensors
– Comparative analysis of data
• Historical performance comparisons
• Like-system comparisons
– Validating that performance is site specific or region specific
• Environmental protection:
– Shading inverters can result in increased efficiencies
– Desert environments dust mitigation

10. Objective 4: Regulatory Compliance
• Cal ISO is requiring utility-scale operators to
provide production forecasts
– O&M/asset managers are providing the analysis and
the reports
• System monitoring coupled with weather information from
the NSRD (National Solar Resource Database) to provide
reliable reports and meet compliance
• Utility curtailments requiring system production
to be reduced
– As utility infrastructure is modified or serviced, O&M
providers are called on to minimize downtime to what
is actually required in a real-time scenario

11. Objective 5: Performance Transparency
• Proprietary management information systems
– Provide system/fleet owner a view into milestone progress
• Ongoing system preventative maintenance
• Required repair actions
• Large-scale/batch warranty requirements
– Performance guarantees
• Providing system owner/managers real-time views and control relative to
actual vs. required production
• O&M records to show assets have been maintained and managed
to perform optimally
– Demonstrates proactive risk mitigation for current investors as well as
future investors in the event the system(s) is/are sold
• Fundamental to meeting due diligence in the sale of a system
– Maximizes resale value of system

12. • Estimated 1.4 million systems by 2017
• Pure-play O&M is uniquely dedicated to life-cycle
system care
System Care Aggregation to O&M Companies

13. O&M Technician
• Electrician
• High-voltage power plant
• IT Expert
• Telemetry specialist
• Software/Specialized hardware
• Analytical skills for interpreting data and
executing the necessary responses
• Residential customer service – We serve
as the face and the voice of our customer
to the homeowner
– Answering questions
– Explaining performance and monitoring metrics

14. • As more systems fall under the control of pure-play
O&M companies the solar industry and its customers
benefit
– Aggregation reduces cost per visit and creates economies
of scale
– Lowering annual O&M costs
– Developing the information systems that drive
transparency to system performance and ongoing care
• Improve quality of care while increasing the efficiency with which
O&M is executed
– Optimizing system performance and maximizing system
uptime while driving annual O&M costs down
System Care Aggregation to O&M Companies

15. Service Calls
Commercial Residential
Sample of 2,000 callsSample of 500 calls

16. Questions

17. © Copyright 2014, SunSystem Technology
Thank You!
SunSystem Technology
Phone: 916-705-7839
dchase@sunsystemtechnology.com