Operation and Maintenance in Solar Plants: Eight study cases

Abstract

The use of solar photovoltaic generation is growing up nowadays. New developments have been achieved lowering the prices of the modules and their installation. Nevertheless, the operation and maintenance of these plants still needs improvements in order to enhance their efficiency and economic balance. This paper presents a detailed analysis of eight photovoltaic (PV) plants revealing improvements on the monitoring system and the maintenance procedures. The common failures in PV plants have been established and their losses have been estimated. A correct diagnostic method using good information and monitoring systems could have reduced the losses.