Understanding Microgrid Due Diligence

In the United States, energy storage capacity has now surpassed…
solar owners engineers

5 Important Duties of a Solar Owners Engineer

According to Statista, global solar photovoltaic capacity has…
solar independent engineer

What Is Photovoltaic Solar Energy and How Does it Work?

Nowadays, it's not uncommon to find solar panels installed by…

Expect the Unexpected: The Impacts of Grid Congestion on Solar Development

As the installed capacity of solar PV systems in the US continues…

Lessons from the Early Adopters

PV Pros has provided clients with professional services for more…

Developing Bankable Solar and Energy Storage Projects

To fund solar and energy storage projects, developers must first…

Understanding Bifacial Gain in PV Power Plants

Unlike conventional PV modules that convert only front-side irradiance…

Pro Tips for Passing a PV System Capacity Test

The basic goal of ASTM E2848, “Standard Test Method for Reporting…

Solar Asset Acquisition: Optimizing the Value of Third-Party Engineering Services During and After Construction

For IPPs that acquire solar assets after projects are developed…

Solar Asset Acquisition: Optimizing the Value of Third-Party Engineering Services During Development and Design

Independent power producers (IPPs) have different business models…

Independent Engineering Versus Owner’s Engineering

When companies do not have in-house engineering—or when an…

Best Practices Versus Code Compliance

Technical due diligence is essential to solar project success…

Importance of Accurate As-Built Drawings

As an Owner’s Engineer, PV Pros often supports clients by making…

Climate-Specific Design - Risk vs Value Engineering

Mother Nature provides an unlimited source of clean energy from…

Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Connector Mismatch

PV connector mismatch is one of the most common solar project…

Optimizing I-V Curve Tracing Activities

Through our work as an Owner’s Engineer, PV Pros has extensive…

Using Aerial Imaging in Lieu of Boots on the Ground

The strategic and efficient use of resources for PV system commissioning…

When to use PVsyst, HelioScope, and SAM

At PV Pros, our project managers and engineers use photovoltaic…
What is Technical Debt

What is Technical Debt?

Technical Debt is the cost to the system owner as a result of…

3rd Party Drawing Reviews Reduce Risk

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PV Pros has been helping our clients de-risk in their assets…

Technical Due Diligence for Solar Purchase and/or Acquisitions

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PV Pros has been helping our client’s de-risk in their assets…

The Cost of Quality – A Solar IE’s perspective

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There is a well-known business adage called the “Cost of Quality”.…
Spring Time for Preventive Maintenance

Under-Performance - Part 2: Soiling, Snow, & Shade

Modules can underperform for a variety of environmental and non-environmental…

Under-Performance - Part 1: The Sun's Potential

Modules can underperform for a variety of environmental and non-environmental…
Acquisition Due Diligence

Effects of COVID-19 on the Solar Industry

We spend a lot of time on the phone with our clients and vendors,…
Photo of the Month - Dangerous Cable Tray

PV Pros’ O&M Division acquired by Omnidian - PV Pros focuses on Independent Engineering

PV Pros has provided Solar O&M and Independent Engineering…
The Importance of Torque for PV System Longevity

The Importance of Torque for PV System Longevity

Torque is a commonly used term in Solar PV system inspection,…
Conduct Due Diligence In-House or Hire a Specialist

Conduct Due Diligence In-House or Hire a Specialist?

As covered in our previous articles in this series (Article…

Buyers Need an Owner’s Engineer in this Sellers’ Market

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PV Pros has been helping buyers de-risk in their asset acquisition…
3G Wireless Network Obsolescence and Its Impact on Solar

3G Wireless Network Obsolescence and Its Impact on Solar

By the end of 2019, Verizon will obsolete its coverage on legacy…
Spring Time for Preventive Maintenance

Spring Time for Preventive Maintenance

Spring cleaning also applies to solar! After harsh exposure…
Hall of Shame - Preventive Maintenance Edition

Hall of Shame: Preventive Maintenance Edition

Even when systems are installed with top notch workmanship…
ASTM E2848 Capacity Test for Beginners

ASTM E2848 Capacity Test for Beginners

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Capacity and performance ratio tests are used to demonstrate…

Acquiring Existing Photovoltaic Systems

A Photovoltaic (PV) System may change hands multiple times over…
Photo of the Week - Wire Management Practices

Photo of the Week: Wire Management Practices

Array wire management is an area where different materials and…
2017 Asset Management and Performance Conference

2017 Asset Management and Performance Conference

PV Pros Director discusses the needs of O&M team integration…
Photo of the Week - Enclosure Mounting

Photo of the Week: Enclosure Mounting

Enclosures are designed to be mounted from the designed mounting…
Photo of the Week - Splice Box Maintenance

Photo of the Week: Splice Box Maintenance

Wire Splices are a common point of failure that that can be prevented…
Photo of the Month - PVC Conduits

Photo of the Month: PVC Conduits

PVC conduits are acceptable when used properly (lots of expansion…
Photo of the Month - Corrosion

Photo of the Month: Corrosion

NEMA 3R and 4 inverters and outdoor cabinets may be rated for…
Photo of the Month - Improper Raceway

Photo of the Month: Improper Raceway

This installer gets full points for creativity, but fails miserably…
Photo of the Month - Maintain Vegetation

Photo of the Month: Maintain Vegetation

Two things went wrong here. First, the vegetation was not maintained,…
Photo of the Month - Wire Management

Photo of the Month: Wire Management

At this site, the intermodule wiring is zip-tied to the rails…
Photo of the Month - Mysterious Water in Enclosures

Photo of the Month: Mysterious Water in Enclosures

During O&M we often find combiner boxes and disconnect switches…
Photo of the Month - Irresponsible Inverter Repair

Photo of the Month: Irresponsible Inverter Repair

While conducting O&M on a Satcon 250kW central inverter,…
Photo of the Month - Standing on Modules

Photo of the Month: Standing on Modules

I appreciate Shoal’s new arc fault technology as shown in this…
Photo of the Month - Irresponsible Layout

Photo of the Month: Irresponsible Layout

Just when I thought I have seen it all… Notice the mid-clamp…
Photo of the Month - Awful Wire Management

Photo of the Month: Awful Wire Management

We were called out to investigate a performance issue at a site,…
Photo of the Month - Dangerous Cable Tray

Photo of the Month: Dangerous Cable Tray

At this site, cable tray was used for wire management between…