I had the honor of representing Cupertino Electric at this year's Solar Power International (SPI) conference in Orlando, Florida, where I spoke on a panel discussing the "Accuracy of Solar Modeling and Forecasting."
The speakers represented all of the solar stakeholders: consultants, contractors, monitoring providers and utility-integration experts. We had a great discussion on important topics like day-ahead forecasts for utilities, performance guarantees, modeling assumptions and how various entities can maximize their role in the process.
On the panel, I provided an Engineering, Procurement and Construction Company (EPC) perspective on modeling and forecasting. You can hear my SPI 2012 presentation in the video below.
Solar Modeling and Forecasting at SPI 2012
Here is how I see the issue:
Modeling and forecasting of energy production and cost is really important because it enables EPC contractors to provide the best value to customers and differentiate them from the competition.
EPCs can finish the feedback loop on modeling and forecasting like no other entity in the value chain. We have detailed historical data on construction cost and energy production.
Performance guarantees can work better for owner/operators if EPC players are given incentives to exceed guaranteed energy production. Only EPCs possess the information to make the most cost effective decisions.
Efforts should be made to verify assumptions provided in performance estimates to enable a level playing field.
[caption id="attachment_216" align="alignleft" width="223"] A crew lifts solar panels onto a rooftop at a San Bruno School District.[/caption]
As an EPC that designs, builds and monitors solar systems, Cupertino Electric (CEI), is constantly evaluating the performance of solar technologies and the value they bring to our customers and partners both in the field and at our new Technology Evaluation Laboratory in San Jose, Calif.
While my talk at SPI was too short to dive into a lot of the interesting data we have collected at CEI, I look forward to speaking in more detail at PV Insider's upcoming 3rd Utility-Scale PV Plant Optimization Summit on Oct. 17-18, 2012 in San Jose. To hear more about that talk or to stay up-to-date on where CEI will be speaking, sign-up for our online e-mail list.
