Asset Management

Performance monitoring is not simply a monthly report that is sent to the asset owner retrospectively, but is a process of continuous monitoring against modelled benchmarks to allow any anomalies to be detected and actioned while still in their infancy.

As part of Arc Renewables' commercial solar asset management UK service, continual monitoring comprises:

• Performance ratio versus original modelled projection
• Availability of the system and downtime periods
• Specific yield per asset or portfolio
• Degradation trends throughout the life of the system

Deviances detected here are diagnosed and escalated as part of the management cycle rather than referred back to the asset owner to analyse and act upon.

Asset Management is distinct from (but related to) Operations & Maintenance. Asset Management sits above the game as the smart and performance driver; O&M is the nuts-and-bolts of the real work on the site. Where the operator on an asset is not Arc Renewables, Arc Renewables can assist with tender and selection of the clients O&M provider or, alternatively, we can build a partnership with the clients existing O&M provider. This means Arc Renewables act as the renewable energy asset manager for the full arc of that relationship.

This contains:

• Compare contractor performance against the service levels, where applicable
• Addressing underperformance with the contractor as it becomes identified to avoid it from occurring
• Replacement of a contractor if their service level does not meet expectations

In the list of services for a provider of solar O&M management UK service, the first stage omitted in the DIY approach by far is the contractor governance, as this is the only stage where it is carried out by a third party who assesses the actual quality of the contractor by comparing it against self appraisal from the contractors themselves.

On a project where Arc Renewables is the asset manager and the O&M contractor is the same company, the asset management side is structurally distinct from the O&M side of the company. As such the asset manager manages the O&M relationship in the same way and on the same terms, regardless of who is doing the actual maintenance work

Owners of assets, such as investment institutions and funds, require reporting tailored toward financial risk and performance rather than sheer technical productivity. Quarterly reporting through Arc Renewables' Asset Management is designed to meet a portfolio or asset manager reporting profile, including:

• Revenue generation against modelled projections
• Summary of O&M activity during the period
• Fault history and resolution status
• Future maintenance requirements during the next period

This can be read straight out to an investment committee pack and/or incorporated within a fund-level review as part of ongoing commentary to avoid having to first translate away from the technical.