Introducing PV Doctor – The Future of Solar PV Asset Performance Management
Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems are often seen as reliable, low-maintenance investments, but many fail to deliver their expected returns. Across India & Southeast Asia (SEA), beyond equipment technical failures, underperformance is further widespread driven by severe soiling, air pollution blocking sunlight, grid instability, and restrictive zero-export regulations. These factors prevent solar assets from reaching their full potential, leading to significant financial losses for asset owners.
PV Doctor was founded with a clear mission: to ensure that every PV system operates at its peak performance, delivering the value that owners expect. By combining cutting-edge AI-driven analytics with decade-long expertise in PV system behaviour, we provide real-time monitoring, alarm conditioning and actionable solutions that prevent energy losses and protect long-term asset value.
Born from Research, Built for Industry
PV Doctor is a spin-off from the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS), a national lab located at the National University of Singapore (NUS). This is where its core technology and methodologies were first tested and validated. The initiative was driven by Dr. Thomas Reindl, a leading figure in solar research and development, whose work at SERIS spans 15 years and has shaped PV deployment across the region. His contributions to solar energy systems are plenty: ranging from floating solar photovoltaic efforts, through irradiance forecasting, building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) to mass-adoption of PV in urban cities.
Joining his efforts was Dr. André Nobre, an industry expert with extensive experience who has worked in both industry and R&D settings, with a wide range of publications ranging from high-performing solar systems in tropical climates, air pollution & its effect on PV power out and more recently, PV fleet management & performance optimisation, where he managed ~700 MWp for a solar developer. Having worked in both research and high-level operational roles at one of SEA’s largest PV developers, he recognised that traditional O&M strategies were failing to address hidden loss mechanisms. With a shared vision of bridging the gap between research and industry, they established PV Doctor—an intelligent asset performance platform designed to listen, analyse, and cure underperforming PV systems but also keep healthy systems in check throughout their lifetimes.
Dr. Thomas Reindl, Co-Founder and Dr. André NOBRE, Co-Founder & Managing Director of PV Doctor.
Smart O&M – The Heart of Intelligent Solar Management
The core of PV Doctor’s approach is Smart Operations & Maintenance (“Smart O&M”); a data-driven solution that detects performance issues, analyses root causes, and proposes corrective actions. Unlike traditional O&M services that rely on physical inspections and reactive maintenance, Smart O&M harnesses advanced analytics to predict and prevent failures before they happen.
By directly integrating with inverter portals, PV Doctor eliminates the need for additional hardware, making it easy and cost-effective to onboard. Our AI-driven system leverages high-precision local sensors (where available), with satellite data and machine learning algorithms to identify performance anomalies, including:
- Performance ratio trending and behaviour.
- Soiling losses caused by industrial pollution, crops burning, or construction soiling.
- Shading impacts from nearby buildings, vegetation growth, or seasonal changes.
- Grid disturbances that affect system stability in regions with unreliable infrastructure.
- Component failures, such as inverter shutdowns, undetected string faults, or degraded modules.
Instead of just reporting on these issues, PV Doctor actively recommends tailored solutions to its, allowing asset owners to take immediate action to recover lost energy and optimise long-term performance.
A Holistic Approach – Services Designed for Maximum Performance
Beyond Smart O&M at its core product offering, PV Doctor provides five other highly specialised services that are aimed at addressing every aspect of PV system lifetime asset management, ensuring efficiency, compliance, and financial viability. A summary of its services follows:
1. Smart O&M – Keeping systems in close real-time & daily monitoring
For small residential systems, educational & R&D systems, Commercial & Industrial rooftops, BIPV systems, floating PV system, agrivoltaics and industrial-scale solar farms.
2. Preventive O&M – Proactive Maintenance for Sustainable Energy Generation
For solar asset owners who prefer a hands-off approach, our Preventive O&M programme ensures that systems remain clean, well-maintained, and fully operational, with minimum headache to owners and facility managers. Routine inspections, scheduled cleanings, and early fault detection help prevent minor issues from escalating into costly failures.
3. Rectification & Special Investigations – Diagnosing and Fixing Performance Losses
Many PV systems suffer from hidden inefficiencies, such as faulty wiring, loose connections, and insulation failures caused by rodent damage. Another observed field issue found in Asia has been module glass staining from water/dust ponding on solar panels installed at shallow tilt angles (typically found in lower latitudes). Our rectification services are aimed at identifying root causes of underperformance, while special investigations provide in-depth technical analysis for complex system failures. With a strong network of contractors, we can serve regionwide and work in multiple projects in parallel.
4. Repowering – Upgrading Aging Systems for Renewed Maximum Yield
Older PV installations often fail to meet expected output due to outdated/dead inverters, strongly degraded modules, and inefficient system layouts. Repowering revitalises these assets, incorporating the latest technology, either via modern inverters and/or state-of-the-art modules to enhance energy generation and extend system lifespan.
5. Audits & Performance Assessments – Independent Verification for Long-Term Success
Many asset owners overestimate the performance of their solar systems due to incomplete data or inaccurate benchmarks. Our audits and performance assessments use satellite-derived irradiance data, thermal imaging, and detailed electrical analysis to verify energy output, identify discrepancies, and support compliance with industry standards.
6. Technical Support – Expert Guidance for Asset Owners, Developers, and Investors
Managing a solar asset (or PV fleet) requires more than just operational oversight. It demands strategic planning and informed decision-making. Whether you’re evaluating tenders, overseeing construction, or preparing for an acquisition (or sale of assets), our technical support team provides data-backed insights and risk assessments to ensure project success.
A Strong Foundation – PV Doctor in Action
PV Doctor was first deployed across various PV systems at NUS, where it was used to monitor system performance, detect underperformance, and test real-world solutions.
This early validation proved that advanced analytics and AI-driven diagnostics could significantly improve solar asset performance, forming the basis for the scalable, real-time monitoring solutions we offer today.
Leading the Future of PV Asset Management in India, Southeast Asia & Beyond
With over 400 PV systems (200+ MWp) currently monitored across 10 countries, including Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Micronesia and Australia, PV Doctor is setting new standards for solar asset performance management.
3% of current Singapore PV installations are already monitored by PV Doctor.
As half of all world PV systems are found in the Asia & Australia, this vast region of the world provides unlimited number of systems for monitoring & improvement. By integrating real-time monitoring, AI-powered analytics, and expert-driven solutions, we hope to help solar asset owners:
✅ Maximise energy yield by identifying and resolving performance losses.
✅ Reduce operational risks through predictive maintenance and early fault detection.
✅ Improve financial returns with data-driven decision-making and long-term asset protection.
The solar industry is growing rapidly, but without the right tools, many systems fail to reach their full potential. PV Doctor is here to change that.
Is your PV system performing at its best? Let’s find out together!