Aerial PV Inspection GmbH partners with 2 Degrees Kelvin Ltd to deploy its technology for PV plants inspection in the UK
World leading solar technology developer Aerial PV Inspection GmbH (AePVI) has formed an exclusive partnership with UK based start-up 2 Degrees Kelvin Ltd (2DegreesKelvin), to offer a range of in-situ Electroluminescence (EL) services to be applied to the aging UK solar fleet.
German based AePVI combine and automate classic and preventive inspections of solar power plants and employ a range of tripod- and drone-based sensor systems through their international partners, which provides a cost-effective check-up by systematic sampling or 100% screening, specialising in high-volume EL measurement, analysis technology and services.
Following several successful partnered projects, AePVI’s alliance with 2DegreesKelvin, a climate change engineering start-up based in Wales (UK) specialising in solar asset assessments, testing, improvements & optimisation, aims to add this technology suite to their mobile test lab and other solar related technologies to formulate a unique UK service offering.
Similar to other ‘solar boom markets’ around the world which were driven by a government-backed subsidy initiatives, the UK solar boom (2012-2017) came at a time of mass global solar PV adoption, rapidly falling component prices, PV technology advancements and a very competitive EPC market. This perfect storm coupled with the reducing subsidy deadlines being positioned on March 31st each year in the UK, meant the majority of the UK fleet were built in the UK winter time, and due to holistic pressures, quality of design, components, materials & construction standards wavered, leaving behind a vintage of UK solar farms which have many inherent issues and may not last the 25 years design life.
As well as operational assets, in-situ EL is soon becoming a standard service requirement as part of an industry best practice in module & construction quality management for new build sites. Modules are tested post-shipment, and then again as they are mounted to ensure damage is not installed from day one of operation. This ensures investors & owners a top-quality asset as well as increasing the accountability of the EPC & module supplier.
As the world transitions to subsidy free solar PV deployment, this provides an opportunity to utilise technologies which enable deep & complete site system health knowledge. This knowledge can be analysed to determine the true live operational condition of a solar asset which puts asset owners in an informed position to enable future investment decisions. There will be a need for wide-spread revamping & repowering projects in the next decade as assets age prematurely, and high-volume EL is one of the best approaches to capture the invisible status of a solar asset.
Andreas Fladung, Founder & CEO of AePVI stated:
“As part of AePVI’s expansion, our strategy is to partner with knowledgeable and culturally aligned international partners to ensure that our technology & approaches can be deployed in a consistent and high-quality manner. We have true confidence in 2DegreesKelvin and together we will provide great value to the UK market.”
John Davies, Founder & CEO of 2DegreesKelvin stated:
“After following AePVI’s advanced technology solutions for several years and their world leading approaches to high-volume Electroluminescence, it is a true honour to formulate this historic partnership. We are very excited to start deploying their technologies in the UK and encourage the market to invest in this value-adding range of services.”
This partnership has been formed following Brexit and in the midst of the Covid-19 crisis, with Europe on full lockdown. As well as the pandemic restrictions, this shows that contracts can be signed internationally to avoid unnecessary air-travel and reducing each company’s carbon emissions. This is a positive indication that Anglo-European business is still alive and kicking in the renewables sector and can continue to flourish even when the world is hit by an unprecedented pandemic.
Both AePVI and 2DegreesKelvin have several assignments booked in for the next few months once lockdown restrictions have been lifted. They have formulated this iconic image of the two companies’ collaboration, virtually signing the partnership contract in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Media contacts
Andreas Fladung (CEO) – [email protected]
Jan Schlipf (Managing Director) – [email protected]
John Davies (Founder & CEO – 2DegreesKelvin) – [email protected]
Press Release provided by 2DegreesKelvin. Photo credit: © 2DegreesKelvin.
