Real-Time Performance Analysis and Operation&Maintenance Experience of Photovoltaic Generating Plant in Western India

Solar Photovoltaic (PV) technology is boosting up exponentially in recent decades as compared to the other solar energy harvesting technologies for the use of mankind. This study is conducted on the 1MW grid-connected solar PV power plant installed at Gandhinagar (Gujarat, Western India). The plant has started operation from the year 2011 and recently passed the 5-year milestone of constant operations. Data-sets on electricity production were collected for three years 2013, 2014 and 2015 and compared under actual climatic conditions. The final energy yield and performance ratio is obtained annually under real weather conditions. Despite the fact that maintaining the solar PV plant, there are several breakdown events due to inappropriate climatic conditions, electrical disruption, installation and maintenance practices, the estimated harvest is not cultivated from the solar PV. This study shows an assessment of operating experience including performance, maintenance, costs and failure events as well as various PV operating and maintaining issues encountered during various observations in the year 2015 and its effect on plants operational capacity. The total Mean time between failures (MTBF) is calculated as 72.60 hrs and Mean time to repair (MTTR) is calculated as 0.39hrs. The availability of the plant for the year 2015 was calculated as 99.46 %.