Discover how Cleanleaf Energy leverages analytics and autonomous technologies to keep solar systems operational
Previously known as Borrego Solar Systems, Cleanleaf Energy (Cleanleaf) specializes in operations and maintenance (O&M) services that are the cornerstone of optimal solar and energy storage performance. For utility and distributed generation (DG) sites, the company strives to ensure that every solar array under its care operates with maximum safety, efficiency and reliability. By leveraging advanced diagnostics, preventative maintenance, and swift corrective actions, Cleanleaf safeguards clients’ energy output and investment returns all while protecting the environment. Mikael Backman, CEO joins us for an informative conversation on Cleanleaf’s operations, beginning with its recent rebranding.
“The change from Borrego Solar Systems to Cleanleaf was driven by our desire to clarify that while Borrego was involved in construction and development, our
focus now lies solely in O&M. Rebranding to Cleanleaf allowed us to simplify our messaging and eliminate confusion about our current operations.”
Mikael then provides a comprehensive introduction to Cleanleaf’s capabilities. “Our main purpose is to ensure the energy transition continues smoothly by providing O&M services for solar and energy storage systems. While we do not build these systems, their true impact begins only when they are operational, allowing for the exchange of cleaner electrons for traditional energy sources on the grid. Currently, we have about two gigawatts of solar capacity under contract. Approximately one and a half gigawatts is classified as Community or Commercial & Industrial (C&I), which refers to smaller-scale projects, while about half a gigawatt consists of utility-scale solar plants. This translates to roughly 1000 separate solar facilities that we operate. Generally, these contracts fall into two categories: preventative and comprehensive. In both cases we cover all the monitoring, maintenance, repair, and reporting services required, but for preventative contracts, the customer decides when to dispatch to a site for troubleshooting or repairs and pay us as these occur. While for Comprehensive it’s a more inclusive contract where dispatch is scheduled by us directly. These generally depend on how operationally involved the customer wants to be. We are also exploring proactive contracts that incorporate AI, data analytics and trends to identify potential issues before they escalate into costly repairs, ensuring the longevity and efficiency of the systems. In addition to our O&M services, we have a separate division we refer to as Special Projects. This team focuses on upgrading and repowering older solar plants with decreased performance or significant technical issues,” he elaborates.
Delving deeper into Cleanleaf’s current focus on AI, data and analytics, Mikael explains how this approach will shape the company’s contracts moving forward. “This shift towards a more proactive strategy includes conducting root cause analysis to understand why equipment failures occur, rather than simply fixing issues as they arise. By identifying the underlying causes of breakdowns, we can anticipate potential failures and address them before they lead to costly repairs. While this is not always easy, we do have almost 20 years of data to lean on to help us analyze trends regarding when and how equipment fails, and the time required for repairs. Prioritizing proactive maintenance not only reduces costs but also enhances the performance of our customers’ assets. Additionally, we utilize our technology platform, known as ‘GRID,’ which integrates both our monitoring and reactive work with data analysis and reporting, thus providing our customers with insights into their systems,” he describes.
Next, we learn more about Cleanleaf’s Special Projects division, which is dedicated to upgrading and restoring older or underperforming solar sites. “I believe this will be a significant growth area for us. In regions with older solar assets, such as California, New Jersey, and Massachusetts, there is already a substantial demand for upgrading and repowering solar sites. We see similar trends in Europe as well, particularly in Germany, where the solar upgrade market has become a major industry. Our team possesses the necessary competency, as most of our people come from our former construction division. As such, they are well-versed in upgrading and replacing equipment. Sometimes, our Special Projects division also undertakes smaller projects, like C&I rooftop solar systems, where a new roof is needed. In such cases, we remove the solar panels, new roof is installed and then we reinstall the equipment. In contrast to wind energy, which may require larger scale upgrades, solar energy allows for gradual replacement of smaller components to maintain performance. We primarily offer these upgrades to our O&M customers, but we are also beginning to extend these services to clients without existing O&M contracts. If a customer has a complete portfolio of solar assets, we can manage the entire portfolio to ensure optimal performance across all sites,” Mikael continues.
As our conversation reaches its end, Mikael highlights one of the latest innovations embraced by Cleanleaf. “One significant change in our operations is the use of autonomous drones for thermal inspections. While many companies use drones for this purpose, our approach is different based on the installation. Instead of having a person manually operate the drone, we deploy autonomous drones for larger sites that require inspections over multiple days. The drone is stored in a box and is programmed by our Operations Center in Dallas. Each morning, it receives instructions on its flight path, specifying which areas of the site to inspect. Once its mission is complete, the drone returns to the box, eliminating the need for any personnel on-site during the inspection,” he ends.