STATISTICAL DETERMINATION OF SOLAR SYSTEM PERFORMANCE
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method for determining solar cell performance:
- determining a baseline maximum output for one or more solar arrays, the one or more solar arrays associated with at least one location corresponding to a customer of electricity service;
monitoring one or more electricity consumption characteristics of the at least one location associated with the one or more solar arrays to determine if electricity outputs for the one or more solar arrays are below the baseline maximum output, the electricity outputs including a net value of a difference between electricity usage and electricity production by the one or more solar arrays at the at least one location;
determining that at least one of the one or more solar arrays is underperforming with respect to electricity production if the electricity outputs for the at least one of the one or more solar arrays is below the baseline maximum output; and
providing an alert to the customer, the alert indicating that at least one of the one or more solar arrays is underperforming with respect to electricity production based at least in part on the baseline maximum output.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Power utilities may not have systematic visibility of the actual performance of customers'"'"' solar arrays. One solution to getting data on solar system performance may be through using monitoring hardware and/or software that is connected to a solar system. However, utility companies may not have access to such data since the monitoring hardware/software is commonly owned and operated by utility customers themselves and/or private solar contractors. The subject technology provide methods and systems that can be used to determine a “maximum solar production” baseline, e.g., on a daily basis in view of a set of conditions or factors. In some aspects, the maximum solar production baseline is determined by identifying similar days with “maximum solar potential” but that do not correlate with maximum production. In an example, asymmetry or a delta between maximum potential and maximum production can be used to identify underperformance of power production relative to maximum potential.
3 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for determining solar cell performance:
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determining a baseline maximum output for one or more solar arrays, the one or more solar arrays associated with at least one location corresponding to a customer of electricity service; monitoring one or more electricity consumption characteristics of the at least one location associated with the one or more solar arrays to determine if electricity outputs for the one or more solar arrays are below the baseline maximum output, the electricity outputs including a net value of a difference between electricity usage and electricity production by the one or more solar arrays at the at least one location; determining that at least one of the one or more solar arrays is underperforming with respect to electricity production if the electricity outputs for the at least one of the one or more solar arrays is below the baseline maximum output; and providing an alert to the customer, the alert indicating that at least one of the one or more solar arrays is underperforming with respect to electricity production based at least in part on the baseline maximum output. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A computing device, the computing device comprising:
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at least one processor; and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to; determine a baseline maximum output for one or more solar arrays, the one or more solar arrays associated with at least one location corresponding to a customer of electricity service; monitor one or more electricity consumption characteristics of the at least one location associated with the one or more solar arrays to determine if electricity outputs for the one or more solar arrays are below the baseline maximum output; determine that at least one of the one or more solar arrays is underperforming with respect to electricity production if the electricity outputs for the at least one of the one or more solar arrays is below the baseline maximum output; and provide an alert to the customer, the alert indicating that at least one of the one or more solar arrays is underperforming with respect to electricity production based at least in part on the baseline maximum output. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions on a computing device, the instructions when executed by a processor causing the processor to:
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determine a baseline maximum output for one or more solar arrays, the one or more solar arrays associated with at least one location corresponding to a customer of electricity service; monitor one or more electricity consumption characteristics of the at least one location associated with the one or more solar arrays to determine if electricity outputs for the one or more solar arrays are below the baseline maximum output; determine that at least one of the one or more solar arrays is underperforming with respect to electricity production if the electricity outputs for the at least one of the one or more solar arrays is below the baseline maximum output; and provide an alert to the customer, the alert indicating that at least one of the one or more solar arrays is underperforming with respect to electricity production based at least in part on the baseline maximum output. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification