Utilities can’t run a solar-heavy grid on optimism alone—they need dependable forecasts from days ahead down to minutes ahead. In pv magazine (12/2025 & 01/2026), Reuniwatt’s Hannah Bergler describes what it takes to deliver that reliability for a mega-scale PV project in the United Arab Emirates, where desert conditions push both O&M and forecasting systems to their limits.
Desert solar means forecasting under pressure
Middle East mega-projects promise massive clean generation, but they operate in conditions that can rapidly change irradiance and power output. For a standards-aligned forecasting setup covering multiple horizons and update intervals—spanning from three-day and day-ahead forecasts down to intra-hour forecasts. Reuniwatt combines numerical weather prediction (NWP), Meteosat Second Generation satellite imagery, and data from on-site measurements to keep forecasts timely and actionable for operations and grid reliability.
Fast forecasts for grid control
Beyond day-ahead planning, these projects need frequent updates that operators can actually use in real time. The article describes how short-term nowcasting is supported by high-frequency measurements and Reuniwatt’s infrared all-sky imager Sky InSight™, which helps detect cloud development early and improve plant-level forecasts up to about 30 minutes ahead.