Method of solar power prediction

Title: Method of solar power prediction

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Techniques for estimating direct and diffuse sunlight reaching a location as a function of time using color whole sky images are provided. In one aspect, a method for forecasting solar insolation is provided that includes the steps of: obtaining color whole sky images using a digital camera which are taken at different times, and wherein an image of a solar disk is present in at least one of the color whole sky images; creating sky transparency images from the color whole sky images; determining atmospheric solar scattering based on a width of the solar disk in the color whole sky images; determining cloud motion trajectories from a time series of the sky transparency images; and calculating the solar insolation as a function of time using the sky transparency, the atmospheric solar scattering, and the cloud motion trajectories. A system for forecasting solar insolation is also provided.

Inventors:: Hamann, Hendrik F.; Klein, Levente; Lu, Siyuan; van Kessel, Theodore G.

Issue Date:: 2018-06-26

OSTI Identifier:: 1459577

Assignee:: International Business Machines Corporation (Armonk, NY) DOEEE

Patent Number(s):: 10,007,999

Application Number:: 15/233,412

Contract Number:: EE0006017

Resource Relation:: Patent File Date: 2016 Aug 10

Research Org:: International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (United States)

Sponsoring Org:: USDOE

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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