Workshop on Smart Grid Development and Regional Task Force Annual Meeting. Asian Development Bank, Regional Task Force, 8-9 March 2012, Bangkok, Thailand [1]

Assessing potential for solar energy technologies

Marcel Suri, PhD

GeoModel Solar s.r.o., Bratislava, Slovakia marcel.suri@geomodel.eu http://geomodelsolar.eu

Workshop on Smart Grid Development and Regional Task Force Annual Meeting. Asian Development Bank, Regional Task Force, 8-9 March 2012, Bangkok, Thailand [2]

About GeoModel Solar Expert consultancy:

•  Solar resource assessment and PV yield assessment •  Performance characterization •  Country studies •  Grid integration studies

SolarGIS: Real-time solar and meteo data services for:

•  Site selection and prefeasibility •  Planning and project design •  Monitoring and forecasting of solar power •  Solar data infrastructure

http://geomodelsolar.eu http://solargis.info

Workshop on Smart Grid Development and Regional Task Force Annual Meeting. Asian Development Bank, Regional Task Force, 8-9 March 2012, Bangkok, Thailand [3]

PVGIS research and demonstration project introduced: - simple and easy to use interface - geographical context European Commission Joint Research Centre

SolarGIS Commercial database and online software for professional use by GeoModel Solar

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

timeline

Workshop on Smart Grid Development and Regional Task Force Annual Meeting. Asian Development Bank, Regional Task Force, 8-9 March 2012, Bangkok, Thailand [4]

Exploring solar resources…

What are the most suitable areas? How much electricity can be produced? What technologies to choose? •  Photovoltaics (crystalline silicon or thin films?) •  Concentrated photovoltaics (CPV) •  Solar thermal power stations (CSP) How reliable are the data?

Mapping solar resource potential

Workshop on Smart Grid Development and Regional Task Force Annual Meeting. Asian Development Bank, Regional Task Force, 8-9 March 2012, Bangkok, Thailand [5]

Bankable data = low uncertainty, high reliability

Limited data availability and knowledge Older data exist

•  Meteorological stations •  Low-resolution satellite-based maps

(e.g. NASA, NREL)

Such data not meet the needs •  Diverse results from the existing databases •  High uncertainty •  Decision made on such data may hamper growth of solar energy

Mapping solar resource potential

Workshop on Smart Grid Development and Regional Task Force Annual Meeting. Asian Development Bank, Regional Task Force, 8-9 March 2012, Bangkok, Thailand [6]

Solar data – requirements for solar projects

Long-climate record, 10 years minimum for the most present time Consistent and geographically representative High level of detail High accuracy and low uncertainty Validated with the help of ground measurements Available at any location Real-time data supply:

•  historical •  monitoring •  forecasting

Combination of satellite-based solar data and high-quality ground measurements gives the most reliable results!

Workshop on Smart Grid Development and Regional Task Force Annual Meeting. Asian Development Bank, Regional Task Force, 8-9 March 2012, Bangkok, Thailand [7]

Solar databases – which one to choose?

SolarGIS NASA SSE

Elaborated numerical models Regularly updated High resolution Modern aerosol data

Simple empirical models Old and static input data Low-resolution

Workshop on Smart Grid Development and Regional Task Force Annual Meeting. Asian Development Bank, Regional Task Force, 8-9 March 2012, Bangkok, Thailand [8]

Comparing solar databases

SolarGIS 1 value per 3 x 3 km 1 value for every 30 minutes Regularly updated Suitable for: prefeasibility project development   power plant monitoring   forecasting of power   grid management

NASA SSE 1 value per 110 x 110 km 1 value for every month Static (irregular updates) Suitable for:   introductory information   project development   power plant monitoring   forecasting of power grid management

Workshop on Smart Grid Development and Regional Task Force Annual Meeting. Asian Development Bank, Regional Task Force, 8-9 March 2012, Bangkok, Thailand [9]

8.5% difference

Comparing Global Horizontal Irradiation

Workshop on Smart Grid Development and Regional Task Force Annual Meeting. Asian Development Bank, Regional Task Force, 8-9 March 2012, Bangkok, Thailand [10]

Comparing Direct Normal Irradiation

60% difference

Workshop on Smart Grid Development and Regional Task Force Annual Meeting. Asian Development Bank, Regional Task Force, 8-9 March 2012, Bangkok, Thailand [11]

How good is SolarGIS?

Comparison of data: •  measured (yellow) •  simulated (blue)

Source: IEA SHC Task 36 data inter-comparison activity, Pierre Ineichen, University of Geneva,

February 2011: http://www.unige.ch/cuepe/pub/ineichen_valid-sat-2011-report .pd

SolarGIS

Workshop on Smart Grid Development and Regional Task Force Annual Meeting. Asian Development Bank, Regional Task Force, 8-9 March 2012, Bangkok, Thailand [12]

solar data and online software for solar energy

Online simulation tools, maps and data services accessing SolarGIS database

http://solargis.info

Workshop on Smart Grid Development and Regional Task Force Annual Meeting. Asian Development Bank, Regional Task Force, 8-9 March 2012, Bangkok, Thailand [13]

SolarGIS pvPlanner

PV production and optimization tool for photovoltaic projects •  Based on historical data •  Easy search of site or roof •  Fast results •  Simulation of technology options

and components •  Data export in xls, csv •  Reports in pdf •  Horizon editor •  Site manager

http://solargis.info

Workshop on Smart Grid Development and Regional Task Force Annual Meeting. Asian Development Bank, Regional Task Force, 8-9 March 2012, Bangkok, Thailand [14]

Independent comparative tool for performance assessment of any PV system •  Based on real time satellite and meteo data •  Comparison of actual monthly production with long-term expectations •  Correct daily (hourly) and monthly summaries, quantified uncertainty •  Consistent, robust, systematically calibrated

and validated data •  Cheap option for evaluation of small PV

systems without monitoring hardware •  Reference info for large power plants

SolarGIS pvSpot

http://solargis.info

Workshop on Smart Grid Development and Regional Task Force Annual Meeting. Asian Development Bank, Regional Task Force, 8-9 March 2012, Bangkok, Thailand [15]

Thank you for your attention!

Marcel Suri, PhD.

GeoModel Solar s.r.o., Bratislava Slovakia marcel.suri@geomodel.eu http://solargis.info http://gemodelsolar.eu

GHI (SolarGIS)