US 11,693,152 B2Granted

System and method for estimating photovoltaic energy through irradiance to irradiation equating with the aid of a digital computer

AssigneeClean Power Research, L.L.C.

InventorThomas E. Hoff

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Abstract

The accuracy of photovoltaic simulation modeling is predicated upon the selection of a type of solar resource data appropriate to the form of simulation desired. Photovoltaic power simulation requires irradiance data. Photovoltaic energy simulation requires normalized irradiation data. Normalized irradiation is not always available, such as in photovoltaic plant installations where only point measurements of irradiance are sporadically collected or even entirely absent. Normalized irradiation can be estimated through several methodologies, including assuming that normalized irradiation simply equals irradiance, directly estimating normalized irradiation, applying linear interpolation to irradiance, applying linear interpolation to clearness index values, and empirically deriving irradiance weights. The normalized irradiation can then be used to forecast photovoltaic fleet energy production.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system for estimating photovoltaic energy through irradiance to irradiation equating with the aid of a digital computer, comprising:

at least one computer processor configured to:
provide with a set of irradiance observations that have been recorded for a location at which a photovoltaic plant can be operated with each irradiance observation in the set being separated by regular intervals of time;
provide with a set of clear sky irradiance with each clear sky irradiance in the set corresponding to one of the irradiance observations;
estimate a set of normalized irradiation with each normalized irradiation estimates in the set corresponding to one of the irradiance observations, wherein each of the normalized irradiation estimates is equal to one of the irradiation observations;
form a time series of clearness indexes with each clearness index in the time series corresponding to one of the irradiance observations, each clearness index comprising a ratio of the irradiance observation's corresponding normalized irradiation estimate and the irradiance observation's corresponding clear sky irradiance;
and
forecast photovoltaic energy production for the photovoltaic plant in the computer as a function of the time series of the clearness indexes and photovoltaic plant's power rating.

4 more elements

A method for estimating photovoltaic energy through irradiance to irradiation equating with the aid of a digital computer, comprising the steps of:

providing at least one computer with a set of irradiance observations that have been recorded for a location at which a photovoltaic plant can be operated with each irradiance observation in the set being separated by regular intervals of time;
providing the at least one computer with a set of clear sky irradiance with each clear sky irradiance in the set corresponding to one of the irradiance observations;
estimating a set of normalized irradiation in the at least one computer with each normalized irradiation estimates in the set corresponding to one of the irradiance observations, wherein each of the normalized irradiation estimates is equal to one of the irradiation observations;
forming a time series of clearness indexes in the at least one computer with each clearness index in the time series corresponding to one of the irradiance observations, each clearness index comprising a ratio of the irradiance observation's corresponding normalized irradiation estimate and the irradiance observation's corresponding clear sky irradiance;
and
forecasting by the at least one computer photovoltaic energy production for the photovoltaic plant as a function of the time series of the clearness indexes and photovoltaic plant's power rating.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/328,688Filed 24 May 2021 · continuation
Priority: 25 Jul 2011
Published: US 2021/0285991 A116 Sep 2021
Granted: 4 Jul 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification28 codes

G01W 1/12
Meteorology: sunshine duration recorders
G01R 21/1331
By using digital technique: measuring real or reactive component, measuring apparent energy
G01W 1/02
Meteorology: instruments for indicating weather conditions by measuring two or more variables, e.g. humidity, pressure, temperature, cloud cover…
G01W 1/10
Meteorology: devices for predicting weather conditions

Family

Application13/190,442Parent of this continuation · filed 25 Jul 2011
Application13/453,956Parent of this continuation · filed 23 Apr 2012
US 8,165,812 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 24 Apr 2012
Application13/462,505Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 2 May 2012
US 8,335,649 B1Parent of this continuation · filed 18 Dec 2012
Application13/866,901Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 19 Apr 2013
US 8,437,959 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 7 May 2013
Application14/056,898Parent of this continuation · filed 17 Oct 2013
US 9,411,073 B1Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 9 Aug 2016
Application15/495,892Parent of this continuation · filed 24 Apr 2017
US 9,645,180 B1Parent of this continuation · filed 9 May 2017
Application16/429,534Parent of this continuation · filed 3 Jun 2019
US 10,309,994 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 4 Jun 2019
Application15/930,259Parent of this continuation · filed 12 May 2020
US 10,663,500 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 26 May 2020
US 2021/0285991 A1Pre-grant publication · published 16 Sep 2021
US 11,016,130 B2Parent of this continuation
Application14/056,898Parent of this continuation-in-part
Application13/462,505Parent of this continuation
US 2011/0282601 A1Published application
US 2013/0030703 A1Published application
US 2017/0227583 A1Published application
US 2019/0285672 A1Published application
US 2020/0271705 A1Published application
US 11,693,152 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.