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A PV Cosmology Perspective for Ushering In: The Next Era in PV: Collaborative O&M Standards Development

John R. Balfour BS, MEP, Ph.D., President, CTO, Experienced Solar Professional & PV Systems Cosmologist

602-510-6360 John@HighPerformancePV.com High Performance PV™ 050714 All Materials In this Presentation are Copy Righted By High Performance PV, 2014

Investigating A PV “Systems” Cosmology Approach © 2014

The Next Era in PV: Collaborative O&M Standards Development

What is the value of PV Standards?

Investigating A PV “Systems” Cosmology Approach © 2014 2

Standards add cost to PV Systems?

We are the experts!

Is it possible? A new era in PV collaboration Expand greater common technology awareness Solved common problem and elimination excess

costs

How will we know?

Follow the money

The Next Era in PV: Collaborative O&M Standards Development

Why Begin With O&M Standards?

Investigating A PV “Systems” Cosmology Approach © 2014 3

Greater Plant Performance & Reliability Certainty

Improved communication, experience & education

Focus on consistency, risk mitigation and the ability to compare

Focus on new innovation in processes & technology

Reduce initial development and installation costs

Dramatically reduces O&M costs over time

To do so we need: PV “Systems Process” Approach Metrics & Definitions

The Next Era in PV: Collaborative O&M Standards Development

How do PV O&M standards impact technology?

Investigating A PV “Systems” Cosmology Approach © 2014 4

Better analysis and evaluation process

New and more effective metrics

Shift technology towards greater reliability & quality

Focuses on the future needs of the PV Community.

Stimulate new innovation in components and their testing like Qualification Plus (Q+)

Q+ is an example of a high performance standard that has a positive impact on O&M expenses

Qualification Plus (Q+)

Govindasamy Tamizhmani PhD, Presented at Solar O&M North America March 25, 2014 Used with Permission by Dr. Govindasamy Tamizhmani , TUV

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The Next Era in PV: Collaborative O&M Standards Development

Where are we and what about the Gaps?

Investigating A PV “Systems” Cosmology Approach © 2014 6

Step one*: Map present standards universe

Step two*: Find and define the gaps

Step three: Establish goals and objectives

Step four: Determine the end game

Step five: Deliver the first phase of PV industry standards

Step six: Refine standards over time

Step seven: High performance PV standards

Benefits of O&M

Extend system lifetime; extend time period that the

system delivers revenue

Improve system availability; Reduce downtime; re-capture lost revenue

Reduce cost of providing O&M; directly affect project cost

Efficiency and degradation in performance; maintain energy delivery and associated revenue

Predictability of performance and O&M costs; reduce insurance and financing costs by reducing uncertainty related to lifetime, performance, and O&M costs

Operation and Maintenance (O&M) of Photovoltaic (PV) Systems ,

by Permission of National Renewable Energy Laboratory , Andy Walker, PhD PE

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The Next Era in PV: Collaborative O&M Standards Development

Why Begin With O&M … And Why M?

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Advanced PV system delivery processes: O&M drives specifications to reduce costs

“O&M is a Metric”. It indicates how financially successful and healthy the project is

We need to accurately understand the relationship between O&M and performance

Starting with M Focuses on Weak Points

The Next Era in PV: Collaborative O&M Standards Development

Who are the participants? “There Are No Standards when it comes to Standards”

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From Scope to Progress Made

ASTM

Guide the Installation, Commissioning, Operation and Maintenance of Photovoltaic Systems (ICOMP, Provide standards for foundational metrics and processes, enable consistent delivery and operation of quality

photovoltaic systems over their useful life, define the integrated process for consistent system delivery throughout the lifecycle of reliable and effective PV systems.

IEC

Formation and operation of a new conformity assessment system under the management of the IEC Conformity Assessment Board (CAB). Agreement on priorities for new standard development.

High Performance PV

Develop highest level of PV Total “systems process” application and O&M training and experience, Raise the PV industry bar for Performance, Reliably and Optimization (PRO), begin and end with O&M

NREL

Deliver products related to PV system O&M that address the needs of securitization by the private financial market. These include OM Best Practice and market driven cost model.

SunSpec

Survey of best industry practices framework, investor care abouts, sample O&M contract terms, definition of key O&M terms, O&M cost survey and description of O&M cost elements in working model.

Sandia / EPRI

Improve PV system design, installation O&M Develop benchmark report on PVROM from active participants. fault and failure analysis, and preventative maintenance.

TUV

Detailed non-intrusive and intrusive evaluations of fielded PV systems for reliability, safety and durability; Identification of field failure modes and mechanisms; Accelerated testing for quality evaluations of fresh PV modules and materials

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Purpose?

Engage with Industry to: Explain existing efforts being targeted Ensure gaps are identified and guide working groups Recruit participants for working group efforts

Document Developed with Industry participation

Sandia Technical O&M Working Group O&M Working Group coordination meeting on March 24,

2014. ASTM, Calama Consulting, High Performance PV, IEC, Munich RE – HSB, NREL, PCG Solar, Sandia, SunSpec, TUV, Wells Fargo

~50 SolarPlaza O&M participants contributed to the gaps analysis on March 26

Gaps Analysis for O&M Activities

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A Universe i. What standards and best practices have an O&M component

ii. Isolating Standards – SNL working group reviews

iii. Working Group Coordination Meeting -

iii. Working Group Coordination Meeting – best practices and other standards identified

Gaps identified

(orange boxes)

v. Document this process: consolidate gaps, map efforts to

new standards efforts, synthesize results

iv. Broader industry

involvement to identify gaps at SolarPlaza O&M

Conference

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Gaps Identified - examples

Design •Look to reliability standards of other more mature industries, such as fossil-fuel generators •Consider measurability in specification of equipment during design (built-in current transducers)

Risk Mitigation (Financing) •Specification Standard: feeds into design, provide all details for all environment •Reduce Complexity of O&M Programs

Construction •Protocol to test incoming equipment to a site •Wire management, conduit standards, conductor standards, layout standards

Commissioning •Need to bridge the gap between IEC standards regarding commissioning and the NEC. Inspecting for code compliance is an essential commissioning step and failure to comply with codes is often a source of reliability and safety issues

O&M •Need to Certification of O&M providers: O&M Curriculum, training, education, experience, and job description

Transaction Process •Need to Disclosure requirements – or “client’s bill of rights” that would require those responsible (EPC’s, O&M service providers, manufacturers) to disclose common failures and to disclose the cause and consequences of events

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The Next Era in PV: Collaborative O&M Standards Development

PV System Delivery Elements Positively impacted by effective standards

All PV System Delivery Elements Must Be Considered

Investigating A PV “Systems” Cosmology Approach © 2014

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The Next Era in PV: Collaborative O&M Standards Development

Will Effective Standards make a difference?

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O&M, as a metric! Where does the money go?

The Las Vegas Question!

A gap between the pro forma & the bottom line?

Documenting real costs & consequences

Begins to institutionalize consistency and accuracy

The Gap between Henry’s Law and Murphy’s Law

The Next Era in PV: Collaborative O&M Standards Development

What Value comes from PV ROM?

The Challenge:

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Everyone collects data, Yet there is no industry wide consistency!

Learn from a large database of System/Systemic Failures

then apply data to future projects

Define mitigating risks and assign real values

Provides a tool that allows use to use O&M as a functional network

Fills a gap in information that dramatically increases certainty over time

Provides a Keystone for other effective standards

The Next Era in PV: Collaborative O&M Standards Development

A Bankable Performance by Mitigating Risk With a PV System Delivery Process

Foundation To Capstone Are Based on Quality Assured Continual Integration & Continuity

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The Next Era in PV: Collaborative O&M Standards Development

O&M Standards Conclusions

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Expanding Perspective Drives Progress

Effective PV standards structure the path to industry maturity – Improved reliability, certainty & lower costs

Requires addressing and resolving issues from different perspectives

Addresses Plant Performance and Reliability relationship between O&M and performance, (cost and time)

Effective standards are the path to Bankability and the PV industry’s economic “Sweet spot”

Support Best Practices, Guidelines & Standards