Sanjay Srestha, Energy systems performance manager, SOLV.
By Angelo Purpura, operations manager, and Reegan Moen, business development manager, at SOLV
In our industry, innovation rarely slows down. Rapid advancements in design, engineering, equipment and construction have resulted in exponential growth of our industry over the last five years. Solar is being built bigger, better and faster than ever before, an upward trend we can expect to see continue should autonomous market forces prevail.
On the O&M side, this unprecedented growth has been a driver of innovation. Behind every solar plant is a team of people analyzing its performance to ensure optimal production. As solar capacity increases, these teams push to find ways to feasibly scale renewable energy’s integration with the grid. As one of the leading O&M groups in the world, SOLV continuously pushes the boundaries of solar performance and optimization. As performance manager, Sanjay Shrestha has been implemental in much of the innovative work achieved by this team.
Growing up in Nepal, Sanjay experienced firsthand the life-changing impact solar could have on remote and mountainous communities where renewable energy is often the only viable source of energy. Recognizing the great potential of solar energy, Sanjay was motivated to pursue a career in renewable energy, first attending Tribhuvan University in Nepal before earning a Master of Science in Alternative Energy Technologies from Arizona State University.
Today, Sanjay is responsible for managing SOLV’s performance monitoring, modeling and data analytics team. The performance team bridges several groups within the Swinerton Renewable Energy Division, including design, engineering, construction, commissioning and SOLV O&M. He has constant, direct involvement in more than 4,000 MWdc of PV assets and is trusted as a foremost expert in PV performance by clients and colleagues alike.
SOLV is driven by a commitment to innovation exemplified by its unofficial team motto, “Stay relevant.” The work of Sanjay’s team and many others like his across the country helps position solar as an affordable, viable large-scale source of energy for the United States. Through their work, they ensure that solar plants produce at optimal levels to provide maximum value to owners and the greatest positive benefit to the people using the energy they produce.
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