Solar Investors Guide – O&M for solar parks

04/16/2026 | Print view

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Professional O&M underpins the long-term performance of solar projects

As a rule, one to three percent of investment is allocated to operation and maintenance over 20 years, making solar parks low-maintenance assets with significantly lower costs than fossil or nuclear plants.

Maintenance costs are largely driven by the extensive area covered by module fields. A solar park with a capacity of 300 MW and grid connection typically requires 250 to 300 hectares of land. This involves hundreds of thousands of solar modules, kilometres of cabling, and millions of small components such as DC connectors, cable ties, and clamps.

Cost optimisation therefore focuses on minimising component variety and using durable, long-lasting components. In a solar park, components are exposed to weather and solar radiation over many years, affecting both plastics and metals over time.

Operate plants proactively

To operate plants proactively, monitoring and advanced analysis tools are essential. Thermal imaging drones scan module fields to detect faulty modules. Electroluminescence analysis is used to identify damaged cells after a hailstorm. Sample tests on the ground can be employed to examine the backsheet films of solar modules.

These examples illustrate a broader principle: operation and maintenance requirements must be integrated from the earliest planning and installation phases. Ultimately, long-term asset value is shaped long before the first kilowatt is generated, and the more systematically this is done, the more effectively the investment is safeguarded against avoidable follow-up costs and long-term depreciation.