I am currently back in Japan to visit our local team and work on some new projects.
Yesterday we had our annual Chief Electrical Engineer (CEE) reunion with our saferay CEEs and Field Service Engineers. This year the team has grown again and we welcomed some new faces in Tokyo. It was a great day with lots of interesting training content and information. Our multicultural Japan team is very hands on, innovative and super motivated. I am proud of our team and what we have built up together over the last few years. Our O&M team now manages utility scale solar power plants in Japan with more than 250 MW, 100 MW of which are for external customers.
To celebrate the day, there was of course delicious Japanese food in the evening 🙂
I am already looking forward to the next visit.
#solarjapan #saferay #operationsandmaintenance #renewablesjapan
SAMEU conference
It’s SAMEU conference time again. 11th edition for me over the last 12 years. Looking forward to many interesting discussions, reunions, presentations and fellow solar enthusiasts.
Konstantin and me will attend today and tomorrow at Kap Europa Frankfurt Solar Asset Management Summit 2023.
#sameu #bluerayservices #saferay #solarplazasummit #solareurope
Japan Trip day 7
(Day 7) Last site visit today. Inspection at a site in Fukushima where our team of saferay services KK is performing the O&M activities for a client. Nice view from the site. Currently grass cutting is ongoing as a lot of bushes and even pine trees fancy the shade below the panels. First time for me visiting this site but happy to return.
Japan Trip day 4
(Day 4). After an office day in Tokyo with meetings and a lot of brainstorming, today we went to the northeast of Japan to Iwate. About 3 Shinkansen hours away from Tokyo saferay operates a 20MW plant in that beautiful rural area, surrounded by rice fields and Edamame fields.
After initial difficulties due to very high snowfallin 2020 and 2021, the plant is now running excellently thanks to the good work of the local and Tokyo team. The 2.5MW SunnyCentral inverters from SMA usually run stably and the on-site team is able to provide a very high availability thanks to appropriate support, spare parts stocking and a lot of dedication.
I like to visit this plant again and again. We were even able to discover a kind of mini lobster family by chance in the drainage channels of the plant today 🙂
In the winter months, up to 2m of snow or more can certainly accumulate here. However, by using 2 Sunbrush snow clearing machines, snow blowers and snow plows last winter we were able to maximize yields, clear snow even on the modules and minimize damage from the high snow load. Thanks to the great saferay Iwate team.
#saferay #iwatesolar #iwate #greatteam
Japan Trip day 2
(Day 2). Together with Ezhil (managing director at saferay India, our monitoring, reporting and data analysis branch) we are visiting various sites of our own portfolio and third party O&M portfolio.
Today we were on the road in Kyushu and visited a 21 MW and a 3 MW plant. Kyushu, with its difficult topography and a lot of rainfall, has its own challenges. Our Kyushu team works daily to operate, optimise and maintain the plants. Thank you for your hard work!
#kyushu #solarjapan #operationsandmaintenance
Japan Trip day 1
Finally back in Tokyo. First time this year. Due time to visit our team and sites across Japan.
(Day 1) Started today with a smaller site close to Osaka for which our Japan O&M company saferay services KK (www.saferay-services.com) is providing O&M services to a third party client.
Looking forward to meeting our amazing Japan team over the next week.
#Operationsandmaintenance #solarjapan
21 MWp plant on Kyushu
Great news… we are pleased to announce today that saferay services KK has signed an O&M contract to support another utility scale solar power plant in Japan.
From June, the saferay team will take care of the operation, inspection, maintenance and repair of a 21 MWp plant on Kyushu. We look forward to ensuring smooth operations, maximising availability and performance, and providing optimal service to our partner.
saferay services KK is a service provider for utility scale solar power plants in Japan and currently operates >77 MW of third party power plants across the country. The scope of services includes operation & maintenance, asset management, repowering and technical consulting for utility scale solar power plants and battery energy storage systems in Japan. saferay services is part of the saferay group, which owns and manages more than 350 MW of its own plants worldwide, including >170 MW in Japan.
O&M Services for 30MW power plant in Fukushima prefecture
After more than 2 years and 9 months of abstinence from Japan forced by the pandemic, our Managing Director Karsten Klug was finally allowed to enter Japan again and visit our own saferay portfolio power plants, the plants of our customers and most importantly, our Japanese employees.
Together with our Chief Operating Officer of Japanese O&M, Eduardo Sierra, we went to a customer’s plant near Shirakawa in Fukushima prefecture, about 1 1/2 hours north of Tokyo. “It was very nice to finally see the plant in real life”, says Karsten.
With it’s local team of engineers and our O&M management based in Tokyo, Saferay Services carries out the O&M activities on this 30MWp plant. From CEE to preventive and corrective maintenance of all components, monitoring, greens maintenance, etc., saferay is responsible for a smooth operation of the site. Built on a former golf course, this power plant stretches over multiple hills and provides a nice scenery.
See for yourself: