2014 PV Reliability, Operations & Maintenance Workshop: An O&M Perspective, May 7, 2014 Mike Anderson, Sun Systems Technology

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