Solar-PV power forecasting locations¶
Welcome to the alitiq Solar Power Forecasting API! This guide explains how to create a location for a PV power plant, including subsystems for each unique combination of azimuth and tilt.
Key Concepts 📚¶
In the alitiq Solar API, a PV power plant is represented as a location with one or more subsystems. Each subsystem corresponds to a unique configuration of azimuth and tilt of the PV modules. By defining these subsystems, the API ensures precise forecasting for the entire power plant.
Subsystems¶
- A subsystem is defined by:
- Azimuth: Orientation of the module relative to true north (in degrees, South 180°).
- Tilt: Angle of the module from the horizontal plane (in degrees).
- Power Capacity: Installed capacity of the modules in the subsystem (in kW).
- installed_power: The capacity of all modules per subsystem in the power plant.
-
inverter_power: The capacity of the inverters per subsystem in the power plant.
-
Each unique combination of azimuth and tilt requires a separate subsystem for accurate forecasting.
Add a new PV systems to your portfolio 🚀¶
To add a new location to your portfolio, you have to use the pv_systems/add/ endpoint.
import requests
url = "https://api.alitiq.com/solar/pv_systems/add/"
payload = [
{
"location_id": "12",
"site_name": "test_2",
"latitude": 48.9,
"longitude": 10.3,
"installed_power": 320,
"installed_power_inverter": 300,
"azimuth": 180,
"tilt": 13,
"temp_factor": 0.033,
"mover": 1
},
{
"location_id": "12",
"site_name": "test_2",
"latitude": 48.9,
"longitude": 10.3,
"installed_power": 320,
"installed_power_inverter": 300,
"azimuth": 180,
"tilt": 15,
"temp_factor": 0.033,
"mover": 1
}
]
headers = {"Content-Type": "application/json", "x-api-key": {api-key}}
response = requests.request("POST", url, json=payload, headers=headers)
print(response.text)
from alitiq import alitiqSolarAPI, SolarPowerPlantModel
# Initialize the API client
solar_api = alitiqSolarAPI(api_key="your-api-key")
# Define the PV power plant with subsystems
plant = SolarPowerPlantModel(
site_name="My Solar Plant",
location_id="SP123",
latitude=48.160170,
longitude=10.55907,
installed_power=1000.0,
installed_power_inverter=950.0,
azimuth=180.0,
tilt=25.0,
)
# Create the location
response = solar_api.create_location(plant)
print("Location created:", response)
curl --request POST \
--url https://api.alitiq.com/solar/pv_systems/add/ \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--header 'x-api-key: {api-key}' \
--data '[
{
"location_id": "12",
"site_name": "test_2",
"latitude": 48.9,
"longitude": 10.3,
"installed_power": 320,
"installed_power_inverter": 300,
"azimuth": 180,
"tilt": 13,
"temp_factor": 0.033,
"mover": 0
},
{
"location_id": "12",
"site_name": "test_2",
"latitude": 48.9,
"longitude": 10.3,
"installed_power": 320,
"installed_power_inverter": 300,
"azimuth": 180,
"tilt": 15,
"temp_factor": 0.033,
"mover": 0
}
]'
Note
After you have created your first or new pv system, it takes up to 6 hours to receive a first forecast under optimized. When you do not provide measurement data, the optimized is just a baseline forecast. No optimisation was done int htat case. Baseline forecast under icon_eu or icon_global is available with a delay of 5 minutes after creation.
Optimized forecast are available the next day in case you have provided measurement data from the system.
Tracking system¶
Tracking systems are more advanced components in PV system modeling and require additional configuration details to accurately simulate system behavior.
The supported tracking types are:
- No Tracking:
0or1 - Single Axis Tracking (Vertical Axis):
2(Note: This is very rare and currently not supported.) - Single Axis Tracking (Horizontal Axis):
3(This is the most common type.) - Dual Axis Tracking:
4(Rare, but supported.)
Dual Axis Tracking¶
For dual-axis systems, no additional geometric parameters are needed. The modules follow the sun's position in both azimuth and zenith, offering optimal irradiance capture throughout the day.
Single Axis Tracking¶
For horizontal single-axis tracking systems (type 3), the following parameters must be provided:
-
table_length: Length of the PV table (in meters) -
height: Height of the rotation axis of the pv table (in metres) -
row_distance: Distance between adjacent tracker rows (in meters) These two parameters are used to calculate the Ground Coverage Ratio (GCR). -
do_backtracking: Boolean flag indicating whether backtracking is enabled (Backtracking reduces shading between rows during early morning and late afternoon.) -
max_rotation_angle: The maximum rotation angle (in degrees) allowed for the tracker
System Alignment Notes¶
Adapt the following parameters based on your system configuration:
- If your tracker rows are aligned north-south (most common), set the
azimuthororientationto 180° - For systems installed on flat ground, set the
tiltto 0°
Inspect your portfolio¶
After setting up your portfolio or to check out existing locations, you can use the pv_systems/list/ endpoint.
Example response json:
{
"columns": [
"location_id",
"altitude",
"latitude",
"longitude",
"site_name",
"zip_code",
"country",
"do_backtracking",
"row_distance",
"tso_area",
"subsystem_id",
"installed_power",
"installed_power_inverter",
"temp_factor",
"azimuth",
"tilt",
"mover",
"height",
"table_length",
"max_rotation_angle"
],
"index": [
0,
1,
2,
3
],
"data": [
[
"1",
126.95,
50.06,
8.83,
"Obertshausen",
"63179",
"DE",
false,
null,
"Amprion",
5599,
709.3,
636.0,
0.03,
195.0,
10.0,
1,
null,
null,
null
],
[
"1",
126.95,
50.06,
8.83,
"Obertshausen",
"63179",
"DE",
false,
null,
"Amprion",
5759,
999.38,
480.0,
0.03,
180.0,
15.0,
1,
null,
null,
null
],
[
"4507",
557.75,
48.9,
10.3,
"test_2",
null,
null,
null,
null,
null,
5796,
320.0,
300.0,
0.03,
50.0,
15.0,
1,
null,
null,
null
]
]
}
In the response of your portfolio you might find additional information that you have not defined e.g. the TSO-Area or a ZIP Code. These information are defined by alitiq.
In case you use the html- Response of the API the systems will be shown in a table like this:
Delete system from your portfolio¶
In case you want to delete a pv-system from your portfolio, you can simply use a POST request to the endpoint pv_systems/delete/ it. Please use your individually defined location_id to delete the system:
FAQs ❓¶
Which temp_factor should I use?¶
The temperature factor (temp_factor) accounts for the temperature-related efficiency loss of PV systems. Use the appropriate value based on the type of mounting for accurate forecasting.
| System Type | Description | Temp Factor (temp_factor) |
|---|---|---|
| Free-Mounted Systems | Modules mounted on open frames with good ventilation | 0.03 |
| Roof-Mounted Systems | Modules mounted on roofs with moderate ventilation | 0.035 |
| Roof-Integrated Systems | Modules integrated into the roof with limited ventilation | 0.05 |
What if my power plant has only one subsystem?¶
You can omit the subsystems field and define the azimuth, tilt, and installed_power at the plant level.
Can I update the location later?¶
Currently not, this feature is under development. Please delete the system and re-configure it.
Support & Feedback 💬¶
- Contact Support: support@alitiq.com
🌟 Start forecasting smarter with alitiq today! 🌟