Understanding Solar Performance with Precision
Solar panel owners can now enhance their system monitoring with PVInsight, a groundbreaking software transforming solar energy data into a comprehensive performance overview. Developed by researchers from SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory’s Grid Integration Systems and Mobility lab (GISMo), this open-source tool ensures a clear understanding of power generation over time.
Demand for User-Friendly Solutions
With a 34% increase in rooftop solar installations in the U.S. from 2020 to 2021, the demand for user-friendly software like PVInsight is on the rise. Unlike larger solar systems, which have dedicated engineering teams, smaller home solar systems lack accessible tools to interpret data effectively.
Unveiling System Performance
PVInsight reveals a system’s performance under various conditions, including cloudy and sunny days, potential shading from buildings or vegetation, and damage from extreme weather like hail. The software aims to empower solar panel owners, providing direct insights into their systems without the need for extensive data science or electrical engineering expertise.
Meeting the Growing Demand
As the demand for rooftop solar systems grows, the need for better maintenance and user-friendly monitoring tools becomes crucial. PVInsight addresses this gap, allowing solar owners to generate more clean electricity consistently and contribute to a reliable energy resource for the electric grid.
Signal Decomposition Technique
The software employs a signal decomposition technique, processing data from around 1,000 solar panel sites. This technique separates noise from the data, making it easier to interpret. Unlike complex artificial intelligence coding, PVInsight’s coding is transparent, ensuring safety, interpretability, and auditability.
Towards User-Friendly Applications
Currently accessible for technically-inclined users, researchers aim to develop user-friendly applications for PVInsight. The goal is to enable more solar panel owners to understand their data through a phone application with a user-friendly interface.
PVInsight emerges as a valuable tool, bridging the gap between solar panel performance data and user comprehension, contributing to more efficient and reliable solar power systems.
Source：miragenews.com
