Solar Support, a specialized engineering company with a broad portfolio of reliability solutions, now offers independent plant and equipment end-of-warranty assessment services to owners of utility-scale PV assets. The services include onsite review of system and equipment performance as well as detailed documentation that owners can use to secure support before EPC and manufacturer warranties lapse. This work builds upon Solar Support’s inverter predictive analysis program launched last fall.
Warranty length varies—typically two years for construction and five years for equipment such as central inverters. Given a 28- to 35-year plant lifespan, asset owners face full responsibility for decades of maintenance and repair after warranties expire.
Identify issues before the warranty expires
“Our independent, end-of-warranty assessments help plant owners secure the support they’re entitled to and avoid undue risk before coverage lapses,” says John McCauley, Solar Support director of sales. “We put them in the strongest possible position before they assume the cost of their own maintenance and servicing.”
In a recent project for a large global asset owner, Solar Support performed a complete onsite inspection of module, tracker and inverter equipment health, as well as cable management, vegetation, road, drainage and maintenance operations. The inspection allowed the asset owner to identify several correctable issues and get them resolved prior to warranty expiration.
Inspections help with documentation of system health
Throughout the inspection process, Solar Support works closely with EPCs, manufacturers and asset owners. “Our goal is to provide constructive and actionable recommendations that help all of the parties involved get the highest quality and production out of these valuable assets.” says McCauley.
The new end-of-warranty services draw on Solar Support’s deep reliability expertise, which includes helping owners future-proof their plants and equipment against extreme weather events. The objective inspections also help owners document the health of their systems and components when securing or renewing insurance. (mfo)
