SOLV, a division of Swinerton Renewable Energy (SRE), and First Solar Inc. have formed a partnership to provide shared operations and maintenance (O&M) services to SRE’s utility-scale solar power plants in the U.S.
The partnership’s inaugural project is the 105 MW Utah Red Hills Renewable Park, in which First Solar will provide operations management services and SOLV will provide maintenance services. SRE built the project at a cost of $188 million.
“We felt that partnering with First Solar was the best solution for our clients,” says George Hershman, vice president and division manager of SRE. “Using First Solar’s NERC-compliant network operations center to document all communication, SOLV will provide the best renewable monitoring software and data analytics in the industry to dispatch our in-house technicians managing the sites.”
“We’re excited to enable a strategic partnership with SOLV by providing operations management services for their customers’ assets,” adds Troy Lauterbach, vice president of global O&M at First Solar. “NERC compliance, as well as maintaining a robust interface between independent system operators and utilities are essential elements in operating utility-scale solar assets.”
