An innovative Fulcrum3D technology backed by an Australian Renewable Energy Agency will allow solar farms to predict output ahead of time.
The unpredictability of solar energy in the solar farm is a major issue, which is tackled using cloud tracking camera. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency made 1 MW solar farm at Karratha airport and which has been fitted with state of the art CloudCam tracking technology by Fulcrum3D. This technology is also backed by a separate $545000 Arena grant. The issue of dips in power output from solar farms that occur when a cloud passes over, leads solar farms to rely on backup energy storage to smooth out the output. Those unpredictability of dips in output, which makes it inconvenient for the operators to predict prices and can hinder their ability to bid in electricity markets.
According to the manufacturers, the cloud-tracking technology gives the solar operators to reliably prediction of the output of solar farm 15 minutes ahead of time, meaning they can reduce the reliance on energy storage and can more efficiently take part in market bidding.
The Chief Executive of Arena, Ivor Frischknecht, “the technology makes solar cheaper and reduces intermittently by giving the operators a clearer picture of the solar resource they can expect in the immediate future”.
“Cloud prediction makes solar cheaper and more reliable while reducing the need for batteries,” Frischknecht claimed. “That’s what makes this project so exciting.”
They also stated, “Arena-supported projects like the Karratha airport solar farm and CloudCAM are important for demonstrating to network owner and operator Horizon Power that solar can provide sustainable, reliable power into the NWIS without the need for large amounts of expensive battery storage”.
Cloud-Cam Technology to Tackle Dips in Solar Panel Power Output
