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Root cause analysis & technical due diligence

As consulting engineers in the renewable energy sector, sbp sonne helps owners, developers, lenders, insurers, and other stakeholders with their technologies and any challenges associated with them. To avoid expensive failures of systems, sbp sonne reviews your PV Tracker system, to secure your project investment and cost optimization. In case a failure happened already, we perform a related root cause analysis to find the errors and help to avoid them in the future.

Through our work of technical due diligence, we contribute to the sustainable growth of the renewable energy market. We are establishing step by step a new state of the art for global tracker design and structural calculations with a focus on correctly performing and applying wind tunnel testing. Besides PV trackers, we have also successfully conducted such work for CSP structures.

Technology development

We are continually breaking new ground and developing solar technology solutions that meet the tasks at hand – both in the PV and CSP market. From early concept design to the last bolt of the serial production process, sbp sonne covers every stage of the technology development. In addition, we provide heliostat field controls and aim point strategy software, drive concepts for solar tracking, and design concentrating systems for high-temperature chemical processes as well as thermal and mechanical energy storage technologies.

Thanks to the optimization and engineering of our own PV and CSP products, we understand that to minimize cost of energy, the interdependence between optical and thermal efficiencies, area requirements, shading, piping and cabling losses and costs, etc. have to be considered. Based on this knowledge, we offer solar field engineering to customers for projects using our licensed technologies, as well as other technologies.

sbp sonne supports in the solar field engineering for PV and CSP plants, prepares and adapts planning documents like drawings, specifications, or material lists, organizes documents required for the building permit, manages tasks during the tender process, offers support during production, assembly, and installation (time management, logistics etc.), and performs static and dynamic calculations and verifications.

Techno-economic optimization

Minimizing the cost per kilowatt-hour for the electric energy provided or maximizing ROI is the main objective of solar power plant design and optimization. Thus, it can be reasonable to accept higher investment cost if, in return, the performance and output rise significantly, or the operating expenses decrease. It may also be clever to sacrifice a little fraction of efficiency if investment costs are then reduced significantly, and LCoE is reduced. Always, it is important to take a holistic approach. To develop an optimal system or product, both, technology, and cost must be taken into consideration. Therefore, performing a techno-economic analysis and optimization is an important part of any successful development and improvement at sbp sonne.

Design of solar components & systems

We undertake the structural calculations and the associated dimensioning and optimization of these elements, and we perform techno-economic analyses and optimization. Based on statistical analyses of weather data or by means of tests in the wind tunnel, we calculate loads in accordance with standards.

We develop safety concepts for the operating and driving strategy, also in case of deviations from the standardization, as well as manufacturing and assembly concepts. To verify our calculations, we build and test prototypes. Optical evaluations and optimizations are also carried out by sbp sonne.

For our clients we prepare the corresponding tender documents, and provide evidence of the “bankability” of new innovative concepts. We provide the necessary proofs for the building authorities as well as the documentation of the planning and development. For accurate tracking of the solar collectors and evaluation thereof we develop the appropriate hard- and software and are available as technical supervisor during the solar test operation.

Feasibility studies

sbp sonne is available to clients and builders as a technology consultant for all solar power generation systems. We conduct feasibility studies, efficiency and solar yield calculations, review technologies and concepts and calculate the levelized cost of electricity (LCoE).
Furthermore, we help with site search and evaluation and supervise any necessary ground surveys. For comprehensive consulting, we also collect weather data and include the evaluated results into our planning.