Dive Summary:
- The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) is leading a three-year project to monitor incoming solar energy for power plants.
- The team of researchers is designing a system that will forecast sunlight power output every 15 minutes, thus allowing utilities to be constantly aware of how much solar energy is available.
- NCAR has previously designed a similar wind energy system with Xcel Energy that ultimately saved Xcel ratepayers about $6 million in a single year.
From the article:
The research team is designing a prototype system that will forecast sunlight and resulting power every 15 minutes over specific solar facilities, allowing utilities to continuously anticipate the amount of available solar energy. The work will draw on research techniques at government labs and universities across the U.S. in partnership with utilities, other energy companies and commercial forecast providers. ...