Method of solar power prediction
First Claim
1. A method for forecasting solar insolation, the method comprising the steps of:
- obtaining color whole sky images using a digital camera, wherein the color whole sky images 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.
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Abstract
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.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for forecasting solar insolation, the method comprising the steps of:
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obtaining color whole sky images using a digital camera, wherein the color whole sky images 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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A system for forecasting solar insolation, comprising:
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a sky camera system comprising at least one digital camera configured to obtain color whole sky images taken at different times, wherein an image of a solar disk is present in at least one of the color whole sky images; and a computation facility configured to obtain the color whole sky images from the sky camera system, create sky transparency images from the color whole sky images, determine atmospheric solar scattering based on a width of the solar disk in the color whole sky images, determine cloud motion trajectories from a time series of the sky transparency images, and calculate the solar insolation as a function of time using the sky transparency, the atmospheric solar scattering, and the cloud motion trajectories. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A non-transitory computer-readable program product for forecasting solar insolation, the computer-readable program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith which, when executed, cause a computer to:
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obtain color whole sky images taken using a digital camera, wherein the color whole sky images 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; create sky transparency images from the color whole sky images; determine atmospheric solar scattering based on a width of the solar disk in the color whole sky images; determine cloud motion trajectories from a time series of the sky transparency images; and calculate the solar insolation as a function of time using the sky transparency, the atmospheric solar scattering, and the cloud motion trajectories.
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Specification