As the number of medium- and large-scale energy storage deployments has grown, so too has the recognition that the soon-to-be gigawatts of battery assets coming online will have to be properly managed and will require robust operations and maintenance programs. But unlike the solar PV sector where there’s often an attitude of “let’s sell the project first and worry about O&M later,” storage projects must have services built in to the thinking and financial process from the beginning. Utilities and other savvy asset owners want to know what type of O&M will be provided, how the teams will be qualified, and how the services will be provided to ensure the productivity of their new system. In other words, with storage, a strong O&M plan and team become part and parcel of making and closing a strong productive deal.
Out of pocket, and out of luck?
There are some areas of overlap between the best practices of PV and storage O&M: in both cases, designing for serviceability promotes system health. Good installation using quality products is one of the best ways to hedge against subpar performance. Predictive maintenance backed by advanced data analytics is more cost effective than rolling trucks whenever there might be an issue. A warranty is only as good as the financial strength of the company behind it.
But to say that “services provided to storage systems do not radically vary from those provided to solar systems” would be misleading. In many ways, the stakes are higher with storage O&M and the financial risks that must be managed are more difficult than in solar. Storage O&M is significantly more complicated than its solar sibling—involving a broader range of components and subsystems as well as power distribution and load management issues—and requires a higher level of technical training and expertise among the workforce as well.
Why are the stakes higher? Because we are no longer just working with and servicing a component of a power plant such as a tracker, inverter or solar panel; with storage, we are now servicing many additional critical layers of the power plant. As storage O&M providers, it’s not just about the battery: We must have expertise in every piece of the system so that we can help manage the owner’s financial risk by ensuring the storage asset performs at its optimal level.
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