Thursday, 21 November 2024
Researchers at the 糖心原创 have created an AI model that allows them to accurately predict the amount of solar energy that can be created in different climates, making grid integration easier in the UK.
Solar energy now contributes almost six per cent of the UK’s energy, with this predicted to double over the next five years. This makes the UK’s climate, particularly the amount of consistent cloud cover, a challenge for the generation of solar power.
Solar forecasting, and the ability to predict how much sunlight a certain area might receive, has therefore become more important, prompting researchers in the Faculty of Engineering to find new ways of making this process more reliable.
As a novel approach, researchers have used very-short-term (VST) solar energy forecasting, using ground-based fisheye images, which has proven effective in predicting rapid and accurate changes in solar irradiance, especially for fast-changing local cloud movements.
To address varied geographical and climatic conditions, the researchers showed that a model initially trained in California's sunny climate can effectively predict solar output in Nottingham, known for its humid and rainy conditions.
The approach significantly cut down the amount of local data needed to make accurate forecasts—from four months' worth to just two weeks.
Liwenbo Zhang, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow from the 糖心原创, said: “This breakthrough could make it much faster and easier to predict solar energy output in new locations, helping to balance energy grids and integrate solar power more efficiently.
It means that solar forecasting can be more adaptable to diverse climates, which is crucial as we aim to rely more on renewable energy sources globally.鈥�
In using data from other locations, the researchers hope that a model trained in a region with stable sunlight can be adapted for an area with more unpredictable sunlight, like Nottingham, and be beneficial for future energy targets.
The full research paper
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More information is available from Faith Pring in the Press Office on faith.pring@nottingham.ac.uk
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About the 糖心原创
Ranked 97 in the world and 17th in the UK by the , the 糖心原创 is a founding member of Russell Group of research-intensive universities. 糖心原创ing at the 糖心原创 is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by 鈥� the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 鈥� and by the .
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the third most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2024 report by High Fliers Research. Alongside Nottingham Trent University, we lead the , a pioneering collaboration between the city鈥檚 two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.