SolarProUK

An Essential Solar Training Scenario Utilising Virtual Reality

The hazardous potential of the Photovoltaic (PV) industry demands the most rigorous and professional training. Founded by John Davies, SolarProUK provides PV engineering training for major energy providers and individuals alike. They came to CEMET to see how their training could be expanded through the use of emerging technologies.

The plan CEMET and SolarProUK devised was to create a training scenario using virtual reality technology to act as a proof of concept for expanding their training program for solar farm engineers. To be implemented were three common scenarios of differing prioritisation across the spectrum of engineer experiences; visual inspection, string testing and module exchange. These scenarios would provide a proof-of-concept for user testing to determine market needs and gain a greater understanding of how virtual training can support utility field experience.

Developed using the Unity games engine, the VR app integrates with SolarProUK’s training platform allowing trainees to sign in upon loading the VR app on a Meta Quest 2 to perform tasks on a virtual solar farm.

The user begins in a Solar Management Station (SMS) following onboarding guidance and is familiarised with the environment. The SMS was designed to allow users to select solar sites to begin their training and then act as a hub to return to assess the solar farm’s ongoing performance based on their maintenance during the training scenarios. The SMS contains an inventory of all the tools required for the tasks along with an interactive site map to enter the solar farm.

Operations & Maintenance

The Visual Inspection task requires the trainee to navigate the site and identify visual faults by photographing and logging the faults and location. The String Testing task is more complex, allowing the trainee to assess underperforming “strings” of solar panels and perform tests using the appropriate equipment at the relevant String Combiner Box (SCB) on site. Finally, Module Exchange scenarios task the user with locating a broken panel and disconnecting it safely via the SCB then follow steps to replace the panel before safely re-engaging and establishing that the replacement is performing at the SMS. Once each training mode is completed the user can enter a test mode of the scenario, which, depending on how closely they follow the training will either result in a pass or fail. Additionally if the user is exposed to live wires the character would receive an electric shock that would prove fatal in real-world scenarios.

The app currently offers one solar farm for all scenarios however the project was designed to support customisable farm variations at a later date allowing trainers to replicate existing sites or create entirely new concept sites.

Already having won FSB Wales’ “Startup Business of the Year” and being shortlisted this year for the Business Green Leaders awards, SolarProUK’s efforts show no sign of slowing down. With big plans for their platform development, they aim to shine a light on safety standards in an emerging industry.

CEMET is proud to continue to support SolarPro UK through the early stages of its development. To find out more about SolarPro UK’s latest work visit their website or follow them via X (fka Twitter) or Facebook.