Paweł Czaus: Technologies are revolutionizing the Operations & Maintenance PV sector
An interview with Paweł Czaus, CEO of Nomad Electric
Nomad Electric already has over 1.1 GWp in its portfolio of Operations & Maintenance projects for large-area photovoltaic power plants. What impact does this area have on the entire PV sector?
The photovoltaics industry in Poland is experiencing rapid growth, and this trend is expected to continue. The installed capacity reached 12.5 GW by the end of January 2023, making photovoltaic installations a crucial component of our energy system. Effective management of these installations is paramount. However, the commissioning of a photovoltaic power plant marks just the beginning of a fascinating journey into the realm of Operations & Maintenance (O&M), which plays a pivotal role.
O&M, in fact, serves as a wellspring of innovation for the entire sector, particularly in the realms of digitization and data processing. At Nomad Electric, we embody this innovation by seamlessly combining the expertise of our engineers with cutting-edge technologies. We invest in modern tools available today while continually seeking innovative solutions, especially in the domains of big data and machine learning algorithms. Our goal is to be among the top 5 O&M companies in Europe, and we’re consistently building our competitive edge through technology.
To cater to O&M requirements, we’ve developed our proprietary SCADA software called Nomad NX. This software processes around 120 TB of data annually from the farms we manage. Every kilowatt-hour matters to us, which is why we employ techniques like electroluminescence to identify damage in the silicon layer beneath the glass pane. Moreover, we conduct this test in both our stationary and mobile labs. Additionally, we operate a fleet of drones equipped with high-resolution thermal imaging cameras. These drones enable us to measure cell temperature distribution and detect hotspots with precision. These specialized diagnostics and advanced analytics empower us to perceive the invisible.
The most compelling validation of our endeavors lies in the energy production results for 2022. The power plants under our management achieved higher energy generation, and the profits exceeded expectations by almost 13%. This success underscores the effectiveness of our approach and the impact of our technological integration in the O&M sector.
I am convinced that in the next decade, technologies that we do not know yet, or those that are currently in the initial phase of development, will revolutionize the entire energy industry and beyond.
How do you think the O&M area will change thanks to technological progress?
The evolving landscape of technology is an ongoing journey that continually adapts to emerging needs and challenges, making it even more captivating. I am confident that over the next decade, technologies that are currently unfamiliar or in their nascent stages will usher in a revolutionary transformation not only in the energy industry but across multiple domains.
The integration of advanced analytics, modern tools, and automated processes is already enhancing the quality of work performed by our O&M team. As technology advances further, we will delve even deeper into data and parameters analysis. This will prompt a shift in our approach to farm maintenance strategies. Predictive maintenance, which is already familiar, will seamlessly transition into prescriptive maintenance. While the former identifies potential issues, the latter will soon enable not only diagnosis but also the analysis of diverse solution options.
The landscape of O&M is set to transform thanks to energy storage technology. This advancement will foster greater network flexibility and drive the adoption of more IT solutions. In essence, the field of photovoltaics is profoundly innovative, and a revolutionary shift akin to the advent of the Internet is on the horizon. This anticipation fills me with curiosity and excitement as we embark on the path of transformation in this dynamic sector.
This symbiosis of people and technology has made our response time and the resolution of potential problems shorter, as a result we have achieved minimization of farm downtime and maximization of energy production.
You have a very modern Monitoring Centre. Please tell us more about it.
Our commitment to having the most cutting-edge technology at our monitoring center drove us to invest significant effort and resources to achieve this goal – and we succeeded. Operating 24/7/365, our center provides access to historical farm and device data. Through our proprietary SCADA software, Nomad NX, we leverage automatic data analysis using algorithms that swiftly and accurately identify any deviations in production. A dedicated platform supports the prioritization of activities.
This harmonious blend of human expertise and advanced technology has significantly reduced our response time and the resolution of potential issues. The outcome is a remarkable reduction in farm downtime and a notable boost in energy production.
At the heart of our center lies a high-resolution media wall, capable of displaying various operational modes across multiple screens simultaneously – from current farm productivity results and alarms to weather maps and ongoing service work status updates. This technology-driven setup enhances our ability to efficiently manage farm operations and maintain optimal performance.
Apart from Poland, which markets are currently crucial for you?
The Polish photovoltaic market constitutes around 5% of the entire European market, which positions us to naturally expand our operations to other EU countries. Our initial ambition was always international, and our organizational setup was geared towards crossing borders. I’m pleased to say that we’ve realized this ambition swiftly, currently establishing a presence in Portugal and Romania, with plans to venture into other European markets in the pipeline.
The present geopolitical landscape has notably expedited the energy transformation journey, especially in the advancement of renewable energy sources. This trend holds true in Portugal, where the government aims to elevate the renewable energy share in the country’s energy mix from 20% to 80% by 2026 – four years ahead of the original plan. The capacity of Portuguese photovoltaics is projected to grow from the existing over 2 GWp to 9 GWp by 2030.
Meanwhile, Romania, an emerging market, is obligated by the European Green Deal to attain a renewable energy share of over 30% in the energy mix by 2030. This presents substantial potential, which we are fully committed to harnessing and contributing to the country’s sustainable energy development.
Tell us more about one of your foreign projects. How does it look from the organizational side?
We’ve embarked on the initial phase of a contract in Portugal, involving projects totaling over 70 MWp, designed with tracking systems and situated across six distinct regions: Évora, Santarém, Castelo Branco, Leiria, Coimbra, and Aveiro. These solar facilities are set to collectively generate approximately 120 GWh of electricity annually.
Our collaboration with the investor commenced during the construction phase, a practice I highly endorse as I firmly believe that involving O&M specialists at the outset of an energy project’s lifecycle yields numerous advantages. A pivotal aspect of constructing and commissioning each photovoltaic farm is configuring the power plant control system. We’ve equipped these projects with control systems and our proprietary SCADA software, Nomad NX. This ensures seamless compatibility with the power transmission system operator REN and the distribution network operator E-REDES. With this groundwork in place, we are poised to smoothly transition into the next phase – taking over the completed facilities and initiating maintenance services (O&M). The oversight and monitoring of these power plants will be conducted from our Monitoring Centre in Poland.
We have always thought about Nomad Electric on a global scale, which is why we have been operating based on international standards from the very beginning. We have also been cooperating with international investors for a long time, who also have their own requirements, e.g. related to ESG, which is why all the processes we run are compliant with cybersecurity, ISO or EHS (Environment, Health and Safety) standards, as well as our internal procedures.
Your company is also a leading provider of comprehensive services in the field of construction of turnkey photovoltaic farms. (EPC). What are the most interesting projects you have recently implemented in Poland?
By December 2022, we successfully completed the construction of a solar park boasting a capacity of 27 MWp. Additionally, we are on the cusp of finalizing another one with an impressive capacity of 50 MWp. Notably, we’ve also secured contracts for the Operations & Maintenance (O&M) services of both of these power plants. One remarkable facet of solar farms is their emission-free electricity generation, making them environmentally favorable. As a result of these investments, we are facilitating the flow of clean electricity, preventing the annual release of over 65,000 tons of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere that would have accompanied traditional energy generation.
In these two installations, we’ve incorporated over 150,000 photovoltaic modules on tracking tracker structures. This innovation permits the automatic alignment of solar panels with the angle of incoming sunlight. In a sense, the panels “follow” the sun’s path across the sky. This dynamic positioning optimizes energy production throughout the year, fostering an enhanced production profile. We are proud to have pioneered these large-scale tracker-equipped facilities in Poland. While still relatively novel in our country, tracking systems have gained substantial popularity among investors due to their increasing efficiency and effectiveness.
As a company also responsible for the start-up of farms, what models do you follow, what procedures do you follow to ensure quality and meet environmental and safety requirements?
From the outset, Nomad Electric has been oriented towards a global perspective, adhering to international standards in all our operations. Our extensive experience in collaborating with international investors, who have their own specific requirements, such as those related to ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance), has reinforced our commitment to aligning with these standards. Consequently, all our processes adhere to cybersecurity, ISO, and EHS (Environment, Health and Safety) standards, in addition to our internal protocols.
Nomad Electric has also successfully undergone an audit, validating the implementation of an Integrated Management System encompassing quality, environmental, and occupational health and safety management systems. Ensuring the safety of our employees is a core priority for us. Notably, we take pride in maintaining a record of accident-free work since the inception of our company.
As a proactive participant in the green transformation movement, we actively contribute to elevating the share of solar energy in the European energy composition. Our efforts are rooted in sustainable development principles. Through the establishment and subsequent efficient management of new photovoltaic farms, we are instrumental in realizing the European Union’s renewable energy goals.
Nomad Electric
Nomad Electric is a leader in the area of Operations & Maintenance (O&M) of large-area photovoltaic farms and a leading provider of comprehensive services in the field of their construction in the “turnkey” formula. (EPC). The company operates not only in Poland, but also in other European Union countries and has concluded contracts for technical support of a portfolio of photovoltaic projects with a total capacity of over 1.1 GWp. Nomad Electric manages PV power plants through a modern Monitoring Center and uses proprietary Nomad NX SCADA software. The company constantly maximizes the profitability of the installation also thanks to the use of the latest technologies, such as electroluminescence imaging, drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras and Machine Learning algorithms.