- Calibsun | INSTANT
INSTANT
How it Works
- A dedicated on-site network of sky imagers and pyranometers
- Irradiance and power output forecasts from 1 minute
Sky-imagers for nowcasting
INSTANT addresses very short term forecasting needs by combining a purpose-built on-site sensor network with sky images & on site data processed in real time. Built around a network of sky imagers equipped with fisheye lenses and tailored integrated hardware, the system continuously captures images of the entire daytime sky. By processing the images ,
INSTANT monitors the real time cloud coverage and evaluate cloud motion and atmospheric conditions across the PV plant’s location. Each sky imager delivers a wide field of view up to 30km around the PV plant and the projected shadow on the panel associated with the irradiance drop at 30 minutes.
- INSTANT
Enabling 3D cloud modeling
A single camera can never deliver this level of precision: it can only see clouds, never truly locate them in space. CalibSun revolutionizes the approach with a network of hemispherical cameras working in unison, enabling true 3D cloud reconstruction, where altitude, shape and speed are captured simultaneously from multiple viewpoints to project the real shadow cast onto the plant with unmatched accuracy.
On-site sensor network
Our team of experts determines the most appropriate configuration based on the site to achieve the best possible view of the sky around the power plant. Calibsun has top ranked partners providing hardware on site to deploy a tailored network of sky imagers and pyranometers stations directly on site. The on-site sensor network generates a continuous, high-frequency data stream capturing:
- Cloud cover, cloud motion, and sky conditions at the plant scale
- Real time measure of solar irradiance (GHI and GTI) and weather conditions
Data is delivered to the processing engine directly. This is the input quality that sub-30-minute nowcasting requires.
Shadow projection & irradiance modelling
Cloud detection-based forecasting is based on 4 analytical stages performed in real time. The clouds are precisely identified in the images from each sky imager. Locating clouds in space requires several cameras and is based on stereoscopy. By analyzing the position of clouds in space, the shadow can be projected onto the ground and then propagated to obtain highly accurate forecasts over short horizons.
INSTANT data collection and process of images are real time, enabling to simulates cloud impact at every minute.
The algorithm, combining geometric modelling, statistical learning, and machine learning determines:
- Image processing to simulate cloud speed, altitude, and shape in real time
- The timing and spatial extent of shadow events across the array
- The expected drop in GHI and GTI at the plant level, and its translation into power output impact
This shadow simulation is updated every minute as new camera images are processed, ensuring that forecast revisions reflect the actual evolution of cloud conditions above the plant.
Forecast delivery
INSTANT integrates seamlessly into your energy management and trading platforms. Outputs are delivered via a secure API (push or pull, JSON/CSV), with data acquisition and forecast delivery fully compliant with national regulations, or through a private dashboard offering live and historical forecast visualization, camera image access, real-time vs. actual production tracking, and tailored KPI monitoring.
- Secure API (push or pull, JSON/CSV)
- Private dashboard with live and historical camera images access
- INSTANT
Our key figures
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- INSTANT
Our key figures
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Paving the way for true nowcasting
A pioneering technology
A single camera can never deliver this level of precision: it can only see clouds, never truly locate them in space. CalibSun revolutionizes the approach with a network of hemispherical cameras working in unison, enabling true 3D cloud reconstruction, where altitude, shape and speed are captured simultaneously from multiple viewpoints to project the real shadow cast onto the plant with unmatched accuracy. This geometry-based method, never seen before in solar forecasting, requires no supervised learning, so it deploys as-is on any site, with no retraining and no drift. A genuinely disruptive technology, and the most performant solution on the market today.
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- Questions
Frequently Asked Questions about how INSTANT works
What is cloud detection used for?
Cloud detection is the process of continuously monitoring and analyzing images of the sky to identify the presence, movement, and characteristics of clouds, the main atmospheric phenomena affecting photovoltaic energy production. INSTANT relies on a network of solar sensors including sky imagers designed to observe and capture the entire daytime sky in high resolution, combined with satellite imagery and Numerical Weather Prediction models.
The visual data produced by these instruments delivers real-time sky insight into fractional cloud cover and evolving sky conditions at each production site. Since clouds can partially or fully interrupt solar radiation reaching the surface of PV modules, accurate cloud observation directly translates into better weather forecasting for energy management.
Why does cloud detection require observation sky cameras?
The atmosphere is inherently dynamic. Clouds form, deform, and dissipate based on highly localized conditions, humidity levels, convective currents, temperature gradients, making them impossible to predict accurately through satellite data alone. Even the most advanced weather monitoring systems relying on satellite imagery at a temporal resolution of 10 minutes and 2km2 cannot capture the speed and locality of these atmospheric phenomena with the precision that PV management requires.
INSTANT addresses this by observing directly the sky on-site: all-sky imagers equipped with fish eye lens optics that continuously capture and process images of the sky throughout the daytime.
How does cloud detection improve the use of solar energy production?
By converting continuous sky imaging data into actionable meteorological intelligence, cloud detection improves every layer of solar energy management. INSTANT transforms on-site sky images into calibrated irradiance fluctuation forecasts — shadow timing, intensity, and duration — that operators can act on before the event reaches the array. The result is optimized energy production, better grid stability, and fewer abrupt power fluctuations, which is particularly critical for industrial operations.
Does INSTANT apply to any site ?
This model is design to associate identified clouds with a typical expected impact on irradiation. The great strength of the INSTANT algorithm is to maximize the use of geometric relationships and stereoscopy of multiple shots of the same cloud situation to obtain a very reliable shadow zone, made possible by the use of multiple cameras. Many calculation techniques are used to perform these heavy geometric calculations in a reasonable time, typically a few seconds.
Why Networked cameras are more precise than a single state-of-the-art camera?
A single camera doesn’t enable to model cloud trajectory or thickness with sufficient accuracy.
Cloud detection-based forecasting is based on 4 analytical stages performed in real time. The clouds are precisely identified in the images from each hemispherical camera. Locating clouds in space requires several cameras and is based on stereoscopy. By analyzing the position of detected clouds in space, the shadow can be projected onto the ground and then propagated to obtain highly accurate forecasts over short horizons.
