Scientific publications

CalibSun is a spin-off of Solaïs, a solar engineering consulting firm with over 18 years of expertise in the photovoltaic sector, which allows us to have invaluable practical knowledge of PV financing, development and operations.

Written by: Pitaval, Sébastien & Wald, Lucien & Ghionda, Florian & Giudicissi, Alexis & Carrière, Thomas & Yezeguelian, Loïc & Boilley, Alexandre

On the optimal selection of meteorological variables as inputs to machine learning models for solar irradiance forecasting

Variables output from numerical weather models are essential and widely used as inputs to machine learning models for forecasting the solar irradiance available at ground level. This abundance of data necessitates an effective optimization strategy to identify the most relevant features and eliminate those with limited impact in order to reduce computational resources.

Filter by

Written by: Christophe Vernay, Sébastien Pitaval, Philippe Blanc

Calibration of Long-Term Estimated Global Horizontal Irradiation by HelioClim-3 Using Short-Term Local Measurement Campaigns: Extending the Results to European and African Sites

This publication expands local calibration algorithms tested in Southern France to European and African sites, establishing ground calibration as a standard practice for reducing financial risk.

Written by: Ana M. Realpe, Christophe Vernay, Sébastien Pitaval, Camille Lenoir, Philippe Blanc

Benchmarking of five typical meteorological year datasets dedicated to concentrated-PV systems

Comparing various TMY methodologies over an 18-year period using high-quality ground measurements. It defines the ideal dataset generation approach for Concentrating Photovoltaic (CPV) installations, which are highly sensitive to Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI) deviations.

Written by: Fuqiang Zhuang, Rodrigo Amaro e Silva, Thomas Carrière, Benoît Gschwind, Yves-Marie Saint-Drenan, Philippe Blanc

Towards a New Approach for Practical Economic Performance Evaluation of a Non-Grid Connected Hybrid Energy System Without Storage with Integrated Solar Forecasting

For remote, off-grid systems (such as mine sites), using energy storage systems (BESS) increases capital costs. This work presents a Power Management System (PMS) that leverages highly precise, short-term solar forecasts to operate PV/diesel hybrid configurations without storage. It introduces an operational cost-based metric that replaces traditional metrics like RMSE or MAE.

Written by: Thomas Carrière, Jean Catry, Alexandre Boilley

Cleaning Operations Planning Induced by Monitoring and Modelling of Soiling on Photovoltaic Modules

Dust and soiling degrade the yields of desert-based or industrial solar plants. The authors propose a method to calibrate DustIQ optical sensor measurements across multiple sites. They introduce a decision-making algorithm that uses weather forecasts to schedule module cleanings when they are most cost-effective.

Written by: Thomas Carrière, Georges Kariniotakis

An Integrated Approach for Value-Driven Energy Forecasting and Data-Informed Decision-Making: Application to Renewable Energy Trading

Rather than using a two-step approach (forecasting first, then optimizing dispatch), this paper unifies the forecasting and decision-making steps into a single function. The entire predictive engine is optimized to maximize market revenue.

Written by: Christophe Vernay, Sébastien Pitaval, Philippe Blanc

Review of Satellite-based Surface Solar Irradiation Databases for the Engineering, the Financing and the Operating of Photovoltaic Systems

This paper reviews the performance of primary satellite databases, highlighting both their value and their physical limitations across the engineering, investment, and operational phases of solar assets

Scientific partners

Our authors

CalibSun was created in 2023 by Nicolas Thévenin and Sébastien Pitaval, the founders of Solaïs, a company that has been an expert in photovoltaics for more than 18 years and a world leader in glare studies.

Our resources

Solar & data expertise

Deep-dive our specific know-hows on photovoltaic, solar resource and data science and how they enhance our services. 

Sensor Consulting
We help you get the best out of your sensors, from pre-construction design to day-to-day operation of your PV plant.
Discover more
Solar Expertise
Discover how decades of meteorological science and academic research shape our unique approach to solar data.
Discover more
Data Science
Dive into the technology behind our data expertise, from data security to AI-driven forecasting.
Discover more
Sensor consulting
We help you get the best out of your sensors, from pre-construction design to day-to-day operation of your PV plant.
Discover more
Solar expertise
Pyranometers audit & Calibration
Discover how decades of meteorological science and academic research shape our unique approach to solar data.
Discover more
Data Science
Pyranometers audit & Calibration
Dive into the technology behind our data expertise, from data security to AI-driven forecasting.
Discover more

Need more information?
Get in touch!

This website uses cookies

We use cookies to personalize content, provide social media features, and analyze our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our analytics partners. You can change your preferences at any time. For more information, please see our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. Cookie Policy