PV plant operators face a variety of issues, including low energy output, inadequate solar tracker algorithms, frequent insulation failures, and hidden performance losses. Overwhelming data and warnings cause operational complexity, while dropping power prices and unclear battery storage alternatives create economic constraints. Maintenance expenses are rising, remote plant management is challenging, and the best times and procedures for predictive maintenance remain unknown. How PVOP can help PV asset managers and operators?

How PVOP can help PV asset managers and operators?

The European PVOP project proposes a number of solutions to these issues, based on the digitalisation of photovoltaic plants, the use of high-quality monitoring data, and the application of artificial intelligence and big data techniques for fault detection, diagnosis, and resource optimisation.

To summarize, some of the answers are as follows:

1. Sensorisation toolkit to to ensure quality operational data that enables AI to be applied.
2. Smart tracking control for large monofacial and bifacial single-axis tracking PV plants over terrain of arbitrary orientation and slope for the performance optimisation, especially during backtracking.
3. Near 100% automatic AI-based system based on a family of algorithm for faults detection and diagnosis of causes from data recorded at the PV plant.
4. Near 100% autonomous aerial inspection and fault detection system based on the integration of AI and high temporal and spatial resolution multispectral aerial imaging solutions.
5. Near 100% automatic and predictive PV asset management software to maximise performance and optimisation of asset O&M management based on multi-level KPIs and integrating data from sensors, images and reports from O&M teams.
6. AI-based smart control system of PV plants with batteries with weather and electricity market forecasts to maximise the energy trading.

But these solutions are nothing if they are not well-oriented towards the problems of managers and operators of PV plants.

Nor are artificial intelligence tools anything if they are not powered by human intelligence based on the experience of those who suffer the problems described on the ground.

We do not believe in data-centric digitalization but in one guided by the reality of the actors who manage large portfolios of photovoltaic plants.

PVOP’s Vision

Based on this conviction, we do not want to present ready-made solutions to companies in the sector, but rather involve potential recipients of our solutions from the start: from identifying the relevant problems that need to be addressed, to designing the solutions, and finally to validating them in their PV plants under real-world operating conditions.

There are currently representative firms in the PVOP project consortium that are aware of these issues and contribute to this vision, but there should be more of us because the reality varies in terms of technology, climatic circumstances, and economic settings.

PVOP is more than simply another project; it is a ship on which we welcome you to embark on this adventure with us. Not only will the firm that joins profit directly and immediately, but so will the whole European PV sector.

Have I piqued your curiosity in the task and how to approach it? If so, contact me at luis.narvarte@upm.es and join our Discord channel! There, you may continue the debate with myself and other professionals, as well as learn about planned PVOP project updates. It’s the greatest location to stay in the loop!