Australian solar forecasting innovator snapped up by EU energy giant

Norway-based independent energy expert and assurance provider DNV has acquired Sydney-based solar data and forecasting provider Solcast as it looks to expand the Australian-grown offering even further around the globe.

Solcast, which now has offices in Asia, Europe and the Americas, was founded in 2016 by former meteorologist James Luffman and solar radiation and PV modelling expert Dr Nick Engerer.

The company started out using weather data and modelling tools to plan, build, operate and optimise solar PV systems. The platform soon proved able to predict the daily output of rooftop solar systems with up to a 90 per cent probability and was integrated into the University of New South Wales-developed APVI Live Solar Map.

In 2020, the platform was live tested on the renewables-heavy South Australia grid, as part of a project backed by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency.

The 12-month trial sought to deliver high-resolution forecasts in five-minute intervals, as well as six-hour ahead forecasting, to provide more accurate information for grid operation and enhanced management of generation, energy storage, and demand response on Australia’s highest renewables network.

DNV’s Energy Transition Outlook (ETO) forecasts that by 2050 electricity production will more than double and 30% of all electricity will be drawn from solar PV.

Solcast’s data-driven approach to monitoring solar will, according to DNV, help its customers plan and later dispatch energy on demand, helping them get the most out of each panel.

The Aussie outfit can reportedly produce more than 600 million new forecasts every hour in a cloud-based environment, and provide real-time access to forecast data with a five to fifteen-minute resolution via an application programming interface (API) – a software that essentially allows two applications to interact.

In a LinkedIn Post, Solcast said it had chosen to partner with DNV “because they are as dedicated as we are to our mission.”

“DNV’s long-standing reputation for driving positive change in the industry, combined with our shared goals, make us confident that this partnership will enhance our product offerings and provide our customers with exceptional service,” the post said.

“DNV’s international scale, experience and other resources will be a huge boost to our effectiveness and impact.”

“Their status as a global and trusted voice, will help us enable energy developers and operators to navigate the complexity and change of the energy transition,” added Luffman in a separate statement.

“This partnership will bring the world’s leading solar irradiance and forecasting API to an even larger global audience, whilst maintaining the same level of service that our customers expect.”

DNV group president and CEO Remi Eriksen says Solcast appealed as “a digital native company with strong domain expertise” and trusted data-driven services.

“DNV’s Energy Transition Outlook forecasts that solar PV will grow 20-fold by 2050 and this acquisition will help us meet the sharp increase in demand for reliable data analytics and trusted monitoring systems,” Eriksen said.

“Digital products, such as those provided by Solcast, are key to unlocking the potential of solar, particularly if we are to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.”