Solar Maid Introduces New O&M Cost Reduction Tool

Online, July 3, 2012 (Newswire.com) - In recent years the solar industry has been blindsided by the escalating costs associated with solar O&M. The solar industry has become victim to its own sales hype believing that the systems they are installing will continue to produce at peak levels for 25 years with little to no maintenance required.

Reality tells us a much different story and the numbers do not lie. Consider the fact that all invertor manufacturers advise cleaning and replacement of the cooling fans and filters annually, that does not seem like "maintenance free" to me. A report released by NREL found that a minimal annual washing of solar panels increases production by an aggregate average of 16% and you don't need to be a math prodigy to figure out that over a short period of time, dirty solar panels will lead to substantial production losses.

While the industry grapples with the issue of solar O&M and the bite it is taking from production revenue, help is coming from an unlikely place, the one company that stands to benefit the most from increased O&M expenditures. The leading janitorial solar O&M Company in North America, Solar Maid is the first company to develop a new tool to help solar asset managers lower their overall O&M costs and they are giving it away for free.

Solar Maid, who has been cleaning solar panels for nearly a decade has been at the forefront of the solar industry's evolution and had anticipated the rapid growth in the O&M sector long before the industry itself. "As recently as 2 years ago, many industry professionals mocked the idea of panel washing as a necessary expenditure, but even the most still-willed of this group have started to see the true value and necessity of solar O&M. The industry has matured enough now that instead of fighting the inevitable, we should be working together to find ways to bring down the costs associated with O&M and that is exactly what we have done" said, Jay Welsh, General Manager at Solar Maid.

Starting this summer, Solar Maid will be providing all customers with a complimentary "Soil Boundary Analysis" ™ that will allow customers to better determine an optimal O&M schedule. "By knowing the actual P&L associated to production and O&M costs, asset managers have a tremendous advantage in reducing O&M costs" said Mr. Welsh. O&M costs will continue to rise, so with the advancements in tools and technology, it is important that we embrace them because nothing is more valuable than knowledge and Solar Maid has clearly delivered.