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The quality of operation and maintenance has a major impact on the generating efficiency of a newly built solar power plant over its life cycle. DS Energy Technology Co., Ltd. (DSE), established in 2017, recently completed the certification process for TUV Rheinland’s latest photovoltaic O&M certification (2Pfg 2672/11.18), making it the only PV O&M company in Taiwan to be certified to the new standard.
The core business of DSE is the operation and maintenance of PV power plants. The design and planning of new projects are based on generating steady operating income for investors over a 20-year time frame. Once construction is complete, a project site undergoes a comprehensive health and acceptance inspection. O&M activities cover not only existing conditions at the site but also the assessment of potential risks in the future and the taking of necessary preventive measures for both the investors’ and project owner’s peace of mind.
DSE invited TUV Rheinland to carry out its O&M certification process as part of its push to standardize its O&M services and processes to international standards. The 1-year certification process covered seven main aspects, 30 assessment areas, and more than 100 assessment tasks. Certification to the latest PV O&M system standard was, at last, recently approved.
Solar power plants offer such advantages as power supply, steady cash flow, securitized investment, and carbon emissions trading. Professional assessment is nevertheless recommended for every stage of the project to ensure profitability, including location, climate assessment, parts supply chain, system validation, operation & maintenance, and power plant troubleshooting. High-quality O&M in particular is essential to the safe operation and continued generation of steady cash flow by solar power plants. TUV Rheinland pioneered certification of PV O&M service providers, and utilizes a combination of document review and field inspections at O&M sites to carry out a comprehensive evaluation of the O&M company’s self-management (document management, resource management, technical support, etc.), O&M performance, and owner’s contractual requirements. The process is used to confirm that the O&M company’s quality assurance measures and technical capabilities are up to providing high-performance O&M services, reducing the risk for investors in the power plant project.
TUV Rheinland has extensive experience with testing and inspection, O&M certification, and buyer services for solar power plants. These can be used to guarantee the generating efficiency of solar power plants, improve the quality of new plants under construction, and reduce the risk for power plant buyers. All of the above then facilitate the securing of bank financing and realization of returns on investment.
Source: TUV Rheinland Taiwan Ltd.
