Locus Energy, Inc.

Shawn Kerrigan

Michael Herzig

Matthew Williams

Charles McBrearty

Anil Ramachandran

Asaf Peleg

The present invention provides methods and systems to estimate energy losses due to partial equipment failure in photovoltaic (PV) systems based on measured power and energy data, weather data, PV system configuration information, and modeled power and energy generation data.

Estimation of energy losses due to partial equipment failure for photovoltaic systems from measured and modeled inputs

The present invention provides methods and systems to estimate energy losses due to shading in PV systems from data including the measured energy and power produced over the lifetime of the system, the system size and configuration data, the weather conditions (including irradiance, ambient & panel temperature, and wind conditions) over the lifetime of the system, and derived meteorological condition information (e.g., decomposed irradiance values at any time).

Estimation of shading losses for photovoltaic systems from measured and modeled inputs

The present invention provides methods and systems to estimate energy losses due to soiling in photovoltaic (PV) systems from data including the measured energy and power produced over the lifetime of the system, the system size and configuration data, the weather conditions (including irradiance, precipitation, ambient and panel temperature, and wind conditions) over the lifetime of the system, and derived meteorological condition information (e.g., the history of clear-sky conditions at the location of the site).

Estimation of soiling losses for photovoltaic systems from measured and modeled inputs

The present invention relates to methods and systems for identifying PV system and solar irradiance sensor orientation and tilt based on energy production, energy received, simulated energy production, estimated energy received, production skew, and energy received skew. The present invention relates to systems and methods for detecting orientation and tilt of a PV system based on energy production and simulated energy production; for detecting the orientation and tilt of a solar irradiance sensor based on solar irradiance observation and simulated solar irradiance observation; for detecting orientation of a PV system based on energy production and energy production skew; and for detecting orientation of a solar irradiance sensor based on solar irradiance observation and solar irradiance observation skew.

Methods for orientation and tilt identification of photovoltaic systems and solar irradiance sensors

A system and method in which production measurement for renewable energy is obtained in a storage-independent manner. Energy storage is separated out from the renewable generation to provide individual performance analytics in DC-coupled and AC-coupled renewable energy systems with critical and auxiliary loads. A monitoring unit uses device communication and metering to enable revenue-grade production measurement for renewable source and energy storage periodically at specified time intervals. The production measurement for the renewable source is obtained in a form that would be comparable to renewable installations without storage. Additionally, multiple energy flows may be used by the monitoring unit to arrive at a storage efficiency value that can be attributed to the storage unit and how the storage unit is operated in the renewable energy system. The storage efficiency quantifies efficiency losses arising from the use of a storage unit to estimate the actual impact of storage on energy production.

Time interval production measurement and energy storage performance analytics in renewable DC energy systems

A computer processor implemented method of identifying the location of a renewable energy system; providing a set of renewable energy systems having at least two location-known renewable energy systems each having a longitude and latitude pair and production data; providing at least one location-unknown renewable energy system in a computer processor; correlating by a computer processor each location-unknown renewable energy system to at least one location-known renewable energy system according to location-known renewable energy systems longitude and latitude pair and production data; providing a best-fit location for each location-unknown renewable energy system by triangulating the location-unknown renewable energy system to provide a triangulated latitude and longitude; setting the triangulated latitude and longitude for the location-unknown renewable energy system to become a location-known renewable energy system that is part of the set of renewable energy systems.

Methods for location identification of renewable energy systems

A system and method in which production measurement for renewable energy is obtained in a storage-independent manner. Energy storage is separated out from the renewable generation to provide individual performance analytics. A monitoring unit uses device communication and metering to enable revenue-grade production measurement for renewable source and energy storage periodically at specified time intervals. The production measurement for the renewable source is obtained in a form that would be comparable to renewable installations without storage, for accurate billing, maintenance, and performance analytics. Additionally, multiple energy flows may be used by the monitoring unit to arrive at a storage efficiency value that can be attributed to the storage unit and how the storage unit is operated in the renewable energy system. The storage efficiency quantifies efficiency losses arising from the use of a storage unit to estimate the actual impact of storage and the charge controller algorithm on energy production.

Solar irradiance, the energy from the Sun's electromagnetic radiation, has a wide range of applications from meteorology to agronomy to solar power. Solar irradiance is primarily determined by a location's spatial relationship with the Sun and the atmospheric conditions that impact the transmission of the radiation. The spatial relationship between the Sun and a location on Earth is determined by established astronomical formulas. The impact of atmospheric conditions may be estimated via proxy using pixels from satellite imagery. While satellite-based irradiance estimation has proven effective, availability of the input data can be limited and the resolution is often incapable of capturing local weather phenomena. Brief qualitative descriptions of general atmospheric conditions are widely available from internet weather services at higher granularity than satellite imagery. This methodology provides logic for quantifying the impact of qualitative weather observations upon solar irradiance, and the integration of this methodology into solar irradiance estimation models.

Weather and satellite model for estimating solar irradiance

A computer implemented method of estimating solar irradiance, the method comprising: constructing a reference irradiance set of tuples; constructing a reference predictor set of tuples, merging the reference irradiance set of tuples and the reference predictor set of tuples by matching numerical identifiers for a location for which a global horizontal irradiance exists in the reference irradiance set of tuples and the timestamp with the numerical identifier for a particular location in the reference predictor set of tuples and the timestamp to provide a reference data set of tuples; and estimating the global horizontal irradiance for a specific location and a timestamp by minimizing the least squares error between the reference predictor set of tuples and the reference irradiance set of tuples to provide a set of estimated global horizontal irradiance values for a specific location and timestamp.

Solar irradiance modeling augmented with atmospheric water vapor data

A system and method in which information relevant to a Photovoltaic (PV) solar-site specific activity environment is displayed on the display screen of an Augmented Reality (AR) device as part of the surrounding environment, instead of on a separate computing device or an installation manual. The activity environment includes PV solar site-specific survey and feasibility analysis, installation and commissioning, Operation and Maintenance (O&M), and site overhaul/removal activities. Thus, relevant information is available to an installer/technician at their fingertips so that the installer/technician can continue the task they are involved in without losing focus. The AR device may record relevant data during site survey and note important points, accelerate installation and commissioning, make O&M more efficient, and record the complete process for ongoing improvement/management of the site. Moreover, company-specific best practices may be loaded on the AR device as guidelines to make the process uniform across the entire fleet of installers.

Augmented reality tools for PV solar and/or storage system site survey, installation, commissioning, and operation and maintenance supported by on-site data collection

A computer processor implemented method of developing irradiance mapping using a distributed network of solar photovoltaic systems, the method comprising the steps of: selecting a predetermined geographic area having at least five solar photovoltaic systems to provide a photovoltaic system; calibrating the photovoltaic system; reversing the photovoltaic system performance model using a computer processor to solve the irradiance input value; calculating irradiance according to irradiance input value, energy output and weather data using the computer processor to provide a single irradiance point; and mapping at least two single irradiance points to create an irradiance map.

Irradiance mapping leveraging a distributed network of solar photovoltaic systems

A computer implemented method of estimating at least one solar irradiance component, the method comprising: obtaining a sensor measurement from an instrument to provide a measured global horizontal irradiance (GHI), wherein the measured global horizontal irradiance (GHI) consists of at least an estimated diffuse horizontal irradiance (DHI) and an estimated direct normal irradiance (DNI); providing at least one modeled component, wherein at least one of the modeled components is a modeled global horizontal irradiance based on an atmospheric model (GHI); calculating an irradiance estimate modifier (IMOD) in a computing device according to the measured global horizontal irradiance (GHI) and the modeled global horizontal irradiance (GHI); and providing at least one estimated solar irradiance component by a computing device according to the irradiance estimate modifier (IMOD) and at least one modeled component.

Estimating solar irradiance components from plane of array irradiance and global horizontal irradiance

A computer processor implemented method of determining system configuration information of a monitored electrical system without the need for user input by constructing a data set of a standard performance curve for at least one system type; defining at least one characteristic feature for each system type; determining the required data to identify at least one system type according to at least one of the standard performance curve and characteristic feature; remotely acquiring the required data; comparing system acquired electrical system data to at least one system type and correlated standard performance curves and correlated characteristic features to provide system configuration information for at least one monitored electrical system to provide the specific type of monitored electrical system.

Growing community of inventors

Redwood City, CA, United States of America

Shawn Kerrigan