Energy Production Variation Based on Environmental Conditions

In the northern hemisphere, most solar panels face south to maximise solar insolation potential. Residential and C&I systems are often fixed, meaning they have a consistent aspect. Though south-facing PVs increase maximum solar energy output, a large number of similarly angled panels can also create simultaneous spikes and dips in energy production that can negatively impact energy markets. Industry currently addresses by supplementing with non-renewable sources, though improvements in energy storage (e.g., battery technology) are keys to future sustainability.

There may be opportunities to leverage satellite imagery and other geo-information data to map existing solar panels across territories and estimate density and consistency of energy production. Users identified 4 specific needs, each requiring one or more specific geospatial products (geo-requirements):

1.        User Need 4.1: Prediction of regional-level PV output across centralised and distributed systems based on total number of PV panels, direction of PV panels, and angle of PV panels

2.        User Need 4.2: Assessment of nearby alternative (non-PV) energy sources