DNV has acquired global solar irradiance data and forecasting provider Solcast, further expanding its offering to solar energy customers with digital and data-driven services that help maximize the value of solar power plants.
Solcast, based in Sydney, Australia, with offices in Asia, Europe and the Americas, develops the data and tools needed to plan, construct, operate and manage photovoltaic systems. Solar forecasting enables solar power producers to deliver reliable and resilient electricity to grids across fast-growing markets. The integration of solar forecasting with energy storage brings a unique opportunity allowing customers to plan and later dispatch energy on demand to get the most value out of each solar power plant.
Moreover, real-time access to high-quality, accurate short-term forecasts enables customers to easily evaluate power plant operations, evaluate losses and improve plant performance, leading to improved plant and portfolio management.
Solcast uses the latest in global weather satellite imagery, machine learning, computer vision and historical and forecast data to produce more than 600 million new forecasts every hour in a cloud-based environment and provide real-time access to forecast data via an application programming interface.
“As a digital native company with strong domain expertise, Solcast fits DNV’s strategy to support our customers with trusted data-driven services,” says Remi Eriksen, group president and CEO of DNV. “DNV’s Energy Transition Outlook forecasts that solar PV will grow 20-fold by 2050, and this acquisition will help us meet the sharp increase in demand for reliable data analytics and trusted monitoring systems. Digital products, such as those provided by Solcast, are key to unlocking the potential of solar.”
