SolarPower Europe published the Digitalisation & Solar report, thought to be the first in-depth analysis of digital technology in solar PV in the world.
Commenting on the report, Professor Bernd Engel, SolarPower Europe Digitalisation TaskForce leader and representative of the SMA Solar Technology Board for grid integrationstated: "Digitalisation is a major opportunity for solar, not least because it is a means ofintegrating more PV into the grid, gaining system-wide benefits and new revenues for solarinstallations."
Sonia Dunlop, Policy Adviser at SolarPower Europe and lead author of the report, added: "The advent of new technologies such as big data analytics, the internet of things andblockchain allows for the emergence of entirely new solar business models. By embracingdigitalisation we can reduce costs, improve performance and increase profitability."
The report seeks to lay out how solar can make the most of the market opportunities arisingfrom digitalisation such as smart solar homes, peer-to-peer electricity trading, digitalisedmanufacturing and high-tech O&M. It looks at new and improved business models, thedigitalisation of the entire value chain from manufacturing to operations and maintenance,and digital integration of the technology into the grid.The report also contains a series of cutting edge case studies from Europe and beyond toillustrate the potential of digital in the solar sector, including:
- SMA Solar Technology’s ennexOS energy management platform and Worker Information System
- Tesla’s aggregation of Powerwalls and Powerpacks for a cleaner and more efficient grid
- SolarCoin’s use of blockchain technology to generate a record of and reward PV generation
- Siemens’s neighbourhood solar microgrid on a blockchain platform in Brooklyn
- Alectris’ ACTIS platform to optimise underperforming biaxial tracking plants
- BayWa r.e.’s infrared inspections with drones for improved performance analysis
- Alpiq’s Gridsense energy services offering combining PV, storage, heat and e-mobility
Download the report here.
Source: SolarPower Europe
