CEA Tech institute Liten was selected by France's energy regulatory commission (CRE) to instrument and/or gather data from France's large (>250 kWp) PV power plants.
Liten analyzes the data and uses powerful algorithms to highlight key performance indicators that can help operators manage their plants more efficiently—and boost production. For instance, Liten can assess the impact of fouling or aging on solar-panel yields, telling operators exactly when they should maintain or replace their equipment.
The institute's monitoring activities also provide broader insights. "Because we have access to a significant sampling of plants, our database allows us to determine indicators that are valid nationwide." explained a Liten researcher. "Unlike the power produced by a single plant, which fluctuates, PV production at the national level is smooth and predictable. As an example, when we forecast production for a set of 20 plants, the margin of error is less than 2.5%."
These capabilities position CEA Tech as a key resource for PV production forecasting—which will become even more crucial now that PV power no longer benefits from financial incentives from utilities and must compete with other sources of energy on the electricity market. To avoid penalties, producers need to be able to guarantee how much power they can produce.