| | AUGUST 202119CXO INSIGHTS(RE)POWERING TO THE PEOPLE: THE OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF REPOWERING SOLAR PV SYSTEMSBy Shawn Shaw, Head of Solar and Energy Storage, Natural PowerIntroductionWhile, to many, solar photovoltaics (PV) are still fairly new, there is a large fleet of PV projects reaching its 10th birthday in 2021 and some analysts expect up to 70GW of PV to reach the 20 year old mark by 2030. To put that in context, the US installed 19.2 GW in 2020, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.These aging PV assets often receive less attention that new projects, which are growing ever more cost-effective and are generally much larger than projects built in previous years. However, they can still represent a significant opportunity for asset owners who might wish to consider repowering for a variety of reasons, such as:· Difficulty maintaining and obtaining parts for older equipment· Improving availability and/or efficiency· Maintaining favorable interconnection or site control agreementsIn most cases, asset owners currently considering repowering are doing so to address challenges with existing equipment, such as inverters, that may be performing poorly. Replacement or repair of such equipment can be complicated by equipment suppliers being out of business. For instance, many of the market leaders in 2010 inverter sales, such as AE and Satcon, are no longer selling or servicing inverters, leaving asset owners struggling to keep aging assets operating. Repowering can be a great way to address these issues, while also picking up some performance improvements and possibly squeezing more generation out of the PV plant in the process.Key Questions to Ask Before RepoweringFor asset owners, it is key to consider a few essential questions before beginning a repowering program.Question 1: Is the equipment on my site compatible with modern replacements?PV technology has evolved considerably in the past 10 years and continues to do so every year. These differences are great for new projects but can pose challenges for repowering. For instance, replacing a failed inverter with a new unit might prove challenging because the voltage of PV arrays 10 years ago was generally 600V, whereas modern inverters are designed to operate at 1,000V or 1,500V. It might seem obvious to simply rewire the PV array for this higher voltage but, unfortunately, most PV modules, conductors, disconnects, and other devices were not designed for these higher voltages. It is also important to understand that new inverters are fundamentally different in design than inverters commonly installed around 2010. Essentially, modern Shawn Shaw
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