Solar Operational Lifecycle and Asset Reliability Intelligence System

In order to promote the development and integration of PV systems in Europe and beyond, more efficient, reliable and cost-effective operation and maintenance strategies must be identified. In this context, SOLARIS will bring together 15 partners over a period of 48 months to develop and demonstrate a range of physical and digital tools for improved forecasting, operation and maintenance.

In addition to a high performance index (90 per cent) and high availability (> 98 per cent) of PV systems, as well as a 10 per cent reduction in energy costs, SOLARIS delivers reliable forecasts (short- and long-term weather and electricity generation forecasts) and precise monitoring and inspection techniques using innovative sensors (wind, soiling, impedance). Furthermore, SOLARIS offers automated multispectral PV inspections using drones for early fault detection. SOLARIS also enables energy trading via an AI-based tool. The demonstration data is collected on an IoT platform and fed into one of the most important tools for PV operators: PV asset management software.

All developments are being demonstrated and evaluated across eight use cases (large and small ground-mounted installations, rooftop installations, agri-PV) throughout Europe. Acceptance of the SOLARIS developments is promoted through the wide dissemination of the demonstration and evaluation results to relevant stakeholders, such as PV plant owners, O&M companies and technology providers. This is further facilitated by the establishment of a stakeholder forum, which will support all developments on the path to commercialisation.