Arizona Public Service Solar O&M

Jim Hansen

APS solar sites under O&M

• AZ Sun – (9) utility scale sites, 170 MWAC – Allowed by utility commission

• Schools & Government – (59), 12 MWAC – Allowed by utility commission

• Legacy – (41), 4 MWAC – 5 to 15 years old

• Residential – (129), 1 MWAC – Special DOE project

Solar O&M – AZ Sun Sites

• Operations (O) – Monitoring site: real time data, alarms, check

against estimated performance, security, 24/7 – “Smart” meter data for smaller sites

• Maintenance (M) – PM=Preventive Maintenance

• Weekly, semi-annual, annual – CM=Corrective Maintenance

• Equipment down, soiling, erosion

Solar O&M Options

• Utility owned sites – Contract w/original EPC on each site for O&M

• Can be expensive over life of plant • Multiple contracts to manage

– Contract w/one supplier on all O&M • Problems with communications, multiple parties • Terms of contract are critical

– In-house O&M • Some problems w/warranty response of EPC • Could be most cost effective

Utility Scale Solar Sites

• Biggest impacts on energy production – Switchgear, single point of failure

• Long lead time replacements • MV fuses, early degradation

– Inverters, most events/issues • Could be 1% to 11% impact for 1 inverter down

Thank You, any questions?