In this document
We will explain the importance of PV performance monitoring in PV projects, outline best practices, and provide insights into Solargis approach to this service.
Introduction to PV performance monitoring
As solar energy’s role in the power sector grows, ensuring that photovoltaic (PV) systems operate at their expected capacity is critical for project success. PV performance monitoring is the systematic process of collecting, analyzing, and benchmarking real-world PV output against modeled expectations. This process is essential for maintaining plant reliability, maximizing economic returns, and providing transparency to stakeholders.
Importance of PV performance monitoring
Operational reliability: Continuous monitoring enables operators to verify that PV plants are performing as designed. Early detection of underperformance—whether due to equipment faults, soiling, or environmental factors—minimizes downtime and supports proactive maintenance.
Financial optimization: Accurate performance data ensures that energy production aligns with contractual obligations, helping asset owners avoid penalties and maximize revenue. Investors and lenders rely on transparent monitoring to assess project health and long-term viability.
Portfolio management: Standardized monitoring across multiple sites allows for effective benchmarking, helping owners identify best practices, optimize maintenance, and prioritize investments across their portfolios.
Best practices in PV performance monitoring
Following is a list of best practices for optimal PV performance monitoring:
Independent, high-quality data: Use third-party, bankable data sources—such as satellite-derived irradiance and weather data—to ensure objective performance assessment and support contractual requirements.
Automated, gap-free data streams: Choose platforms that deliver continuous, error-free data, minimizing manual intervention and reducing the risk of missed anomalies.
Regular performance benchmarking: Compare actual production against modeled expectations, adjusting for local weather conditions to isolate technical performance.
Comprehensive reporting: Provide clear, actionable reports summarizing key metrics (e.g., Performance Ratio, specific yield, irradiance), contextualized with long-term averages.
Integration with asset management workflows: Ensure monitoring data is compatible with operational and financial systems, supporting timely decision-making and streamlined reporting.
The Solargis approach
At Solargis, we employ a comprehensive approach to PV performance monitoring, combining advanced data sources and rigorous quality control to provide accurate and reliable insights. Our process is designed to support efficient plant operation, transparent reporting, and long-term asset optimization.
Data collection and quality control
We collect historical and real-time data from satellite-based sources and ground measurements. Rigorous quality control ensures data integrity, providing a reliable foundation for performance assessment.
Performance benchmarking and loss detection
Solargis Monitor calculated site-specific metrics, such as Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI) and power output of the PV power plant, from accurate and unbiased Solargis data. This enables rapid identification of underperformance and supports root cause analysis—distinguishing between weather-related and technical losses.
Automated reporting
Automated monthly and annual reports summarize key indicators—Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI), Global Tilted Irradiance (GTI), temperature, and precipitation.
Portfolio-wide insights
Standardized data formats enable efficient benchmarking and analysis across multiple plants, supporting strategic asset management and transparent stakeholder communication.
Comparing Solargis with leading PV performance monitoring providers
The PV performance monitoring landscape features several advanced solutions, each offering unique approaches to data acquisition, benchmarking, and operational insight. Below is a structured comparison of Solargis and four major competitors: Solcast, Meteonorm, and SolarAnywhere.
Key competitors
Solargis: Provides satellite-derived performance data at up to 90 m spatial resolution, with coverage for the past 12 months up to the current day. Real-time data updates are available as frequently as every 5 minutes. Solargis delivers over 40 solar, meteorological, environmental, and power production parameters—including clear-sky and probabilistic ranges—via API, SFTP, and email, supporting both operational and long-term performance analysis.
Solcast: Delivers high-frequency solar irradiance and PV power forecasts with 90 m spatial resolution (downscaled from 1–2 km). Data spans the past 7 days up to 14 days ahead, with real-time updates every 5 minutes. More than 20 parameters are provided, including clear-sky and probabilistic ranges, accessible via API.
Meteonorm: Offers global meteorological data on a 0.5° grid (~55 km), supporting historical and real-time analysis from the past 7 days up to the current hour. Data updates every 15 minutes, with time resolutions down to 1 minute. Key parameters include a comprehensive set of irradiance types (GHI, DNI, DHI, GTI, BTI, DTI), PV production, temperature, and snow. Data is delivered via API.
SolarAnywhere: Provides enhanced 1 km × 1 km spatial resolution. Data covers the past 45 days up to the current hour, updating every 15 minutes. Time resolutions include 15-min, 30-min, and hourly intervals. At least 15 solar, meteorological, and power production parameters are available, with access via API and dashboard.
Feature | Solargis | Solcast | Meteonorm | SolarAnywhere |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Spatial resolution | Up to 90 m (satellite-based) | 90 m (downscaled from 1–2 km) | 0.5° grid (~55 km) | 1 km x 1 km (enhanced) |
Time range | Past 12 months up to the current day | Past 7 days up to 14 days ahead | Past 7 days up to the current hour | Past 45 days up to the current hour |
Update rate of real-time data | Up to 5 minutes | Up to 5 minutes | Up to 15 minutes | Up to 15 minutes |
Time resolution | 5/10/15-min, hourly, daily | 5–15 min (live), hourly, daily | 1-min, 15-min, hourly, daily | 15-min, 30-min, hourly |
Provided parameters | 40+ solar, meteo, environmental, and power production parameters; | 20+ solar, meteo, environmental, and power production parameters; | GHI (incl. clear-sky), DNI, DHI, GTI, BTI, DTI, PV production, temperature, snow | 15+ solar (incl. clear-sky irradiance), meteo, and power production parameters |
Data delivery methods | API, SFTP, email | API | API | API, dashboard |
Key differentiators
Each provider offers distinct advantages in PV performance monitoring, but several key differences emerge:
Solargis Monitor delivers globally consistent, gap-free, and highly accurate satellite-derived performance data at fine spatial resolution (up to 90 m). Its broad parameter set and flexible delivery methods make it especially valuable for portfolio management and remote site monitoring.
Solcast specializes in high-frequency, site-specific forecasts and monitoring, with strong dashboard integration and historical forecast data retention. This is particularly useful for operational monitoring and short-term performance checks, though its time range is more limited compared to Solargis.
Meteonorm excels in generating long-term meteorological data series for comprehensive performance analysis and simulations globally. Its flexible data management supports a wide range of modeling scenarios, though its spatial resolution is coarser than Solargis or Solcast.
SolarAnywhere offers enhanced spatial resolution (1 km × 1 km) and a solid set of solar and meteorological parameters, with convenient API and dashboard access. Its focus is on recent historical data and operational analytics.
Solargis stands out for its combination of the highest spatial resolution, the most comprehensive parameter set (including probabilistic and clear-sky ranges), and the longest historical time range (past 12 months up to the current day). Automated, gap-free benchmarking and multiple delivery options (API, SFTP, email) make it uniquely suited for both real-time operations and long-term portfolio analysis. While other providers excel in specific niches—such as Solcast’s operational flexibility, Meteonorm’s long-term simulations, or SolarAnywhere’s dashboard integration—Solargis offers the most balanced and versatile solution, supporting accuracy, consistency, and seamless integration for asset managers, operators, and analysts seeking reliable PV performance insights.