Property asset managers and landlords must take a more proactive approach to operating and maintaining their commercial solar PV systems, or face big costs.
According to Longevity Power, a strategic renewable energy consultancy, failing to keep up with maintenance, risks compromising the safety of buildings and forfeiting potentially lucrative returns on investment.
Recent research from RaptorMaps indicates that underperforming solar assets worldwide led to an estimated USD$4.6 billion (£3.5bn), in preventable losses in 2023 – a trend that Longevity Power believes will only worsen as global solar adoption increases.
Anthony Maguire, Managing Director at Longevity Power, warns that entrusting system maintenance solely to installers may not be the solution property owners expect.
“A commercial solar PV system requires continuous monitoring and specialist expertise to maximise revenue,” Maguire explains. “Installers often lack the dedicated in-house capabilities or a sophisticated monitoring platform. This can lead to missed performance-related issues or potential safety hazards going undetected.”
He also stressed the importance of reassessing tariffs, which can quickly become uncompetitive if left unchanged.
Systems must be managed flexibly and intelligently to avoid losses – especially when power prices fluctuate or become negative during peak generation periods.
Furthermore, inadequate documentation and lack of performance data can deter prospective buyers during a property sale.
“Without robust operations, maintenance and performance management, owners risk losing revenue, compromising safety, and slowing the time it takes to achieve payback on their solar investments.”
He concludes that a dedicated monitoring platform capable of consolidating varied data points ensures safety faults are flagged, any cleaning requirements are optimally timed and the overall system is operating at the expected level.
Proper operation, maintenance and management are vital to ensuring that solar PV assets deliver significant financial and environmental benefits over the long term.
