Nowcast your solar energy production with sky imagers
INSTANT is the industry’s first nowcasting solution combining a dedicated on-site network of sky imagers and pyranometers providing data input in real time to a unique machine learning algorithm delivering solar irradiance and power forecast within a 1-minute time frame.
Deployed globally, INSTANT supports IPPs, utilities, aggregators, and off-grid industrial operators in reducing forecast deviation penalties, optimizing BESS dispatch, and maintaining grid stability under fast-changing weather conditions.
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Who Is INSTANT For ?
Utilities & Independent Power Producers
For IPPs and utilities operating in markets with strict imbalance penalties, INSTANT directly reduces the cost of forecast deviation regarding solar power generation.
- Maximize revenue
Tailor strategies with precise, real-time solar production data adapted to markets requiring particularly tight bids. - Reduce imbalance penalties
Limit the financial impact of discrepancies between forecasted and actual production, especially on sites exposed to rapid cloud cover changes or extreme weather conditions. - Optimize BESS management
Use energy storage systems more effectively, charge during confirmed high-irradiance periods, dispatch ahead of identified production drops, extending asset life and improving overall plant performance.
Off-Grid & Hybrid microgrids Operators
For mines, industrial facilities, and hydrogen electrolysers integrating solar energy into their energy mix, INSTANT enables anticipation of power drops before they affect operations.
- Reduce site LCoE Anticipate solar production drops and activate backup generators only when necessary, reducing fuel consumption and cutting operating costs significantly.
- Maintain operational continuity
Balance energy load in real time to ensure a stable power supply and reduce the risk of outages or instabilities that could disrupt industrial activity. - Optimize storage cycling
Charge batteries during confirmed high-production periods and discharge with precision, improving storage longevity and economic returns.
Three Technical Pillars of INSTANT
Real-Time Ground-Based sky imagers
Ground-based cameras capturing the local sky hemisphere, used to detect and track clouds for very short-term irradiance forecasting.
Stereoscopic Sky Imaging
Multiple sky imagers in a stereoscopic configuration reconstruct cloud geometry and motion in three dimensions. This is the only approach capable of detecting irradiance ramps below 30 minutes with precision.
Live Monitoring Dashboard
Access live sky imager feeds in real time and browse the complete history of captured images alongside their associated GHI measurements.
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Ground-level sky observation for sub-30 minutes foresight
Below 30 minutes in challenging weather conditions, NWP and satellite spatial and temporal resolution including data latency become a fundamental obstacle. Geostationary satellite imagery introduces retrieval delays and operates at resolutions of several kilometres, too coarse to capture the sub-kilometre cloud structures that drive rapid irradiance ramps at the plant level.
A Dedicated Sensor Network on site
INSTANT deploys a purpose-built network of sky cameras, pyranometers, and weather stations directly on site.
Unlike satellite imagery or NWP outputs which aggregate conditions over wide geographic areas, INSTANT’s sensor network delivers site-specific observations. The result is a dataset of exceptional quality, particularly in challenging weather conditions where other data sources systematically fall short.
3D Cloud Reconstruction
INSTANT deploys sky cameras in a stereoscopic configuration: multiple cameras positioned around the plant capture simultaneous images of the sky dome from different angles, enabling full three-dimensional reconstruction of cloud positions, geometries, and trajectories. This 3D cloud modeling is the only method capable of anticipating rapid irradiance ramps at sub-30-minute horizons with operationally meaningful accuracy.
Within this critical window, sky imagers provide the only hyper-local source of information that can anticipate abrupt solar production drops before they occur, delivering unmatched forecast improvements, directly supporting grid load optimization, BESS dispatch, and backup power planning.
From Raw Data to Actionable Forecasts
INSTANT processes on-site sensor data through an adaptive machine learning engine, generating irradiance and power output predictions within 1 minute of observation. Each nowcast is derived from continuous evaluation of real-time meteorological indicators.
Operators and trading platforms receive up-to-the-minute forecasts ready for direct integration. A private dashboard access gives direct view to live and past forecasts and cameras’ images, to detect errors and follow your tailored KPIs .
Why make the switch to INSTANT ?
- With INSTANT
- Full sky dome coverage through multiple simultaneous angles
- 3D vision with cloud altitude and motion
- Only method with meaningful accuracy below 30 minutes
- Full plant coverage with network scaled to your installed capacity
- Designed for high-variability climates
- Without INSTANT
- Partial sky coverage with a single viewing angle hiding other coming clouds
- 2D image only
- Degraded Sub-30-min horizon accuracy using 15 minutes frequency satellite images
- Unreliable under fast-changing or complex conditions
- Blind spots across the array
The onboarding process
Four steps from deployment to operational nowcasting:
- Use Case
Our uses cases
- 100MWp project
In September 2023, CALIBSUN provided calibrated data with increased GHI of +1.5% compared to the reference satellite database, ready to be used in the yield study…
Built on Scientific Rigour
INSTANT is an innovative solution developed by CalibSun’s experts Daniel de Gabaï and Thomas Carrière. The stereoscopic sky imaging methodology and the machine learning frameworks underlying INSTANT in unique and grounded in peer-reviewed published research and continuous scientific R&D (liens) — ensuring the solution remains at the state of the art in solar nowcasting.
Need more information ?
Get in touch !
- Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is solar nowcasting and how does it differ from solar forecasting?
Solar forecasting predicts power generation over horizons ranging from a few hours to several days ahead, using NWP models, satellite imagery, and historical data. It is essential for day-ahead market bidding and operational planning.
Solar nowcasting targets the immediate prediction window: the next few minutes to approximately 60 minutes. At these horizons, the key input is not a weather model but real-time, ground-based observational data, cloud positions, irradiance measurements, and sky imagery captured directly on site. The difference is not merely technical: in energy markets with tight intraday balancing requirements, the gap between a nowcast and a standard forecast directly determines whether a solar producer is penalized or profitable.
What data sources does INSTANT rely on?
INSTANT integrates data from a dedicated on-site network of sky cameras, pyranometers, and other sensors in real time. This sensors generates a continuous, high-frequency data series capturing cloud dynamic, cloud motion, GHI, GTI, wind speed, and key near-surface meteorological variables at the plant level. At sub-30-minute horizons, stereoscopic sky cameras enable three-dimensional reconstruction of cloud geometry and trajectories — the only method capable of reliable irradiance ramp anticipation at these timescales.
What are the economic benefits of solar nowcasting?
The economic value of our innovation is direct and quantifiable. By minimizing the gap between forecasted and actual solar production, INSTANT reduces imbalance penalties — a major cost component in regulated energy markets. More precise, real-time predictions also enable optimized BESS dispatch, more competitive intraday market bids, and significant reductions in backup generator fuel consumption for off-grid industrial sites. For operators facing strict DSM penalties or tight balancing obligations, better data delivered faster translates directly into improved revenue and reduced operational risk.
Is INSTANT available globally and suitable for all climates?
Yes. INSTANT is designed for worldwide deployment, with global coverage and hardware installation and maintenance capabilities ensured through CalibSun’s partnership with top-ranked hardware providers, a world-leading provider of meteorological measurement solutions. The solution is specifically engineered to deliver reliable forecasts in the most challenging weather conditions, including monsoons and other extreme climates where conventional forecasting methods fall short.
What are the economic benefits of using INSTANT?
The economic value of INSTANT is direct and quantifiable. By minimizing the difference between forecasted and actual production, solar energy producers reduce imbalance penalties — a major cost component in regulated energy markets. More precise, up-to-the-minute predictions also enable optimized BESS management, more competitive market bids, and significant reductions in fuel consumption for off-grid industrial sites. For utilities, IPPs, and energy trading platforms operating in markets that require particularly tight bids, INSTANT delivers a measurable improvement in revenue and a reduction in operational risk. The global business case is clear: better data, faster, translates directly into better economic performance.
