As solar energy is becoming the preferred solution to supply energy in smart cities, solar forecasting for smart grids represents an ideal tool to better manage this variable energy.

Today, nearly half of the planet’s inhabitants lives in cities. The latter consume three quarters of the energy produced on Earth and are responsible for 80% of global greenhouse gas emissions. In this context, solar forecasting is a growing necessity.

Integrate more green energy into the grid

Integrate more green energy into the grid

 Solar forecasting for smart grids enables a greater integration of PV into the grid. This also translates in less CO2 emissions in the most polluted areas of the planet.

Reduce grid management costs

Reduce grid management costs

Forecasting represents the low-hanging fruit of solar energy. This means that it must be the first response to managing the variable nature of solar energy production. Solar forecasting should come before more costly strategies of energy storage and demand/response systems.

Shift the peak load

Shift the peak load

Solar forecasts help increase the demand when variable generation production is high. Solar production is at its peak at midday, when the sun is at its highest. However, demand is at its peak around 7pm. Thanks to solar forecasting, self-consumption and the use of storage are optimised, thus helping shift the peak load.
 

Products & Services

Solar forecasting for smart grids and smart cities takes on different forms, depending on the targeted time horizon. Reuniwatt has developed 3 solutions:

  • InstaCast™: Ultra high resolution forecasts within the next minutes can be provided using InstaCast™, which makes the most out of images of the sky taken by ground imagers. This is crucial for optimised self-consumption and battery management. As an example, Reuniwatt has put in place InstaCast™ service within IssyGrid, a Smart Grid in the Parisian suburb. Read More
  • HourCast™: Reuniwatt has developed specific algorithms to analyse and treat satellite images anywhere on the planet. It is then possible to forecast cloud motion vectors above any site or portfolio of sites. This solution helps stabilise smart grids and smart cities. Read More
  • DayCast™: Forecasting up to seven days in advance the production of a smart grid installation or of an entire smart city is vital to balance the grid. It also gives a crucial energy to pilot distributed energy resources management systems (DERMs). Read More

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