Amarenco Group

For large-scale solar power plants developers like AMARENCO’s 100 MW project, accurate solar resource assessment is a key condition for securing project financing and optimizing grid integration. FUTURE delivers the calibrated irradiance measurements that solar energy developers need to strengthen their business model and debt financing, reducing financial risk, and contributing to a cleaner energy future.

AMARENCO chooses FUTURE for its future major projects

AMARENCO's PV project

AMARENCO has chosen to use FUTURE to validate the solar potential prior to the development of a 100MW photovoltaic power plant

As the integration of renewable energy sources accelerates across national electricity grids, accurately assessing the solar resources available at a given site has become a standard prerequisite for any utility-scale solar power generation project. The challenges of relying solely on satellite data sources are well-documented: systematic bias, limited spatial resolution, and insufficient consideration of local conditions can all lead to unreliable generation capacity estimates and financial difficulties.

FUTURE revolutionizes best practices for estimating the yield of a site in the context of developing photovoltaic power plant projects. This turnkey service provides a Typical Meteorological Year (TMY) closest to reality through a one-year on-site measurement campaign and data processing. It allows for the consideration of local meteorological specificities to build a more reliable Yield Report (production estimate). FUTURE contributed to consolidating the financial profitability of the project by optimizing the risk profile – enabling significant cost savings through improved financing conditions and playing an important role in strengthening the overall sustainability of the project’s energy management strategy.

From September 2022 to September 2023, the FUTURE‘s cabin was installed on the site of the photovoltaic power plant to be developed, and the calibrating service was operated during this period. The 12-month duration of the campaign was carefully designed to capture the full range of seasonal meteorological conditions, ensuring comprehensive and representative solar electricity generation data.

Integrating an autonomous and turnkey measurement cabin and an academically validated calibration algorithm, FUTURE reduced the inaccuracies of satellite data, related to their resolution of several km², by correcting them using meteorological data collected on-site.

CalibSun enabled AMARENCO to upwardly reassess the P50 and significantly reduce the gap between P90 and P50. Reducing this gap optimized financing conditions and thus significantly improved the intrinsic profitability of the photovoltaic project.

The Project

Measurement Cabin

CALIBSUN designed a unique measurement cabin: self-sufficient in energy and integrating all the instruments necessary for a quality campaign. The data is acquired by reference sensors, calibrated and regularly cleaned.

Measurements are recorded every 5 minutes: sunlight, temperature, wind, rainfall, soiling, etc. The cabin, installed for 12 months in parallel with the impact study conducted by AMARENCO, did not require administrative declaration. Powered by photovoltaic modules, it includes batteries, sized to avoid any risk of data loss even during prolonged periods of low sunlight.

In addition to collecting essential data for the study, we have successfully met the challenge of recording and communicating data, despite the remote location of the site. Through satellite communication several times a day with our recovery servers, we were able to guarantee reliable data retrieval, with a measurement availability exceeding 99%. We ensured real-time monitoring and transmission of alerts to our partner SPIE, responsible for on-site maintenance.

Data Calibration

The project required the development of a calibration solution, the culmination of 10 years of research leading to several scientific publications. Differences between on-site observation and satellite observation are corrected through the measurement campaign associated with an algorithm using a quantile mapping calibration methodology. It corrects bias in the entire satellite history to obtain a robust and reliable Yield Report, closest to reality.

The solution was previously validated by comparison with several independent and reputable satellite databases. Loïc Yezeguelian, expert in solar resource and data processing, explains: “In order to validate our methodology and the relevance of data calibration, we carried out additional specific developments allowing us to understand and model uncertainties before/after calibration. All of these developments have led to the development of a relevant and robust calibration algorithm, reliable for estimating the P50 and refining the P90 on any geographical site.”

Outcome

Testimonial

The measurement campaign and calibration have precisely improved yield estimates, thus facilitating technical and contractual exchanges.

The design of the cabin allowed for a one-year local measurement campaign, with comprehensive, representative data validated by quality control. The performance of the calibration algorithm was optimal thanks to the quality of the measured data, leading to an increase in GHI of +1.5% compared to the reference satellite database used by technical advisors.

In September 2023, CALIBSUN provided calibrated data, ready to be used in the yield study, to obtain a P50 and a P90 closer to reality. This data will optimize project financing by increasing borrowing capacity.

Discover FUTURE

Accurate solar resource assessment is critical to the bankability and success of any solar energy project. The quality of your solar radiation data directly shapes investor confidence, financing conditions, and long-term energy production forecasting.

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Frequently asked questions

Why is solar resource assessment a key challenge for utility-scale renewable energy projects?

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How does FUTURE’s solar resource calibration technology help optimize the financing and yield projections of solar projects?