Samenvatting

A detailed solar prediction is necessary in case of particular cloudiness-patterns causing undesirable large fluctuations in photovoltaic electricity production. By considering the project objectives and expected outcomes, as well as the fact that the motion of the clouds is the key element that influences solar irradiance, the project focused on predicting cloud motion at an intra-hour temporal resolution. This report describes possible solutions to develop a Solar Predictor system in order to find a suitable method for anticipating the times when solar irradiance is at its peak depending on the motion of the clouds. Furthermore, it provides details about the fact that Camera Detection technology in combination with background reduction and motion tracking algorithms is the most suitable prediction method, as well as it gives indications regarding its development and application in a real-life situation. The testing in a real environment allowed the implemented system to achieve predictions for time intervals up to one minute in advance and demonstrated that cloud motion and solar irradiance can be predicted at an intra-hour temporal resolution for time intervals up to one minute, even when lower resources and significantly less time for acquiring data and validation are allocated.