Achieving Excellence Across Thousands of Installations
To showcase a diverse portfolio that includes both installation and O&M, we have chosen Aviva Investors as a relevant example. Since 2013, Ecovision has successfully deployed and maintained over 5,000 PV systems for Aviva, all of which still remain under O&M contract to date. These sites include a widely varied range of sites requiring engagements with county councils and educational institutions nationwide.
Ecovision have overseen the performance of the clients’ rooftop solar portfolio by the way of a wrapped monitoring, operations, and maintenance contract for Aviva Investors on an ongoing basis since 2013.
Services provided cover all aspects of performance management and include:
- All aspects of landlord, resident, and contractor communication
- Monitoring of generation performance and communication
- Fault flagging and diagnosis (both remotely and via on-site investigation)
- End to end management of landlord and resident communications
- Undertaking works to remedy issues relating to installation safety
- Resolving communication and generation faults
- Pigeon mesh protection system installation & associated cleaning
- Inverter replacements
- Solar panel replacement
- Meter exchanges
- Technical support and problem diagnosis
Within this portfolio are 26 solar installations located on the roofs of schools in the southeast of England. To support the safety and optimal performance, Ecovision has regularly undertaken maintenance visits at each site across the last 8 years, to undertake works both internally and externally on the systems. Sites of this nature require thorough Risk Assessment and Method Statements (RAMS) specific to each job long with careful consideration of site-specific timetables to avoid disruption of pupil education.
Ecovision’s experienced head engineer conducts regular on-site visits to both residential and commercial locations and has previously overseen project planning and installations for numerous sensitive sites, including schools. These assignments demanded meticulous attention to factors such as term-time schedules, site locations, and the safety and well-being of students, including children, staff, parents, vulnerable adults, and the general public.
General site considerations
- Risk of members of the public gaining access to construction or maintenance areas
- Danger of items dropped from work at height
- Increased danger of slips or trips caused by tools or debris
- Noise, dust, or debris could cause harm to members of the public
- Scaffold, equipment, and vehicles could cause disruption
- Contractors on site can create possible safeguarding issues, depending on location
- Dangers to pedestrians, particularly young children, people with disabilities or elderly parents/grandparents, from traffic on site
Additional considerations for school sites
Where appropriate, we plan for site access to take place during school holidays. Where this is not practical, prior to the works, we discuss the full requirements, as well as risk mitigation actions with the Head Teacher, Caretakers, and the Local Authority.
These discussions include the following additional considerations:
- RAMS to include specific sections on awareness of children in the vicinity of works
- Measures taken to keep the children away from all works including barriers
- Access and egress routes are adapted to minimise contact with children
- Components are fitted out of reach of children
- Materials are kept isolated, and vans always locked
- All members of our engineering team are DBS checked and are experienced at working within school buildings and grounds
- Interaction between engineers and children is minimised, (though children are often interested in the work being carried out)
- Noise or dust could distract pupils or teachers particularly at exam times
- External visitors & works could cause visual distractions to classes.
Children & Renewable Energy
With climate change being a real challenge, that today’s children will be tasked to manage, it is important that young people are educated on the causes, risks, and solutions to help them better prepare. Ecovision produce materials that can be used by Schools to explain the environmental benefits of renewable energy and simple explanations of how solar technology works. (PreCOVID19) Ecovision Staff have arranged for tours of renewable energy sites to support with engagement and education.
