Solar Repowering: When, Why, and How?

Solar repowering is a hot topic within the solar industry driven largely by local incentive structures, rapid technology advancements, and decreased equipment costs. Increasing capacity on a site can bolster financial returns, alleviate steep operations and maintenance costs, and increase system longevity, but comprehensive due diligence should be done to confirm that it is the right time and application for your assets.

Repowering is common practice in the wind industry, and solar repowering has been taking place in Europe for several years now. Delving into more established markets uncovers lessons to learn from and can lead to increased financial results, which is encouraging for the repowering market in the United States.

With an influx of tax equity coming into the renewable energy space, system owners are purchasing older assets and actively exploring the idea of repowering. In states where local incentives are maturing, such as Massachusetts SREC-1 which launched in January 2010, the notion of increasing capacity to maximize returns is very attractive, but there are a lot of factors to investigate.

Determining which components to replace is essential in your repowering research. Inverters are often the first piece of equipment looked at for replacement because central inverter parts can be difficult to source and exposure to a central inverter failure carries large production risks. Inverter manufacturers see the need to support repowering efforts and the expectation is that viable solutions will be available in the market soon. Upgrading to higher efficiency modules carries its own unique challenges. Often, older racking systems do not have the UL certifications for new equipment and as wind and snow load requirements have evolved, the need to replace racking components to accommodate new modules must be considered.

It is generally recommended that owners maintain their existing interconnection and zoning approvals to avoid utility upgrades or long review times, but each utility and AHJ view changes to an existing system differently. Getting ahead of the authorities is key in determining your repowering feasibility and returns.

While repowering may seem daunting, Decom Solar will work with developers and system owners to determine the best solution for your asset. We provide turnkey quotes for the labor, disposal, repurposing, and shipping of all replaced equipment. We work with equipment manufacturers to maximize the amount of reusable material and provide engineering insight to determine cost-effective solutions for your repowering efforts. If you are considering a repowering project, Decom Solar can find the optimal solution to maximize long-term returns.