Please tell our readers in brief about Skyfri energy and its journey
Skyfri Energy Private Limited, (formerly known as Avi Solar Energy Pvt Ltd) is a leading Independent O&M Service provider in India providing data-driven O&M services to Solar power plants across India for ground mount, Rooftop, floating and hybrid-type solar power plants.
Skyfri Energy an ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 certified company has provided its O&M services to more than 4 GW solar power plants cumulatively across 12 states in India.
Could you discuss the latest advancements in O&M practices and technologies that Skyfri Energy is adopting to stay at the forefront of solar asset management?
In the era of data-driven & artificial intelligence solutions, Skyfri tends to bring revolutionary Solar operation and maintenance of RE assets with the help of its in-house digital tools. Skyfri’s Intelligence Solution monitors site performance 24/7 and its proprietary IP-technology is able to identify underperformance and immediately convert each loss into buckets pinpointing route cause of underperformance in real-time.
Root cause of underperformance is turned into actionable insights through Skyfri’s computerized maintenance and management system (CMMS).
Turned into actionable workflows for on-site personnel based on advanced cost-benefit calculations, thereby making sure the solar plant is operating at maximum performance 24/7.
Cleaning of Solar panels – There is no doubt that cleaning Solar panels will increase overall efficiency. A normal bimonthly cleaning cycle at sites results in Soil losses being kept low, between 0.5%-1%. If robotic cleaning is adopted and daily cleaning is very much a possibility, the output generation can increase by 3%-5% and performance improvement can be sustained to that level. Regular cleaning can make a huge difference. To offer optimum generation for our client’s solar plants, Skyfri ensures professional cleaning by using intelligent robotics solutions. Skyfri aims to be a lead O&M provider for conducting robotic cleaning. We have already started cleaning with robots by collaborating with Indian robotics manufacturers at some of our clients’ plants and also we are going to robotize module cleaning for the rest of our portfolio.
Use of EV vehicle – Skyfri is not only focusing on enhancing the performance of solar plants but also aims to provide a clean environment in our day-to-day O&M activities. We have deployed Electric vehicles at most of our sites to reduce carbon footprint as part of our regular movement within a Plant due to which we are not only saving the environment but also able to offer competitive O&M cost to our clients.
Solar energy generation can be affected by factors such as weather conditions and equipment malfunctions. How does Skyfri Energy leverage data analytics and predictive maintenance to minimize downtime and optimize energy output?
Skyfri Technologies Norway (parent company of Skyfri Energies India Pvt Ltd) has already developed an eco-system to encounter all the above-mentioned problems. Digitalization-facilitated O&M activity aims to collect and analyze vast amounts of data. These insights can inform better decision-making, and identify predicted weather conditions, equipment malfunctioning and operational bottlenecks. With advanced analytics, businesses can make predictions and forecasts to optimize operations.
Regulatory compliance and reporting are crucial in the renewable energy sector. How does Skyfri Energy ensure that its operations align with local regulations and meet reporting requirements for solar projects in India?
Before taking over any site our team conducts a thorough study of central & state policies, regulations and compliances that need to be followed. We map it on our in-house system and share access with our client. Our aim is to adhere to all applicable compliances and let our client remain stress-free for all activity that is being performed by us. We at Skyfri believe in offering value addition to each of our clients which is why we are only taking over projects after a comprehensive review of the client ecosystem and the local regulations under which we operate. To maintain the transparency, we are trying to automate the complete eco system including addressing /reporting regulatory compliances.
Please let us know about your customer base.
We have provided/providing our O&M services to customers like Virescent Infrastructure, Vibrant Energy, NTPC, BHEL, Cleantech Solar, Cleanmax, Hero Future Energy, Amplus Solar, Bosch, Berkeley Energy, Renew Power, Brookfield Renewable, Tata Power, Terraform, Lanco Power, Shapoorji & Pallonji, Mytrah Energy, etc for ground mount, rooftop and floating solar power plants.
Please tell us about your major projects and future projects in the pipeline.
Currently, we are providing our O&M services to around 830+ MWp solar power plants and with many more projects in our pipeline, we intend to add another 600-700 MW to our portfolio in the next 5 to 6 months’ time and will be operating around 1.4 GW MW solar power plants by end of this FY.
