SERENDI-PV: Solargis joins large European R&D initiative to increase the penetration and integration of photovoltaics

• SERENDI-PV (Smooth, REliable aNd Dispatchable Integration of PV in EU Grids) is a Horizon 2020 R&D project financed by the European Commission
• Budget €12 million for 4 years
• 19 consortium members from 8 countries
• Solargis will contribute to advanced PV simulation tools, data analytics and quality control
• Solargis will lead works on improved solar power forecasting
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  European Commission selected a consortium of research and R&D organisations to focus on technical innovation in photovoltaics (PV) with objectives to:

• Increase lifetime, reliability, performance and profitability of PV generation
• Increase penetration of the PV generation and improve grid stability
• Reduce LCoE (Levelized Cost of Energy) of PV

Consortium partners will make use of data and experience from hundreds of PV installations of all types and sizes, including small rooftop, commercial size and utility scale projects. The joint expertise will lead to development of improved industrial solutions:

• Advanced simulation, modeling and PV design tools
• Fault diagnostics, data analytics, quality control equipment and procedures for: (i) improved  operation and maintenance and (ii) evaluation of performance and reliability of components and systems
• Improved forecasting approaches to improve grid balancing and reduce penalties
• Smart digital models that help to exchange communication between stakeholders
• New business models for added revenue
• A collaborative platform for easier access to data sets, metadata, modelling and analytical tools, quality control and grid integration tools.

The innovations will be developed with particular attention to PV technologies that are becoming increasingly relevant on the market, such as bifacial PV, floating PV and BIPV.

Solargis contribution

Our contribution is in PV modelling tools, data analytics and data quality control. Solargis leads effort in forecasting, with the goal to reduce the uncertainty of the short-term forecasting and nowcasting models. 

New simulation and data analysis tools will help to optimize the design and operation of complex power systems and entire portfolios at large geographic scales. Data quality control tools will help to reduce uncertainty and increase reliability in performance evaluation and forecasting.

New forecasting models will help grid operators to maintain balance between variable and flexible sources. Improved forecasting will also help to optimize the patterns of electricity generation, consumption and storage. Energy producers will benefit from lowering of penalty costs. In forecasting, Solargis will contribute to:

• Improving short-term forecasting and nowcasting of aggregated PV power
• Energy evaluation and forecasting in the presence of snow, dust and extreme weather
• Improved simulation and forecasting for bifacial, floating PV and BIPV technologies
• Uncertainty reduction and cost trade-offs in forecasting

Help the project – fill the questionnaire

Please, contribute to this project by filling the 10-minute questionnaire available at https://forms.gle/xSUnBYrtzD5UBMS27 . 

The survey is completely anonymous and the results will help to prepare a document “Definition of needs from industry, evaluation of the existing simulation tools and models available on the market” which will be publicly available for download, after the official SERENDI-PV webpage will be launched at https://serendi-pv.eu.