Methods for orientation and tilt identification of photovoltaic systems and solar irradiance sensors

A computer processor implemented method of identifying the orientation and tilt of a solar irradiance sensor, said method comprising the steps of;

• providing a set of solar irradiance sensors having at least two solar irradiance sensors each having an orientation and tilt angle pair to provide a set of orientation and tilt known solar irradiance sensors in a computer processor;
• determining environmental conditions for each of the orientation and tilt known solar irradiance sensors to provide environmental conditions at each orientation and tilt known solar irradiance sensors in a computer processor;
• determining estimated production data by a computer processor based on said environmental conditions at each orientation and tilt angle pair to provide estimated production data for each orientation and tilt angle pair known solar irradiance sensor;
• storing the orientation and tilt angle pair and estimated production data in a computer processor;
• providing at least one orientation and tilt unknown solar irradiance sensor in a computer processor;
• calculating by said computer processor a correlation for each orientation and tilt unknown solar irradiance sensors production data to said estimated production data for each orientation and tilt angle pair known solar irradiance sensors;
• setting said orientation and tilt for said orientation and tilt unknown solar irradiance sensor to the most correlated orientation and tilt known renewable solar irradiance sensors to become a correlated orientation and tilt known solar irradiance sensor that is part of the set of set of renewable energy systems having at least two solar irradiance sensors each having an orientation and tilt angle pair in a computer processor.