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Use case : Amarenco Group
AMARENCO chooses CUBE for its future major projects
AMARENCO's PV project
AMARENCO has chosen to use CUBE to validate the solar potential prior to the development of a 100MW photovoltaic power plant.
CUBE revolutionizes best practices for estimating the yield of a site in the context of developing photovoltaic power plant projects.
This turnkey service provides a Typical Meteorological Year (TMY) closest to reality through a one-year on-site measurement campaign and data processing. It allows for the consideration of local meteorological specificities to build a more reliable Yield Report (production estimate). CUBE contributed to consolidating the financial profitability of the project by optimizing the risk profile.
From September 2022 to September 2023, the CUBE's cabin was installed on the site of the future photovoltaic power plant and the calibrating service was operated during this period.
Integrating an autonomous and turnkey measurement cabin and an academically validated calibration algorithm, CUBE reduced the inaccuracies of satellite data, related to their resolution of several km², by correcting them using meteorological data collected on-site.
CalibSun enabled AMARENCO to upwardly reassess the P50 and significantly reduce the gap between P90 and P50. Reducing this gap optimized financing conditions and thus significantly improved the intrinsic profitability of the photovoltaic project.
The Project
Measurement Cabin
CALIBSUN designed a unique measurement cabin: self-sufficient in energy and integrating all the instruments necessary for a quality campaign. The data is acquired by reference sensors, calibrated and regularly cleaned.
Measurements are recorded every 5 minutes: sunlight, temperature, wind, rainfall, soiling, etc. The cabin, installed for 12 months in parallel with the impact study conducted by AMARENCO, did not require administrative declaration. Powered by photovoltaic modules, it includes batteries, sized to avoid any risk of data loss even during prolonged periods of low sunlight.
Many challenges were overcome, details Benjamin Rodriguez, Director of Development at CALIBSUN: "In addition to collecting essential data for the study, we have successfully met the challenge of recording and communicating data, despite the remote location of the site. Through satellite communication several times a day with our recovery servers, we were able to guarantee reliable data retrieval, with a measurement availability exceeding 99%. We ensured real-time monitoring and transmission of alerts to our partner SPIE, responsible for on-site maintenance."
Data Calibration
The project required the development of a calibration solution, the culmination of 10 years of research leading to several scientific publications. Differences between on-site observation and satellite observation are corrected through the measurement campaign associated with an algorithm using a quantile mapping calibration methodology. It corrects bias in the entire satellite history to obtain a robust and reliable Yield Report, closest to reality.
The solution was previously validated by comparison with several independent and reputable satellite databases. Loïc Yezeguelian, an expert in solar resource and data processing, explains: "In order to validate our methodology and the relevance of data calibration, we carried out additional specific developments allowing us to understand and model uncertainties before/after calibration. All of these developments have led to the development of a relevant and robust calibration algorithm, reliable for estimating the P50 and refining the P90 on any geographical site."
Outcome
The measurement campaign and calibration have precisely improved yield estimates, thus facilitating technical and contractual exchanges.
The design of the cabin allowed for a one-year local measurement campaign, with comprehensive, representative data validated by quality control. The performance of the calibration algorithm was optimal thanks to the quality of the measured data, leading to an increase in GHI of +1.5% compared to the reference satellite database used by technical advisors.
In September 2023, CALIBSUN provided calibrated data, ready to be used in the yield study, to obtain a P50 and a P90 closer to reality. This data will optimize project financing by increasing borrowing capacity.
