ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the personnel, processes and tasks typically used for the operation and maintenance (O&M) of a solar farm. The O&M of a solar farm is intended to deliver both practical and financial outcomes: the system will have prescribed financial criteria to meet over the life of the project and these criteria will be inextricably linked to the performance of the solar farm and the power delivered to the network. O&M activities focus on maximising revenue and mitigating risk to prevent the loss of revenue that may arise from loss of system efficiency, system faults, equipment downtime or other causes. Normal operational procedures will define the roles of the personnel required to operate and maintain the system. The safety and security plan identifies and addresses all site safety and security risks. The spare parts plan will identify which major items and which balance-of-system equipment must be kept on-site in the event of product failure.
