Design to Operate – 13.5 MWp in the Netherlands

 

Since the start of ENcome Engineering, the core team had a clear vision. They wanted to design photovoltaic power plants with a perspective of the entire life cycle. The connection with ENcome’s O&M Business and experience was hence a perfect match.

“Design to Operate means strong and early collaboration among teams” says ENcome Engineering’s General Manager Richard Rath. Internal workshops to improve our daily operations which are held between different departments, including our Competence Centre Monitoring, Reporting and Data Analysis, Solar Asset Managers, Operational IT and Service Technicians, reveal frequent obstacles for O&M that could have been foreseen during the design phase of any type of project.  

A typical life cycle of a solar power plant consists of a pre-planning/development phase, Design and Engineering, Asset Management and Operation & Maintenance, which can include a revamping or repowering and the dismantling and recycling phase. No matter the size of a project, the O&M phase will be the longest and the one which bears the most risk.  

A design that saves cost on paper during the conception phase of a project might cost multiples the amount during 30-40 years of O&M operation. A simple example is the lack of space for ground keeping equipment, poor planning can lead to years of need for manual tasks, instead of the use of robots or efficient machinery. 

A recent example in ENcome’s portfolio is one of the largest rooftops in the Netherlands. Completion of all sections will give the plant a total power output of 13.5 MWp. The first section with 6.5 MWp on one roof was recently commissioned. ENcome Engineering has been involved since the initial design phase and managed to prevent typical as well as rare mistakes.  

Two of our engineers were on site to participate during the provisional acceptance test, thus representing the engineering side. An O&M Engineer was on-site for the hand-over, thus representing the O&M side of our approach. 

The plant is also connected to our 24/7 control centre, which plays, just like the planning and engineering, a crucial role in the operation of a solar asset. Read more about the aspect of monitoring in our news piece ENcome ensures high-quality monitoring services in a challenging winter 2020/2021 (ENcome Monitoring). 
 

About ENcome:
The ENcome Group is a leading independent service provider for the technical operation of photovoltaic power plants and the offering of respective engineering and consulting services. In managing the power plants entrusted, the service of the ENcome Group focuses on maximizing short-term availability, production performance as well as long-term value.

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