In August, ten of SAMCo’s Service Technicians, undertook a three-day Mastering Solar Farm Operation and Maintenance training, led by large-scale solar training and safety specialist, OMNISOLAR at Collinsville Solar Farm.

This training forms part of a broader upskilling program SAMCo’s Service Technicians participate in and highlights SAMCo’s dedication to providing unmatched operations and maintenance (O&M) services on renewable energy projects across Queensland.

OMNISOLAR’s Mastering Solar Farm Operation and Maintenance training is designed to equip technicians with the latest skills and knowledge in solar farm operations and set a consistent high standard of performance and safety across SAMCo’s Service Technician workforce.

OMNISOLAR Director, Troy Devine said a common misconception about large-scale solar projects was that electricians from all electrical backgrounds could apply their knowledge to the advanced work on large-scale solar sites without any proper training.

“It’s dangerous to assume that just because you’re a sparky you can start work on a solar site without being fully equipped with the specific knowledge required for solar farms,” Troy said.

“This oversight can lead to a cascade of improper training, where new employees learn from non-experts.”

SAMCo General Manager Steve Clark said SAMCo was working with OMNISOLAR to break this trends and set a new standard in ensuring solar service technicians were more consistently trained and equipped to safely perform the job required in large-scale solar from the start.

“Investing in training and upskilling our people is a key part of SAMCo’s strategy to ensure we are developing an energy workforce which is capable of keeping energy safe and reliable as the sector transitions to 80 per cent renewable energy by 2035 in Queensland,” Steve said.

“It’s critical that we continue to build a team which is highly capable so we can set a standard of safety and operational optimisation as SAMCo’s footprint grows across Queensland.”

How are we making this change?

In August, SAMCo’s Collinsville Solar Farm operations and maintenance team and some of its workforce of travelling Service Technicians and other team members undertook OMNISOLAR’s three-day Mastering Solar Farm Operation and Maintenance training. The training covered a range of topics, including:

• comprehensive understanding of all aspects of solar farm operations and maintenance

• advanced knowledge of solar energy systems and components

• in-depth analysis of performance monitoring and optimisation

• safety protocols and emergency response training.

SAMCo’s people also participated in is Safe Work System and High Voltage Switching training to further round-out their skills.

SAMCo Renewable Works Superintendent Nathan Champney said he gained a lot from participating in the training.

“Coming from a mechanical background, with most of my experience in thermal and wind generation, I had limited knowledge around how solar farms are operated and are maintained so I appreciated the opportunity to participate in this solar training,” Nathan said.

“Troy and the team from OMNISOLAR delivered the training with enthusiasm, shared real life experiences and the level of team involvement kept us highly engaged.

“The OMNISOLAR guys passionately shared real stories which highlighted the positive impacts of the strategies and models they have in place on their own solar farm.”

By investing in top-tier training programs SAMCo aims to ensure its people are kept safe and deliver an unmatched operations and maintenance service to its clients.

SAMCo was launched in late 2023 to deliver operations and maintenance services to renewable energy asset owners and original equipment manufacturers throughout Queensland.

It is a subsidiary of Queensland Government Owned energy generator Stanwell Corporation, and forms part of Stanwell’s strategy to deliver on the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan by building workforce capability to service the renewable energy industry as the state transitions to 80 per cent renewable energy by 2035.