Perspective Mr. Manoj Gupta, Vice President - Solar, Fortum As the world is realising the magnitude of the threats of climate change, the focus on renewable energy generation is at an alltime high. Talking specifically about solar energy, the overall energy consumption of people around the globe annually is less
Handling data manually can always lead to some errors from time-to-time that can
than what Earth receives from the Sun in 2 hours, so there is an
cause loss of time and money. Automation
enormous potential to be tapped in this space, especially in a country like India where
will ensure accuracy in mapping, assessing
we receive abundant sunlight throughout the year. We, at Fortum India are making our presence stronger in this segment and are extensively adopting newer technologies to
and presentation of data from solar assets.
improve the quality of our operations.
Also, by automating the processes of asset
One of the most essential aspects of carrying out solar energy operations smoothly is
management, data becomes more centralised
the management of assets across solar plants. Making sure that these assets are well-
and is easily accessible to its stakeholders.
maintained and produce the desired results is a space that can further be revolutionised with rampant advancements in the world of automation technology. The solar energy sector is an asset intensive industry and it will strongly benefit through such technological
The reduction in costs and lesser dependence on manpower will certainly provide cost
advancements in the times to come.
savings, help in making solar power more accessible and competitive with traditional
Handling data manually can always lead to some errors from time-to-time that can
methods of producing energy.
cause loss of time and money. Automation will ensure accuracy in mapping, assessing
Automating asset management will also help in visualizing data automatically by
and presentation of data from solar assets. Also, by automating the processes of asset
displaying essential KPIs specific to the requirements. All of these aspects will result in
management, data becomes more centralised and is easily accessible to its stakeholders.
saving administrative time and harness conservation to a great extent in the coming years.
Mr. Simarpreet Singh, Director and CEO, Hartek Solar Pvt Ltd Enabling you to have a comprehensible and accurate data in
The adoption of automation processes can also help reduce operational costs and running
real time right at your fingertips, automation can drive efficiency
expenses. This has become imperative to maintain a steady flow of profits by offsetting the
by speeding up your work and freeing up more time for your employees for other productive tasks. Tracking down a crucial contract, for instance, cannot get easier than this. Automating
constant drop in prices through automated solutions. The operation and maintenance of solar projects, for example, can become much more cost-effective with advanced analytics
a lengthy process like Solar PPA invoicing while doing away with any scope for error can
and a customised software by improving the efficiency of site tasks like mowing and
save a lot of time and effort, giving you more time to analyse data and take considered
module washing.
decisions.
Digital platforms for solar asset management can also help minimise corrective repairs
The integration of solar energy asset management with software will ensure that all your important business data and processes are managed and updated at one centrally accessible place. You can even customise your asset management process to suit your
through proactive maintenance. Syncing solar projects with a monitoring system, a performance assessment mechanism and diagnostic tools which offers solutions in real
business needs, thus saving both time and resources with the streamlining of workflow
time, can go a long way in reducing costs, enhancing efficiencies and improving profit
through compliance reminders.
margins.
Mr. Suraj Vernekar, Co-founder & CEO, Aegeus Technologies Pvt. Ltd. As we know that the most expensive asset in a solar project is the Solar panel, which if not maintained properly will result in efficiency drop approximately upto 50% due to dust accumulation,
We strive to provide solutions to increase
bird drop, etc. on the panels and it’ll highly impact the power
the energy efficiency of our client’s
generation. To avoid this loss usually manpower is used for cleaning solar panels. This again
solar projects by studying the layout
uses a lot of water and nylon brushes that harm the module surface. Further, it also adds on to the manpower cost. So automation and robotics can help maintain the efficiency of
of the project and suggesting the right
the modules and protect them. Using a Waterless Module Cleaning technology can help
amount to be invested on procurement
save a lot of water as well. We strive to provide solutions to increase the energy efficiency of our client’s solar projects
of robots for cleaning, depending on the
by studying the layout of the project and suggesting the right amount to be invested on
geography, size of the project, current
procurement of robots for cleaning, depending on the geography, size of the project,
cost incurred for cleaning, and lot of other
current cost incurred for cleaning, and lot of other factors are considered to understand the requirements well. We then offer the right investment and procurement plan for an
factors are considered to understand the
automated robotic cleaning solution which will deliver businesses an ROI within the next
requirements well.
6 to 18 months.
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