EPC, Commissioning and O&M – Key for Effective management of a solar PV plants

The three distinctive procedures which include Engineering Procurement & Construction (EPC), Commissioning and Operations & Management (O&M) play an important role in the success and effective management of a solar project.

Engineering Procurement & Construction (EPC)

Solar projects are a long-term investment which makes it very necessary to execute the process utmost care and precision. Being known as a leading solar EPC company, we deal with all the activities that are involved in the pre-construction of the solar power plants.

Crucial steps involved in EPC:

• Engineering: The process primarily involves surveying the site, monitoring the weather conditions, designing the basic structure of the plant, and determination of the power generation capacity. The process also involves selecting the equipment required for the project and engineering design and 3D modeling.
  
• Procurement: A solar project typically requires multiple types of equipment and parts that need to be procured from local and international manufacturers. This process is carried out by EPC companies who have expertise in selecting the right products for the right project such as solar panels, batteries, inverters safety equipment, mounting structures, and other devices.
• Construction: The construction activity in the solar power plant involves the mounting of the solar panels, fixing of the required accessories according to the layout design, and making arrangements for on- grid/off-grid connectivity.

Operations & Management (O&M)

The functions of O&M companies involve regular monitoring and management of solar panels and to ensure all the aspects of the solar power plants are evaluated in line with required standards. The O&M companies ensure that all the functions of the plant are performing at the optimum levels and any inconsistency in production will be instantly corrected with required actions.

In India, there are several solar power maintenance companies with engineers who have undergone extensive solar maintenance training and are well equipped to maintain the upkeep of PV systems and perform corrective measures as and when needed.

Most of the solar projects carry out inspections on regular basis. The frequency and degree of solar panel monitoring and maintenance depend upon the type of installation, system configuration, and plant location.

There are qualified service technicians and installers who have strong expertise in dealing with solar PV mechanism and about the standard safety procedures. These experts have the capability to take care of the entire range of solar PV maintenance and processes.

Critical processes involved in the maintenance of solar power systems include:

• Cleaning of solar cells and PV panels on a timely bases
• Periodic & Regular maintenance of all thermal-based components
• Testing and Diagnosing the reasons for low solar power production
• Carrying out regular system checks related to data acquisition
• Commissioning process
  

The Commissioning process involves the construction of plants proceeding towards the final acceptance of PV systems. It further deals with the other aspects involving the necessary documentation processes required for system acceptance.

The O&M process deals with actions that are necessary for maintaining the power plant and operating them to gain maximum capacity.

Although a lot of time and expertise is spent on EPC & O&M processes, very little is known about the commissioning aspect, which is an equally significant and mandatory process for executing a solar power project. Commissioning basically involves monitoring plant performance and the expected ROI that is expected to generate.

A solar PV plant is built to help customers reach their goals in saving electric bill; maximize their return on investment by generating energy from the sun.

Crucial steps involved in commissioning:

Verification documentation related to installation

The first step in the process involves verification of the entire installation process and ensuring it completely matches the initial design of the power plant without any deviations. It is also done to ensure that the installation is robust and aesthetically acceptable.

Detailed Testing

Once the initial inspections are done the next step includes detailed verification of PV modules, wiring, inverter and earthing as well as checking of insulation resistance of conductors. As the plant is expected to run the next 25 years detailed verification of the conductors is critical as they are continuously exposed to altering weather conditions. Any alterations may lead to degradation of insulation which may compromise the safety of the power plant in the long run.

Performance check

The final check of the commissioning process is to gauge the performance of the plant by selecting a bright sunny day with a relatively moderate temperature.