Top risks for solar assets: Operational risk
From $2.5 billion in losses from equipment underperformance, to clipping losses, to inverter derating and more, this third installment based on kWh Analytics reporting focuses on asset operation.
New performance guarantee for photovoltaic power plants from Raicoon
Based on an AI-supported platform, the Austrian company promises automated operation of photovoltaic systems in which all errors are detected and error alarms are excluded. Munich Re secures the guarantee.
Oberlin sheep grazing team to reduce solar mowing costs by more than 44%
Some 70 Katahdin breed sheep were dropped off on campus this week at Oberlin’s 10-acre fenced-in North Field. There they will graze through mid-June, stomping grass and weeding the solar field in a move aimed at reducing operations and maintenance costs.
“Drone in the box” for thousandths of a cent per kilowatt hour
Raptor Maps is developing a drone and software package for ongoing, on-site visual and thermal intelligence at utility-scale solar facilities.
Iberdrola using dogs, robots to monitor solar plants
Iberdrola is using a springer spaniel in a solar park to smell electrical problems that could lead to power cuts. It is also using a robotic dog to detect and analyze faults in substations.
Solar grazing methods a centerpiece of inaugural agrivoltaics conference
The first U.S. agrivoltaics conference took place March 14 to 15, 2023 in Rosemont, Illinois, as sheep grazers sat amongst seed vendors and community solar project developers. On the first day of the conference, the Solar Farm Summit recorded 460 attendees, while speaking to pv magazine USA, executive producer Dan French said the number is likely above 500 strong.
Nine-year old Texas solar farm gets an upgrade
A lot has changed in tracker technology in the past decade, so in upgrading its Alamo plants, OCI Solar Power completely replaced the old tracker with a new state-of-the-art system, all while keeping the plant energized.
Dronebase rebrands as Zeitview to scale aerial solar scanning
Zeitview issues real-time ratings from A to D for operational solar projects of 1 MW and larger.
Soiling – a multibillion-dollar issue for the solar industry
A new report by the International Energy Agency’s Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme (IEA-PVPS) estimates that lost revenue from PV module soiling amounts to more than $3.2 billion per year, an amount that is only set to increase as PV systems grow larger and more efficient.
Are sheep eligible for the ITC?
Most professionals believe that sheep are not Investment Tax Credit eligible because they’re not considered integral components of a solar plant, others suggest pushing the argument that a taxpayers’ patriotic duty is to challenge the tax code on behalf of sheep.
