A spot in the sun

Satellite weather data is now being used to help companies decide where to put solar power plants, as well as helping to predict how efficiently a plant is running, and seeing how much energy new plants can expect to wield.

The service, provided by Italian company Flyby, uses sensors on the ground and satellite data to compare what energy is possible to generate compared to what is actually being produced. If the panels are not working efficiently, an alarm is sounded. Traditionally, it has been very hard to determine how effectively solar cells are working. 

Flyby relies on ESA satellites - Meteosat-8 and Meteosat-9 - for data.

Speaking on the ESA website, Ciro Lanzetta of Flyby said: “Photovoltaic plants do not always operate optimally because it may be difficult to spot malfunctions in the solar cells or the installation. By using the satellite information on available solar radiation as a reference, our system helps to spot anomalies faster, increasing production.”

In the sun

Meet a Role Model conducting research in photovoltaics.
 

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