A method and apparatus for estimating capacity of a system including an energy generation system, an energy storage system or both. The method and apparatus initially estimate the system capacity based on a facility location and size. The initial estimate may be adjusted through adjustment of at least one parameter. An updated capacity estimate is generated and displayed.

Disclosed herein is a technique of configuring flexible photovoltaic tracker systems with high damping and low angle stow positions. Under dynamic environmental loads implementing a high amount of damping (e.g., greater than 25% of critical damping, greater than 50% of critical damping) or a very high amount of damping (e.g., 100% or greater of critical damping, infinite damping) enables the flexible tracker system to prevent problematic aeroelastic behaviors while positioned in a low stow angle. The disclosed technique is further applied to a prototyping process during wind tunnel testing.

A method for controlling the orientation of a single-axis solar tracker (1) orientable about an axis of rotation (A), said method repetitively completing successive control phases, where each control phase implements the following successive steps: a) observing the cloud coverage above the solar tracker (1); b) comparing the observed cloud coverage with cloud coverage models stored in a database, each cloud coverage model being associated to an orientation setpoint value of the solar tracker; c) matching the observed cloud coverage with a cloud coverage model; d) servo-controlling the orientation of the solar tracker by applying the orientation setpoint value associated to said cloud coverage model retained during step c). The present invention finds application in the field of solar trackers.

The solar energy and solar farms are used to generate energy and reduce dependence on oil (or for environmental purposes). The maintenance, operation, optimization, and repairs in big farms become very difficult, expensive, and inefficient, using human technicians. Thus, here, we teach using the robots with various functions and components, in various settings, for various purposes, to improve operations in big (or hard-to-access) farms, to automate, save money, reduce human mistakes, increase efficiency, or scale the solutions to very large scales or areas, e.g., for repair, operation, calibration, testing, maintenance, adjustment, cleaning, improving the efficiency, and tracking the Sun.

A solar panel system comprises a base, the base attached to a building at a geographic location; a rotating crown having a rotating mechanism, the base supporting the crown; a solar panel device attached to the crown, the solar panel device having an exposed surface, the shapes of the base, crown and solar panel device positioning the exposed surface in a sloped orientation relative to a horizontal plane at the geographic location, the rotating mechanism rotating the solar panel device, the base and crown shapes positioning the rotating mechanism to rotate about an axis perpendicular to the horizontal plane and to maintain a consistent slope relative to the horizontal plane as the exposed surface rotates; and a control system controlling rotation from a first azimuthal direction to a second azimuthal direction that faces the exposed surface towards the Sun more normally than the first azimuthal direction.

A method and apparatus for estimating capacity of a system including an energy generation system, an energy storage system or both. The method and apparatus initially estimate the system capacity based on a facility location and size. The initial estimate may be adjusted through adjustment of at least one parameter. An updated capacity estimate is generated and displayed.

A method and apparatus for estimating capacity of a system including an energy generation system, an energy storage system or both. The method and apparatus initially estimate the system capacity based on a facility location and size. The initial estimate may be adjusted through adjustment of at least one parameter. An updated capacity estimate is generated and displayed.

A device comprises a platform constructed and arranged to be mounted to one or more solar array modules and one or more solar irradiance sensors on the platform configured to receive incident solar energy, the one or more solar irradiance sensors oriented on the platform so that the received incident solar energy is comparable to that received by the solar array modules, the one or more solar irradiance sensors providing solar irradiance signals in response to the incident solar energy. A processor is on the platform, the processor configured to receive the solar irradiance signals and, in response, generating a performance reference metric based on the solar irradiance signals, the performance reference metric related to the expected performance of the one or more solar array modules to which the platform is mounted. A transmitter is on the platform, the transmitter configured to periodically transmit the performance reference metric to a receiver.

A method and apparatus for estimating capacity of a system including an energy generation system, an energy storage system or both. The method and apparatus initially estimate the system capacity based on a facility location and size. The initial estimate may be adjusted through adjustment of at least one parameter. An updated capacity estimate is generated and displayed.

A monitoring system that is configured to monitor a property is disclosed. The monitoring system includes a sensor that is configured to generate sensor data that reflects an attribute of the property; a solar panel that is configured to generate and output power; and a monitor control unit. The monitor control unit is configured to: monitor the power outputted by the solar panel; determine that the power outputted by the solar panel has deviated from an expected power range; based on determining that the power outputted by the solar panel has deviated from the expected power range, access the sensor data; based on the power outputted by the solar panel and the sensor data, determine a likely cause of the deviation from the expected power range; and determine an action to perform to remediate the likely cause of the deviation from the expected power range.