“Regular checks are welcome”, says Inspector Solar

07/12/2018 | Print view

Let us hope that you know what you do! - © Goldbeck Solar — © Goldbeck Solar

Let us hope that you know what you do!

Sometimes the operation data of a solar generator change – slow dropping yield or immediate cut in the energy supply. Christian Durschner has already seen countless installations, victims of many faults in operation. Learn from him!

What, to you, is the minimum in maintenance needed?

Christian: First of all, it is a great boon if the operator or the technician regularly check up on the installation: Is it changing? And if so, how? The best time for that is in the spring to detect damage that might have occurred during the winter. After extraordinary weather events such as a hurricane or hail storm, an unscheduled visual inspection is advisable. However, looking does not count as maintenance – but it is an important first step to take appropriate measures.

What other advice would you have when it comes to the best preparations for maintenance?

Christian: Every installation should have an operating log. This should contain monthly meter readings, but also extraordinary weather events, damage and its repairs, the check-ups of the inverter and the actual maintenance measures. Less like the service book for a car, but more like the captain’s log on a ship. Especially high yields should also be noted. At any rate, the operator should know the expected output values and yields for days with good solar irradiation of the installation. Only then is it possible to judge whether the day-to-day output make sense and are ‘okay’.

That should be part of the documentation, correct?

Christian: The for the installation, showing how it was built and commissioned, is also very important. The commissioning certificate documents the values that the installation produced when it was first started. It is sensible to repeat these measurements on a regular basis to check for changes and deviations from the ideal state. If the installation is equipped with a monitoring system, that allows real-time observations, whether undesirable changes have occurred – and if so, which ones. (HS)

What was new at the Intersolar 2018 in Munich? Watch our expert’s movies here:
http://www.pveurope.eu/Videos/pv-Guided-Tours-videos-2018

Stay informed, get our newsletter twice a week.
Register here: http://www.pveurope.eu/Newsletter

More tips from Inspector Solar:
Inspector Solar: “Finding defects is detective work”