Industry challenges
Inaccurate energy yield predictions can lead to financial miscalculations, suboptimal designs and unexpected underperformance of PV plants. Conventional modelling tools rely on empirical or semi-empirical approaches, which often:
● Struggle to accurately model complex terrain and shading effects
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● Require manual calibration and assumptions, increasing the risk of errors
● Lack real-time adaptability to new technologies like bifacial and Agri-PV systems
● Fail to integrate real-world plant conditions, such as temperature variation and albedo changes.
PVcase Yield’s Unique Approach
PVcase Yield addresses these issues through a physics-driven, digital twin-based methodology:
● 3D Digital Twin Integration: Accurately models all physical components, topography, and environmental effects in one seamless simulation.
● Advanced Ray Tracing: More precise irradiance and shading calculations, particularly for bifacial and single-axis tracker systems.
● Physics-Based Thermal & Electrical Modeling: Accounts for real-world temperature effects on module performance without manual calibration.
● Automated Cable Loss Estimation: Unlike PVsyst, which uses predefined loss factors, PVcase Yield dynamically calculates DC cable losses based on real electrical topology.
● Machine Learning for Faster Computation: AI-powered layout analysis reduces redundant calculations, making it scalable for large PV plants.
Real-world applications
PVcase Yield is ideal for utility-scale and commercial and industrial (C&I) PV developers, investors, and EPCs looking to:
● Enhance project financing confidence with more accurate yield predictions
● Optimise solar farm layouts for maximised energy generation
● Improve performance tracking and O&M decision-making using digital twin analysis
● Evaluate the financial impact of DC/AC ratio optimisation for lowest LCOE.
Availability
PVcase Yield is currently available for customers in North America, Europe, and selected global markets. The product is actively being adopted by leading solar developers and asset managers seeking a next-generation approach to energy yield simulations
PV Tech is hosting a webinar with PVcase on 19th March at 4 PM GMT. This webinar explores the transformative capabilities of PVcase Yield, a next-generation energy yield simulation tool. Attendees will gain insights into how PVcase Yield enhances accuracy in solar project assessments through its digital twin-based modelling approach.
