How to Check Available Runs with the alitiq Solar API 🌤️¶

The alitiq Solar API allows you to check available forecast runs for your Solar PV systems. This endpoint provides flexibility in choosing a weather model and forecast data, ensuring your needs are met while emphasizing the OPTIMIZED weather model for the most accurate predictions.

Overview¶

Forecast runs represent the calculations of solar energy production based on various weather models. You can query which runs are available for a specific Solar PV system and select the model that best suits your application.

Why Multiple Weather Models? 🤔¶

alitiq offers several weather models to provide users with options tailored to their specific use cases. These models are sourced from leading global meteorological agencies, each with unique strengths for different geographical regions and forecast requirements.

Supported Weather Models¶

Weather Model	Provider	Description
ncep_gfs_025	NCEP (USA)	Global Forecast System (GFS), providing global coverage with reliable accuracy.
arpege	MeteoFrance (FR)	ARPEGE, a regional weather model from France with a focus on European regions.
harmonie_dini	DMI (Denmark)	HARMONIE-AROME, a high-resolution weather model tailored for Europe.
metoffice_um_global	Met Office (UK)	Unified Model (UM) Global, offering accurate forecasts with broad coverage.
icon_d2	DWD (Germany)	ICON-D2, a high-resolution short-term forecast model for central Europe.
icon_eu	DWD (Germany)	ICON-EU, a regional weather model offering enhanced resolution for Europe.
icon_global	DWD (Germany)	ICON Global, the global version of the ICON model offering comprehensive coverage.
optimized	alitiq	(Default) Proprietary model combining strengths of various weather sources with historical performance.

Why Use the OPTIMIZED Weather Model?¶

The OPTIMIZED weather model combines the strengths of various sources and integrates localized performance data, making it our recommended option. It represents our best estimate for accurate and reliable solar energy forecasting.

Required Parameters¶

To check available forecast runs, provide the following:

Parameter	Type	Description	Default
`location_id`	`str`	Unique identifier of the location.	None
`weather_model`	`str` (Optional)	Name of the weather model (e.g., `optimized`, `icon_eu`, `ncep_gfs_025`).	OPTIMIZED

Example: Check Available Runs¶

Here’s how to check available forecast runs using the forecast/check endpoint or the check_available_runs method of the python SDK:

python requestsalitiq-pycURL

import requests

url = "https://solar.alitiq.com/forecast/check"

querystring = {"weather_model":"icon_eu", "location_id": "1", "number_of_runs": 10}

payload = ""
headers = {"x-api-key": "api-key"}

response = requests.request("GET", url, data=payload, headers=headers, params=querystring)

print(response.text)

from alitiq import alitiqSolarAPI

# Initialize the API client
solar_api = alitiqSolarAPI(api_key="your-api-key")

# Define the location ID and optional weather model
location_id = "SP123"

# Check available forecast runs
available_runs = solar_api.check_available_runs(location_id=location_id, weather_model="OPTIMIZED")

# Print the available runs
print("Available forecast runs:")
print(available_runs)

curl --request GET \
  --url 'https://solar.alitiq.com/forecast/check?weather_model=icon_eu&location_id=1&number_of_runs=10' \
  --header 'x-api-key: api-key'

API Response¶

The response includes the list of available forecast runs:

|      run_id      |  dt_run_start   |  dt_forecast_start  | weather_model   |  
|-------------------|-----------------|---------------------|-----------------|  
| 00123456789abcdef | 2024-06-10T08:00| 2024-06-10T10:00    | OPTIMIZED       |  
| 00123456789ghijkl | 2024-06-10T14:00| 2024-06-10T16:00    | icon-eu         |

Best Practices¶

Choose the OPTIMIZED Model: While other models may suit specific needs, we strongly recommend the OPTIMIZED model for its superior accuracy.
Verify Run Availability: Always check the available runs before attempting to retrieve forecast data to ensure data freshness.
Use Recent Runs: For better accuracy, use the most recent run available.

Notes¶

Custom Weather Models: Specify other models like meteofrance_arpege or icon-global if needed for specific comparisons or analyses.
Data Freshness: New runs are typically generated at regular intervals; check often for updates.
Optimized Performance: The API is designed to handle large portfolios, ensuring that checking runs for multiple locations is efficient.

For further assistance, reach out to support@alitiq.com. 🌟