Senior Member of Technical Staff Sandia National Laboratory
Battery storage is increasingly being installed at Photovoltaic (PV) sites in response to supply-demand balancing needs. Although there is some understanding of costs associated with PV operations and maintenance (O&M), costs associated with emerging technologies such as PV plus storage lack details about the specific systems and/or activities that contribute to the cost values. This study aims to address this gap by exploring the specific factors and drivers contributing to utility-scale PV plus storage systems O&M costs, how particular storage technologies were selected, O&M data collection, and ongoing challenges in this space. Specifically, we are using semi-structured interviews and questionnaires to collect information and insights from utility-scale owners and operators. Preliminary results from data collected from ~15 semi-structured interviews and questionnaires representing 50 MW of installed battery storage capacity will be presented. This work will enable us to improve our understanding of operations and maintenance considerations of PV plus storage at utility-scale sites
