KiloWattsol, one of Europe’s leading energy yield assessment (EYA) providers for photovoltaic (PV) projects, has announced it is to publish monthly irradiation abnormality maps for the United Kingdom.
The French technical advisory firm launched a similar system in Germany, France and Spain in February 2013. Maps will be published on a monthly basis, providing valuable irradiation anomaly data that will allow UK PV project owners to better assess their plant’s performance.
Over a PV project’s lifespan – an average of 20 years – solar irradiation is one of the most predictable factors affecting performance. During individual months, the amount of irradiation received by a site can differ more than 40% above or below the same month’s long-term mean. This deviation is called irradiation anomaly. Its effect highlights the difficulty of evaluating a solar power plant’s actual performance- often, the only available benchmarks are the EYA and the electricity off-taker’s statement.
By identifying these anomalies, KiloWattsol offers PV project owners the data to improve their system’s long-term performance. While a suboptimal-performing power plant can deliver adequate results in a good month, an optimised project may seem to be underperforming during and after a month of lower than average irradiation.
Xavier Daval, KiloWattsol’s CEO, said: “By publishing irradiation anomaly maps for the UK – one of Europe’s most dynamic PV markets – KiloWattsol provides owners of small- and large-scale solar power generating systems alike with a valuable piece of information every month – at no cost. For our clients, understanding their PV system’s true potential starts here”.
KiloWattsol is one of the leading European independent technical advisors in the field of solar energy and battery storage, with world-wide expertise. Since its creation in 2007, KiloWattsol has contributed to the development of over 1000 solar power plants of all sizes and configurations, situated on four continents, with a cumulated nominal capacity exceeding 3GWp. KiloWattsol’s methodology was audited by Moody’s in 2011 and has received accreditation from all leading banks involved in PV project finance.
