We generally classify PV Plants in three simple categories, with regard to their performance:
- Clearly distressed assets with evident underperformance issues
- Apparently good operating solar PV Plants
- Good or adequately performing solar Plants (according to Base Case scenarios)
While the first and third categories do not need any explanation, the second category of apparently good operating Plants is related to low quality of information due to unreliable monitoring systems or inadequate data collection or both. KPIs like Performance Ratio (PR) or Availability (AVA) are very useful as long as the raw data of the calculations is precise and coherent. It is not rare to find a case where high PR and AVA values are being calculated, and when a more reliable monitoring system is installed investors find themselves in front of unexpected and unpleasant surprises.
Continuous improvement of performance is possible in all three categories of solar plants by deploying ACTIS (Asset Control Telemetry Information System), the World's First Solar ERP Software, followed by close monitoring through extensive data analytics that pin point problem issues to be resolved asap. This continuous improvement concept is widely used in various manufacturing and service industries and is just like Deming's Wheel, Kaizen approach or Six Sigma. ACTIS has been developed by Alectris, Greece and is offered in India through Shri Shakti Alternative Energy Ltd. Performance improvement of any solar plant is possible with our continuous improvement concept backed by ACTIS, it is just the effort that is needed for each category varies along with the incremental gains based on the category, as illustrated in the above figure.
