This Proa Analytics Solar Forecasting Lessons Learnt Report outlines the key learnings between the period October 2019 – April 2020.
Report extract
This is the second public Lessons Learned report from the ARENA funded Proa Solar Farm Short Term Forecasting Project.
Proa (proa.energy) is an Australian solar forecasting and energy system modelling company founded in 2016. Proa’s solar farm forecasts have already achieved the milestone of the first self-forecasts approved by AEMO for NEM Dispatch1, including Proa’s forecasts for the Kidston Solar Farm as part of this project.
As part of this project, Proa will demonstrate its solar forecasting services at three NEM solar farms in the three main climate zones of the NEM:
- Tropical: Kidston Solar Project (QLD) in partnership with owner and operator Genex Power
- Sub-tropical: Oakey 1 Solar Farm (QLD) in partnership with owner and operator Oakey 1 Asset Company
- Temperate: Bannerton Solar Project (VIC) in partnership with owner and operator Foresight Australia.
This project will continue until January 2021. As the project progresses, we continue to learn more about self- forecasting the NEM and techniques to increase forecast accuracy. This Knowledge Sharing report is intended to share some of the Lessons Learnt during the project, noting that this is an interim report. The Lessons Learnt presented here include:
- Commercial benefits of self-forecasting
- Benefits for self-forecast providers to manage AEMO password renewal themselves
- Benefits of skycams for short term-forecasting
- Importance of cleaning skycam lenses