Solcast, a DNV company

In 2024 the midwest saw irradiance levels 10% above normal across the year, while the Gulf and West Coasts experienced slightly below-average sunshine. Analysis from our team in pv magazine Global shows the impacts on grid solar generation, with ERCOT and PJM Interconnection outperforming long-term trends, while California ISO lagged slightly (on a capacity adjusted basis) 🌟 Midwest Solar Surge Persistent clear skies in 2024 pushed solar irradiance up to 10% above average in states like Illinois, Iowa, and Kansas, partly driven by October which saw anomalies over 20%. Severe drought reduced cloud cover, boosting ERCOT solar output by 2.7% and PJM by 4%. 🌧️ Cloudier Coasts The West Coast faced multiple Pacific storms, with irradiance 5% below normal in the north, leading CAISO to a 0.8% production decline. Gulf Coast regions saw increased cloud cover due to high sea temperatures, though Texas’ inland areas helped ERCOT outperform trends. Nationally, solar irradiance was 0.8% above average, with cities like Chicago and Kansas City reporting record sunshine. How did your assets perform last year compared to the weather anomaly? Read our full analysis here: #solar #energytransition #renewableenergy #netzero

Our team talk about #solar a lot, and we take it seriously! But sometimes, easing into the new year (or surviving the first full work week) calls for a little extra help. Here’s our CCO, Ben King, kicking off the day with his trusty sidekick, ready for an early morning meeting. Next time you chat with Ben about how you’re using solar data, don’t be surprised if you hear a friendly bark in the background. Feel free to say hi! #renewableenergy #energytransition

Satellite imagery over Europe and Africa is getting an upgrade! The transition from EUMETSAT’s Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) satellite to the Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) means a major upgrade in solar forecasting, bringing enhanced speed and precision to satellite imagery over Europe and Africa. Real-time updates every 2.5 minutes over Europe and 16 advanced imaging channels will capture the finest details of clouds, snow, and atmospheric dust. Faster updates and higher resolution will give us the ability to better distinguish cloud patterns as they develop and track severe weather systems, ensuring you get the data insights you need as soon as possible. Our #datascience team is already diving into early operational data, exploring how we can integrate this new data as a reliable input to our models. As you can see below - the enhanced resolution and quality is going to be great for tracking cloud development. That’s good news for solar forecasting as we continue finding new ways to deliver the highest quality irradiance and weather forecast data, built for solar. Check the pv magazine Global article here: https://lnkd.in/gwH26KxX #solar #energytransition #renewableenergy #solarforecast #satelliteimagery

How did your solar assets perform last year? As capacity increases, every year is a new record for solar production - but that doesn’t mean it was a record year for irradiance. Despite being the second hottest year on record - many places saw less irradiance than normal throughout the year. Canada, Northern Australia, Western Europe and India all saw increased cloud cover, and therefore less solar production per MW capacity. Meanwhile South America, sub-Saharan Africa, Mexico and the US Midwest, all overperformed typical irradiance for the year - delivering outsized generation. Full analysis on last year's solar outcome is now out on the pv magazine Global: https://lnkd.in/gpVHFVhQ #solar #renewableenergy #energytransition #datavisualisation

From all of us at Solcast, we wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Wherever you are, whether under clear skies, cloudy weather, or snowy landscapes, may your holidays be bright, joyful, and filled with warmth. As we reflect on the year, we’re grateful to have been part of the renewable energy journey with you. Together, let’s keep driving toward a brighter, solar-powered future. Enjoy the season, recharge with loved ones, and let’s welcome the New Year with renewed energy! Here’s to brighter days ahead — no matter what the forecast says. #solar #renewableenergy #energytransition

Is Christmas day bringing a solar surprise for your assets? Our team have just run the latest data for our Christmas day irradiance forecast, where you can see Eastern Australia, Japan, the Iberian Peninsula, Southern France and the European Alps, and parts of the East Coast US are in for much a sunnier Christmas than normal. Meanwhile, regions like the US midwest, the UK and Northern Europe, the Balkans and most of India set to experience lower than average irradiance. As asset managers will know, day to day fluctuations from 50% to 150% of average daily irradiance is normal, given the significant difference between heavy cloud and a clear day. See our analysis and early forecast issued Friday 20th December in our post in pv magazine Global last week. https://lnkd.in/g27S_T-b #solar #renewableenergy #energytransition #forecast #datavisualisation #solarmap

Check out this simultaneous clustering of these systems, Usagi, Man-yi, and Toraji across Asia - captured in Solcast Cloud Opacity data on 14 November 2024! The end of season typhoons brought heavy cloud cover and suppressed irradiance across Northern Luzon, Taiwan, Hainan and the region around Hong Kong. Southeast Asia in Java, Malaysia, and western Thailand, also saw below average irradiance due to rainfall brought by the monsoon season. Meanwhile, Cambodia, southern China and South Vietnam enjoyed up to 30% higher irradiance due to clear skies. Discover what drove these contrasting solar outcomes in our latest pv magazine Global mag article: https://lnkd.in/gC6ASrty #solar #renewableenergy #energytransition #datavisualisation

As the year comes to a close, the Solcast team in Sydney came together to reflect on all the work, collaboration and individual contributions from a massive team over the last 8 years since Solcast was founded. Whether still working with us or not, everyone that has been involved with the Solcast team has been critical to helping build a dataset of weather and solar data built for the solar industry. Whilst we couldn’t have everyone here, it was great to pause briefly and reflect on the collective contribution of a global team of friends and colleagues - and on the scale of the opportunity that is in front of us! To all our customers, partners, friends and colleagues working on the Energy Industry - make sure you take a moment to reflect on the progress we’re making. In the decades to come, as Solar and renewables are driving the majority of the energy mix globally - it will be important to remember the people who made it possible! Thank you to some of the founding members of our team who shared their insights, and optimism for a future working with DNV - Energy Systems. Harry Jack, Michael Palmer, Ben King, Hugh Cutcher, Darren 💻 Reid, Dr. Nick Engerer and our CEO, James Luffman. #solar #renewableenergy #energytransition

This week, our Commercial Director for EMEA has been testing her French and working with customers and colleagues at the EnerGaïa Forum !

How did your solar assets in Europe perform in November? Whilst Northern Europe faced the first winter storms, Italy saw clear conditions leading to a 22% increase in solar production. Check out the analysis from our team of data scientists and meteorologists, showing that weather conditions cost grids in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands grids up to 10% of expected solar for the month. Check out the weather patterns behind this solar divide in our latest pv magazine Global article: https://lnkd.in/g7F8Ve7K #solar #renewableenergy #energytransition #winter