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Solar Asset Management User Guide

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Max Swain
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Introduction

About SkySpecs

SkySpecs is the renewable energy industry's leading provider of asset management software and services. We power every connection across the renewable asset lifecycle by bringing inspections, analytics, financial intelligence, and execution into one platform.

Overview

Skyspec's Solar Asset Management is a modern solar inspection platform that provides comprehensive tools for monitoring solar assets, detecting anomalies, and managing maintenance workflows.

Getting Started

Access & Authentication

  1. Navigate to the Solar Asset Management platform at https://sam.skyspecs.com/.
  2. Log in using your official organization credentials.

Support: Contact support@skyspecs.com for assistance with account creation or login issues.

Password Recovery: Select the "Forgot Password" link below the password field to initiate an automated reset via email.

System Requirements

Supported Browsers

  • Google Chrome (Recommended for optimal performance)
  • Mozilla Firefox

Recommended Screen Resolution: 1920x1080 or higher

Features

Digital Twins: Geo & Electrical

The platform utilizes two core asset homes to provide a complete site story. Fundamental for understanding the condition of each site. 

Geo Twin

The Geo Twin provides a physical map interface where assets are plotted in their precise geographical locations.

Map Features:

  • ​Zoom in/out
  • ​Multiple satellite/terrain views
  • ​Asset identification
  • ​Anomaly markers
  • ​Layer toggles

Using the Map:

  • ​Click on any asset to view details
  • Select "Asset Layers" to toggle the visibility of specific data sets.
  • Switch between Satellite and Terrain views using the map controls.
  • Adjust the zoom level to automatically show or hide individual assets based on map density.

Electrical Twin

The Electrical Twin allows you to oversee and structure the site’s electrical infrastructure hierarchy.

Navigation

  1. Use the drop-down menu to navigate through the hierarchy: Region > Site > Inverter > Combiner Box > Solar Row > String > Solar Module. 
    Note: Modules are numbered from East to West. 
  2. Select a specific component to review its individual data.
  3. Click on each component to view:
  • Asset Information
    • Health Status
    • Child Components
  • Inspection History
  • Anomalies

Click on Component Name to open a detailed view


Importance: Understanding this hierarchy is critical for risk assessment, as it shows exactly where an anomaly sits in the electrical chain.

Creating Work Orders

To create a Work Order from Electrical Twin, start by selecting the anomalies:

Next, Set the Status for the selected anomalies (status must be set to verified to continue):

Then, Add the selected anomalies to an existing work order or create a new one:

Input Work Order Title, Description, Type, Priority, Start and End Date before submitting Create Work Order: 

Inspections & Anomalies

Where to view all anomalies that have been found during inspections. 

Compare Inspections

Click on the icon on the right of each inspection to compare inspection results to a previous inspection of the same type. 

Inspection Review

Review anomalies by inspection

Filter by Inspection, Section, Status, Priority, Component, Risk, Anomaly, Workorder, delta T, Absolute Temp, Power loss, or Date:

Select anomalies to update status, add to an existing work order or create a new work order. 

Select the drop down to view Anomaly details. Here, users can view anomaly location (in google maps or GIS Map), Component, Anomaly Type, Delta T range, Priority, Risk, and Potential Power loss.

Clicking on the Component Name will allow users to view the anomaly in greater detail. Here, users can View the Location on the GIS Map, Add attachments, Update the Anomaly Status, and Provide notes or action items. 

Inspection GIS

The GIS view serves as the primary visualization tool. Toggle between RGB and Thermal layers to identify thermal signatures.

All anomalies feed into Priority, Risk, and Power loss calculations. Filter by anomaly or component type for trend analysis or prioritization. 

Anomalies are identified on the GIS map as colored Pins. The color of each pin indicates the anomaly's priority:
- Red = Critical
- Orange = High
- Yellow = Medium
- Green = Low
- Blue = N/A

Select Inverter(s) to show associated Thermal or RGB images. 

Click on the red (!) icons to view Thermal or RGB images associated with anomalies. 

Work Order Management

Filter by Status, Priority, Type, Required Start, Required Finish, or Created Date.

Click on the Work Order to Edit, Export, or view Linked Anomalies and Cost Tracking. 

Create a Work Order

Select Verified Findings and click Create Work Order:

Next, provide a title and description of the work to be performed to create work order. 

Tips & Best Practices

  • Document Repairs: Attach photos to findings to create a verifiable audit trail for maintenance reporting.
  • Group Damages: Consolidate related damages on a single asset into one series to improve work order clarity.
  • Optimizing Workflow Clarity: Use descriptive titles and consistent categories for all work orders to ensure the maintenance pipeline remains organized and actionable.
  • Optimizing Quality: For the best viewing experience of high-resolution captures, use a screen resolution of 1920x1080 or higher.

Support & Troubleshooting

  • Standard Issues: Check your internet bandwidth and try clearing your browser cache to improve load times.
  • Support: For technical issues or access requests, contact support@skyspecs.com or use the Help icon ('?') within the platform.

Glossary

Component Anomaly Definition
Cells Avian Soiling The accumulation of wildlife-induced organic particles (brid droppings) that block sunlight from reaching the underlying cells.
Cells Hot Spot(s) A localized thermal deviation in which one or multiple cells dissipates energy as heat rather than conducting, and therefore has a higher temperate than neighboring cells.
Cells Shading Any physical element that blocks sunlight from reaching the module surface, such as vegetation, dirt, or debris. Thermally, these appear as "cold" or "hot" shadows that follow the shape of the object rather than the shape of the cells.
Cells Vegetation Nearby or overgrown plant matter, either casting a shadow on or physically making contact with the electrical component.
Substring Diode Failure A solar substring is an internally series-connected subset of photovoltaic cells within a single solar module that is protected by a bypass diode. Substrings divide the module electrically so that if one section becomes shaded or damaged, the remaining sections can continue producing power. A diode failure is a distinct thermal anomaly where one or multiple substrings - or the rear junction box - exhibit an elevated temperature profile because the bypass diode fails to properly bypass or isolate the affected segment.
Substring Single Bypass Out A solar substring is an internally series-connected subset of photovoltaic cells within a single solar module that is protected by a bypass diode. Substrings divide the module electrically so that if one section becomes shaded or damaged, the remaining sections can continue producing power. In most crystalline silicon modules, a module is divided into three substrings, each protected by its own bypass diode. A single bypass out refers to one-third of a standard module appearing thermally distinct due to an inactive or triggered bypass diode.
Substring Double Bypass Out A solar substring is an internally series-connected subset of photovoltaic cells within a single solar module that is protected by a bypass diode. Substrings divide the module electrically so that if one section becomes shaded or damaged, the remaining sections can continue producing power. In most crystalline silicon modules, a module is divided into three substrings, each protected by its own bypass diode. A single bypass out identifies that two-thirds of the module's substrings are thermally inactive or bypassed.
Substring Single Half Bypass Out A solar substring is an internally series-connected subset of photovoltaic cells within a single solar module that is protected by a bypass diode. Substrings divide the module electrically so that if one section becomes shaded or damaged, the remaining sections can continue producing power. In most crystalline silicon modules, a module is divided into three substrings, each protected by its own bypass diode. In modern "half-cut" cell modules, a single half bypass out affects only one-sixth of the module's total area.
Substring Double Half Bypass Out A solar substring is an internally series-connected subset of photovoltaic cells within a single solar module that is protected by a bypass diode. Substrings divide the module electrically so that if one section becomes shaded or damaged, the remaining sections can continue producing power. In most crystalline silicon modules, a module is divided into three substrings, each protected by its own bypass diode. a Double Half Bypass Out is where two substrings in a half-cut module are inactive, appearing as two distinct thermal rectangles. This fault usually affects one entire half of the module (top or bottom) or two separate sections across the split.
Substring Short Circuit When a bypass diode fails in a closed state, the current flows through the diode instead of through the cells, causing an irregular pattern of Hot Spots within one-third of the module.
Module Avian Soiling The accumulation of wildlife-induced organic particles (brid droppings) that block sunlight from reaching the underlying cells.
Module  Broken Physical pieces of the module are broken off
Module Cracked Individual cracks on the front glass panel of a solar module.
Module Damaged This for when the module is suspected to have damage, but it is NOT broken, cracked, delaminated or shattered. Typically shows as haziness due to moisture penetration.
Module Debris Foreign object(s) that block or scatter incident light, thereby reducing the electrical output.
Module Delaminated Detachment of the vacuum-laminated layers of the PV module.
Module Half Module Out This specific anomaly is found in half-cut cell modules where one entire half (either top or bottom) is either thermally active or inactive.
Module Hot Spot(s) A localized thermal deviation in which one or multiple cells dissipates energy as heat rather than conducting, and therefore has a higher temperate than neighboring cells.
Module Misaligned This is a mechanical or structural description rather than a purely electrical one, identifying a module that is not seated correctly on the racking.
Module Missing A module is physically absent from its designated spot on the racking system.
Module Module Out An entire module shows a uniform thermal signature that differs from the rest of the string, indicating it is not producing power. While the module is physically present, it acts as a "dead" link in the electrical chain. 
Module Obstruction Any physical element that blocks sunlight from reaching the module surface, such as vegetation, dirt, or debris. Thermally, these appear as "cold" or "hot" shadows that follow the shape of the object rather than the shape of the cells.
Module Shading Any physical element that blocks sunlight from reaching the module surface, such as vegetation, dirt, or debris. Thermally, these appear as "cold" or "hot" shadows that follow the shape of the object rather than the shape of the cells.
Module Shattered Spiderweb-shaped cracks from being struck or punctured.
Module Short Circuit One PV module is warmer than the other PV modules by a few degrees, but the temperature is uniform across the impacted module. The impacted PV module surface is hotter than neighboring modules because it is absorbing solar irradiance rather than converting it into power.
Module Vegetation Nearby or overgrown plant matter, either casting a shadow on or physically making contact with the electrical component.
String Missing A string is physcially absent from its designated spot according to the electrical drawings.
String Obstruction String-level obstruction refers to a large-scale shadowing event that impacts multiple modules in a single electrical series. This is frequently caused by tall trees, nearby buildings, or even the shadows of the trackers themselves during early morning or late afternoon.
String Offline A string is classified as offline when an entire row or series of modules shows a uniform thermal signature indicating zero current flow.
String PID PID (Potential Induced Degradation) is a performance-degrading phenomenon caused by stray currents leaking from the solar cells to the frame. In thermal images, it appears as a distinct "checkerboard" or "staircase" pattern of heating, usually most intense on modules closest to the negative pole of the string. It is often reversible if caught early but can lead to massive power losses if left unchecked.
String Reversed Polarity Reversed Polarity occurs when a string is wired backward into a combiner box or inverter. This is a critical installation error that can cause dangerous back-feeding of current into the modules. Thermally, this may appear as one group of contiguous modules showing a patchwork pattern (modules with multiple hot spots), usually across the whole string.
String Shading Any physical element that blocks sunlight from reaching the module surface, such as vegetation, dirt, or debris. Thermally, these appear as "cold" or "hot" shadows that follow the shape of the object rather than the shape of the cells.
String Short Circuit One group of PV modules is warmer than another comparable group of PV modules by a few degrees, but the temperature is uniform across the impacted group.
String Vegetation Nearby or overgrown plant matter, either casting a shadow on or physically making contact with the electrical component.
Junction Box Overheating A concentrated heat signature originating from the back of the module where the electrical subcomponents are housed. Any heat generated in the junction box is thus dissipated through the back sheet, wafer, and glass layers before it can get measured.
Combiner Missing A combiner box is physically absent from its designated spot according to the electrical drawings.
Combiner Underperforming An underperforming combiner box shows signs of thermal stress or electrical readings that suggest some, but not all, strings are contributing power. This might be visible as a "warm" internal component or identified by comparing the thermal signatures of all strings feeding into it.
Combiner Offline When a combiner box is offline, all strings associated with it will appear thermally inactive. The box itself may appear "cold" compared to other active combiners. This represents a significant loss of power, often involving 12 to 24 strings at once.
Inverter Offline An offline inverter results in a massive "dead zone" in the thermal map, where hundreds or thousands of modules appear inactive.
Inverter Underperforming An underperforming inverter is identified when an entire block of the solar farm shows lower-than-expected thermal activity or irregular signatures. While the inverter is still functioning, it is not converting DC power to AC efficiently.

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