Curtailment Monitoring and Quantification in Solar PV Plants
The Context
In many countries, the growing adoption of non-dispatchable renewable sources such as solar is accompanied by a significant increase in curtailment, also known as constrained-off. This happens when generation exceeds what the grid infrastructure can absorb, leading to lost production. Curtailment can sharply reduce energy output and affect plant profitability.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), in the main renewable energy markets average curtailment ranges from 1.5% to 4% of annual production, reaching up to 90% in extreme situations. Monitoring and quantifying these losses is essential to optimize performance and inform operating and expansion strategies.
The Solution
Delfos offers an advanced data analytics platform that identifies curtailment situations and quantifies energy losses in real time. Our Energy Losses tool correlates the production target with measured data and breaks losses down in a waterfall chart, using the site's operational data.
In the analysis of a specific solar plant, for example, we identified that over a 15-day period the plant suffered curtailment of 2,181.50 MWh, equal to 38.60% of the production target for that period.
Our system lets asset managers and performance teams see exactly which sites are most affected and understand the overall impact on the portfolio, giving a clear view for faster and more effective decisions.
Results
Through the use of Delfos' AI, the plant identified a high level of curtailment, which allowed the management team to adjust operations to minimize future losses. Continuous monitoring provided greater visibility of energy losses and enabled a proactive response to mitigate the effects on production targets.
Conclusion
Investing in advanced monitoring solutions, such as the Delfos platform, is essential to optimize solar energy production and ensure efficient operation over the long term. The ability to detect curtailment proactively and quantify its losses leads to better profitability for solar plant operators and greater visibility of operations for stakeholders.
Benefits
- Real-time detection and quantification of curtailment
- Higher operational efficiency
- Better visibility for strategic decisions
- Lower energy losses and maximized production
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