Cloud-tracking system enters the market

An advanced cloud-tracking system, developed by Fulcrum3D, has been sold to utility-scale solar customers for the first time.

The announcement comes off the back of a pilot project supported by $569,200 in funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).

As explained by ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht, the CloudCAM cloud tracker enables cheaper renewable energy by forecasting the power output of solar photovoltaic (PV) plants. The system “uses ground-mounted cameras to track cloud movements”, he said, “and can even track clouds that are layered at different altitudes and moving at different speeds”.

“Cloud tracking allows solar power output to be accurately forecasted before cloud shadows move across solar panels,” Frischknecht said.

“This reduces the need for battery storage and informs market bidding, ultimately increasing solar energy yield, resulting in cheaper power.”

According to Fulcrum3D Technical Director Colin Bonner, three new commercial solar sites across Australia have purchased CloudCAMs in the last month, including two sites owned by renewable energy company Epuron.

“The two Epuron sites at Ti Tree and Kalkarindji in the Northern Territory are the first high-penetration PV power stations in Australia to use cloud forecasting to smooth solar power output,” said Bonner.

“CloudCAM has been successfully integrated into the control systems at the two power stations, enabling autonomous operation.

“In addition to increasing revenue, the integration of CloudCAM at the Ti Tree site has seen a significantly lower demand for energy from its storage system, reducing cycling of the batteries and increasing battery life.”

Bonner additionally revealed that the company has begun trials on advanced sensors which “aim to increase CloudCAM’s predictive capability in utility-scale solar power stations with large geographical footprints”. These trials are also being supported by ARENA.