Operations & Maintenance

Photovoltaik-Institut Berlin (PI Berlin) now has the capability to troubleshoot faults in PV power plants using a precision LED solar simulator. This device is the first of its kind to allow laboratory standard solar module power measurements to be taken in the field without the need to dismantle modules.

Saudi Arabia-based PV module cleaning technology start-up NOMADD (NO-water Mechanical Automated Dusting Device) has secured US$1 million in funding from the KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology) Innovation Fund.

Goldbeck Solar has confirmed the completion of a 49.6MW solar farm in the UK as the company looks to grow its business O&M business in the market.

Total and its affiliate SunPower have agreed to supply electricity from a 100MWac solar PV project to the Metro of Santiago in Chile.

PV monitoring solutions provider meteocontrol and solar EPC firm Phoenix Solar have established a partnership that focuses on the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey (MENAT).

Solar radiation measurement solutions provider Kipp & Zonen has acquired Black Photon Instruments’ AirShield DNI for use in its pyrheliometers in dry and dusty environments.

GE and Virginia Solar Group have initiated commercial operations at a 32MW Kumenan solar farm in western Japan.

Despite preparing investors’ expectations for flat revenues in 2016, inverter maker SMA Solar Technology has reported an increase in sales for the first quarter and exceeded management expectations by more than €10 million (US$11.4 million).

Members of India’s solar industry have spoken out against alleged “unregulated” imports of Chinese solar and wind energy equipment to India.

India-based solar EPC firm Sterling & Wilson (S&W) has been awarded EPC and O&M contracts for 350MW of solar projects in India by Canada-based developer SkyPower.