Built to last: Unlocking the full potential of renewables is the real challenge of the next decade

By Juan Gutierrez, CEO – Services

The renewable energy sector has spent decades proving it can scale. Now, it must prove it can maximise performance.

After decades of rapid growth driven by huge demand, falling costs, and favourable government policies, the focus is shifting towards something equally critical: maximising the value of existing assets. As renewables mature, operations and maintenance (O&M) and asset management are emerging as the next frontier for value creation, ensuring that wind, solar, and storage projects operate at peak performance for decades to come.

This as the defining challenge—and opportunity—of the next decade. The renewables industry must balance adding capacity with a focus on extracting maximum efficiency, reliability, and longevity from the assets already in the ground. The trend towards building larger-scale wind and solar projects reinforces the need for high-performance O&M solutions that ensure optimal energy generation and economies of scale. But achieving this requires a fundamental rethink of how we approach maintenance, digitalisation, and workforce development.

The New Focus on Optimisation

As the global renewable fleet expands, investors, asset owners, and developers are recognising that long-term success isn’t just about building projects—it’s about keeping them running well. The economics of renewables depend on availability and performance. Downtime means lost revenue, while inefficiencies chip away at profitability.

Wind and solar have become increasingly cost-competitive, with many regions achieving grid parity where renewable energy costs are on par with or lower than fossil fuels. But maintaining this cost advantage requires smarter O&M strategies. Historically, O&M in renewables has been fragmented, with a mix of OEM-led servicing, in-house teams, and independent providers. But as portfolios scale, there’s growing demand for integrated, high-performance service providers that can manage complex, multi-technology portfolios with a data-driven approach. The days of reactive maintenance and siloed operations are numbered.

Technology’s Expanding Role

Technology is reshaping renewable O&M at an unprecedented pace. Advanced analytics, machine learning, and remote monitoring are transforming how we predict failures, schedule maintenance, and optimise performance. AI-driven insights, drone inspections, and predictive maintenance can all be used to extend asset lifespans and reduce costly interventions.

For example, in Chile, remote monitoring is a game-changer. Harsh desert conditions require a level of precision that only digital tools can provide. Using real-time performance data, operators can anticipate component failures before they happen, schedule interventions more efficiently, and reduce reliance on costly, labour-intensive site visits.

Addressing the Workforce Challenge

While technology gives us new capabilities, the workforce challenge is equally pressing. As more projects reach maturity, the demand for skilled technicians is outpacing supply globally. Unlike conventional energy sectors, the renewable industry is still building a deep talent pool. Countries investing in domestic manufacturing and local workforce development will gain a competitive edge, particularly those investing in the upskilling of local workers.

But optimised assets and skilled workforces alone won’t guarantee success. Market design and policy evolution must keep pace. Permitting remains a bottleneck, grid investment lags behind new capacity, and regulatory frameworks need to incentivise reliability, not just deployment. Australia’s Capacity Investment Scheme has shown how strategic policy can drive long-term investment, while Contracts for Difference (CfDs) in Europe have helped stabilise revenues. Yet often, regulation still fails to reflect the operational realities of renewable generation.

Operational Excellence Will Define the Winners

The companies that will lead the next phase of the energy transition are those that master operational excellence and keep assets working. The winners won’t just be those who build the most; they’ll be those who run the best.  RES is at the forefront of this shift, helping asset owners unlock the full potential of their renewable investments using robotics, AI and other technologies which can now be harnessed to deliver greater optimisation. The energy transition over the next decade won’t just be about megawatts installed—it’ll be defined by megawatts optimised. 

This article was first published in Environment+Energy leader in April 2025, featuring Juan Gutierrez as a guest contributor.