SolarPower Europe has launched an updated version of 'Operation and Maintenance: Best Practices Guidelines Version 6.0" to maximize operational efficiency of photovoltaic solar power plants.

The latest update to SolarPower Europe's Operation and Maintenance Best Practices Guidelines offers recommendations on how to maintain standards in the photovoltaic solar sector, while supporting its sustainable growth.

The latest revision of SolarPower Europe’s Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Best Practices Guidelines includes updated chapters on solar power plant maintenance, innovation and trends, and data management; new chapters on electrical safety and common testing and inspections; and recommendations on how to sustainably handle solar panels at the end of their life (EoL) after a renovation/repowering project.

Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO of SolarPower Europe, stated that “a thriving solar industry with high-quality solar installations is the cornerstone of a successful energy transition. These guidelines will ensure that the sector installs solar systems that foster growth, strengthen trust, and accelerate the solar revolution across Europe.”

The new chapter focusing on electrical safety practices includes a skills matrix template to help solar workers record skills and identify deficiencies.

The innovation and trends chapter has been updated to showcase emerging technological solutions, some of which are close to widespread adoption, while others are still in the early stages of development.

Some examples include a “drone-in-a-box” system for photovoltaic solar energy, consisting of an autonomous drone stored in a weatherproof docking station.

This innovative box allows for frequent scheduled flights that optimize operations and maintenance efficiency in large solar parks, and it can even track plant growth around the panels.

Another trend is the rise of smart virtual reality glasses that enable engineers on-site at a solar power plant to connect with a desk supervisor for real-time guidance, using audio, video, and holograms for maintenance instructions.

Stelios Antellis, chair of SolarPower Europe's lifecycle quality working group and Global Strategic Operations Director at Astronergy, stated, “The future of solar energy depends on lasting quality, durability, and well-maintained systems that meet performance expectations. With the sixth version of these guidelines, we continue to integrate and refine best practices that highlight the fundamental importance of proper operation and maintenance, ensuring that our photovoltaic solar power plants generate value for investors and communities for generations to come.”

The best practices outlined in these guidelines are beneficial and relevant to photovoltaic solar systems of all sizes. These guidelines are a key tool for operation and maintenance service providers, as well as for investors, financiers, asset owners, asset managers, monitoring tool providers, technical consultants, and all stakeholders in Europe and abroad.

The latest update to the guidelines comes at a time when quality is gaining unprecedented importance across the entire photovoltaic solar value chain. This report marks the sixth edition of the Operation and Maintenance Best Practices Guidelines. The first version was published in 2016, and since then, the report has been updated periodically.

In this report, over 30 experts from SolarPower Europe’s lifecycle quality workflow have shared their knowledge and expertise across the entire solar sector, from operations and maintenance (O&M), recycling and circularity, waste management, large-scale solar energy, to manufacturing backgrounds.