Announcement: PVwizard is testing advanced analytic service for any solar performance monitoring data

Our analytic engine can digest any performance data, live, or through machine-machine interface via XML-API.

PVwizard beta testin g 3 key Innovations --brochure

All performance monitoring providers can now deliver analytics and instant alert messages
to their clients with timely alert on underperformance. With optional features such as
Dust accumulation, excess degradation due to aging, etc. that can be setup easily with 'in-the-background,
vigilent performance watch dog service by PVwizard, you get peace of mind.
Your maintenance provider will be notified of abnormal condition, and given recommended corrective action. Your investment will be maintained at high productivity level.

PVwizard  Intersolar Demo & Brochure Page,Press Release
Jul 09, 2012:

3 Key Innovations from Wattminder at: PVwizard.com:

  • * Hotspot detection-Diagnostics with current sensor streaming PSoC gateway
  • * Complex Irradiance Photonmeter with 9 directional components
  • * Dust-Rain model to assess degradation & cleaning schedule


Salient features of web services :
Hotspot/Partial Shading Diagnostics

  1. Low-cost Hall-effective sensor per string of modules
  2. 1-chip PSoC1 instrumentation-signal pre-processing, streaming gateway
  3. Advanced Bayesian MAP algorithm works constantly, 6-minute decision window.
  4. Detects moving or fixed geometry partial shading patterns

   Sample alert message:  “PV array ABC, string 2: Partial shading by fixed
   irregular object, resulting in 387W (22%) power loss in string.”

Complex Irradiance Photonmeter, ‘Tinman’ :

  1. Fully characterize DNI, & Diffused irradiance in 9 directional components
  2. Pyranometer with factory calibration capture DNI and much of diffused energy
  3. 8 Directional photodiodes captures 45° solid angle of shallow angle of reflected energy; characterizing local interference patterns as baseline.
  4. Able to detect cloud-enhancement pattern, as well as abnormal local shading condition.

     Sample alert message: “Irradiance vector={682, 41,44,39,42,40,32,39,41}  
     Abnormal parrtial shading from SW(225° quadrant), array output impact
     147W(-12%)”

Dust (&Rain) Tracking model:

  1. Characterize a site into 8 dust zone catagories: Urban-Tree, Urban-LoV, SubURes, SubUInd, SubUAgr, RuralFarm, & Desert
  2. Captivate pollen season
  3. Capture rain-fall history
  4. Rationalized advisory on cleaning regime

     Sample Alert message: “Array ABC (50KW, if unwashed since Apr 10, 2012)
     maybe losing 3.6KW(7.9%) of production due to dust layer. Recommend
     cleaning ASAP.”  more >> BMC 38.3KW, actual 33.1KW ..accumulated .22” of
     rain since Apr. 2012.

Other work-in-progress:  Building knowledgebase with Fault Dictionary, Conditional Probability Matrix, Knowledge discovery, datamining, crowd-sourcing, NLP for interactive Question & Answer session with visitor to ascertain issue of any web visitor.  Wattminder is seeking

____________________________________________________________________________________
Newswire 03/21/2012 10:53 AM PDT
Second Generation Analytics on solar power plants at www.PVwizard.com Silicon Valley-

Wattminder has achieved significant innovations in analytics on performance of solar power installations. In November 2007, www.pvmonitor.net was developed and offered to the public, as an on-demand, photovoltaic performance benchmark calculator. It still IS the world’s first such tool. In October 2011, we improved on the benchmark calculator with features like Air Mass correction, Tracking option, Aging, and Reflectivity and rolled out our second generation PV Performance Analytics tools, adding Performance Check, and Degradation Assessment; at www.PVwizard.com. These advanced & unique resources are still offered free to the public, during the open beta period. We are hoping our tool can be effective in helping in detecting and removing a growing problem of under-performance in solar power sites around the world, amounting to 20 GWh’s of energy (estimated $5B per year) that was NOT generated due to some unknown fault in solar power sites.
Our value proposition has been validated with 3 SBIR/STTR grants form NSF and DOE Phase I and Phase II; to study failure mechanisms in solar array, focusing on web-based algorithms to detect and diagnose hotspot failure in solar arrays, at low-cost. By using the latest in Programmable System On Chip technology from Cypress Semiconductor, our instrumentation cost for advanced diagnostic monitoring will cost less than 2.5 Cents/W, with non-disruptive installation. Our secret sauce, the Complex Irradiance Sensor, without moving part, will fully capture and characterize Sun’s energy at a PV site, in 9 directional components. We are now ready to start commercialization of our IP and build up our Web-IT-PV-Engineering enterprise with our first outside investment, of $5.5 million, expecting to achieve break-even by mid-2015.
The solar industry has grown at the whim of governent incentive program, and had achieved over-all yearly growth rate about 50%. Commercial and utility scale projects are driving megawatts of capacity being planned and in development, subject to varying delays in permitting process. In general, there has been little focus on the operations and maintenance aspects. As a result, the practice of photovoltaic generation is in many cases un-disciplined practice, with many solar installations running without oversight. Some estimate the magnitude of under-performance to the tune of 20GWhs. or roughly $5B in un-realized energy production.
Additional information are available at: ExecutiveSummary and Powerpoint presentation For further information please contact us(internal-native access).
For more information please contact: Steve Yang, P.E. President http://www.wattminder.com
             Perspectives from 'Differentiating Quality PV' Mar 8,2012                                       

I mingled with a group of VIP researchers from Sandia National Labs, NREL, and seasoned photovoltaic practitioners in San Francisco's Fairmont Hotel earlier this week.


The subtopic of the event was 'Standards and Methodology for underwriting certainty'


I think it should have been 'uncertainty'; there is no 'certainty' in long term operation of solar power sites. I stoodup and advocated that a resource similar to PVSAT-2 organized by EU and a consortium of academics and O&M service entities to provide near real-time irradiance for every square kilometer of Earth's surface on the European continent. This investment should go a long way towards solving the $5B problem of un-realized electric energy due to under-performance in solar power installations around the world.




         Oct 28, 2011

 

Ever Wonder about your solar investment?

?     Want to see what your site should be producing ?

?     Is your site under-performing? get an independent assessment

?     Has your site degraded excessively? --due to aging.

 

We can give you the answer, Beta Trial roll-out •                             

                          

Second Generation Analytics for Photovoltaic Sites

www.pvwizard.com

 

Wattminder, Inc. (Silicon Valley) proudly introduces world's first on-demand performance analytics on solar power sites.

 

We refined our 5-year old PV performance benchmark at http://www.pvmonitor.net, and added two new functions: Performance Checkup and Degradation Assessment, based on actual recorded revenue-grade power meter output, or at lower accuracy, inverter read-out. These new functions are in free trials during this beta testing period and will become paid services in 30 days.

 

Please feel free to visit and exercise these innovative features and provide critique or input by using our native email facility. Every meaningful feedback is appreciated and will be evaluated carefully. In addition, we offer special incentive --virtual site visit-assessment, for each meaningful input.

 

Thanks for your interest and trial engagement.

Sincerely,

Steve Yang, P.E. Founder

 

 

 

info'at'wattminder'dot'com 408-306-5803

 

Wattminder, the leader in Analytics for solar power --awardee of 3 SBIR grants on diagnostics for photovoltaics

Wattminder Newsletter:                                                                           Oct.2011 Update

Highlights:
The following are snippets of features or IP being developed by Wattminder :
  *  Complex Irradiance Photonmeter that captures full(9) irradiance components at a solar power site
  *  Array string current characterization performed in the analog DC & spectral and digital domains
  *  Diagnostic algorithms for fault detection in real-time • in collaboration with Carnegie Mellon University-West

  *  On-demand analytics on solar power sites to any web visitor

  *  Android App • PVwzard that  presents a rich, friendly, fun user-interface to our PV benchmark calculator

Market Intelligence:
Tidbits from colleagues who visited the SPI2011 in Dallas, TX points to the facts (evolving
trends in product features and monitoring service offerings in solar power)
  *  Monitoring is becoming truly a commodity, only few booths for pure-play
    monitoring service --ArgusOn-SPX, AlsoEnergy, PowerAnalytics, Noveda, and MeteoControl
  *  Competition to watch, AlsoEnergy.com '..industry’s only complete client-customized
    web application, .. reduce risk, improve energy supply chain transparency

  *  Competition  among  inverter manufacturers are getting fierce, there were huge exhibit boots

      from Schneider-Xantrex, Advanced Energy, SunnyBoy-SMA, Power-one


Development Accomplishments:           (& responsible wattminder)

  *  DOE grant task with CMU to develop a web-based PV array diagnostic platform has achieved
     the World's most instrumented solar array --918 sensors on a 24-module array;
     including 864 temperature sensors, Pyranometers, voltage and 4 current sensors.
     It is undergoing final integration and check-out phase, while diagnostic algorithms are being
    developed.                                                                (Dan, Bob, Jin)
  *  Our separate Wattminder designed analog processing front-end, based on PSOC5 from Cypress
     Semi.  also unique in it's adoption of System-on-chip technology that does local analog
     processing on string current, voltage, &  Irridiance, temperature sensors that will feed state
     parameters to algorithms running in our web-server           (Steve, Dennis, Bob, Jin)
  *  PVwizard.com, our second-generation analytics for photovoltaic performance at solar sites,
     had been rolled out as a public beta trial.  It offers enhanced benchmark calculator(BMC),  Performance
     Check, & Degradation Assessment.  It is based on 'freemium' business model, where BMC will
     always be free, after the beta, the other services will require $10 and $20 fee per incidence.
                                                                        
  *  Android App-SV, PVwizard  our mobile access front-end is in its final development stage.  It
    will greatly simplify the data-entry to our BMC by automating and facilitating parameter acquisition,
     to entice habitual engagement with our server.  With over 200Million smart phones in use,
    it is a must to put our analytic resources out there to check up on 230,000 PV sites around
    the world.                                                                 (Eric, supporting the Android-SV consultants)
  *  Complex Irradiance Phontonmeter, our Tinman coupled with an Android App, is under
    contract with a group near Boston MA.  Dennis will hand-off a demo hardware next week.
  *  We are also developing a Dust & Rain tracking database that will assess the effect of Dust on

     performance of an array in our database.       (William)
  *  We are building up a database on Angel and Venture investors who maybe more sympathetic
    to solar power, involving IT, and alanlytics       (Doah, Steve)

Current Development Focus:                           (responsible wattminder)
  *  Add community features to our PVwizard and Wattminder sites, such as
  1.  Blogging at PVwizard site, evolving into a forum, for idea sharing and education
  2.  Useful resources for PV, a page with links and abstract about other resources for PV
      owners and operators.                                             (Eric, Jin, Steve)
  *  Real-time IV Chart  analyzer, This resources got splintered through turn-over and server changes.  

     It is still a Wattminder-unique capability and will be revived soon.             (Dennis, Zoneson, Eric)
  *  Paypal-Pro capability to be implemented for our revenue service of PVwizard.com,
  scheduled Nov 19, 2011.                                                             (Eric, also Android team)
  *  CPV and CSP oversight monitoring capability is being explored  (Prof. Rhee, Steve)
  *  A new market, a real need and a challenge for Wattminder, --
     How can we assess the financial risk of a proposed large, utility scale PV project?
  This is a true niche market.  Targets are investors and would-be investors, or joint
  venturers --Bankers, Private Equity managers are a different group of entities whose
  language is not familiar to us.  These are the people who determine if a project gets its
  life started!  To them it is a new field, different from other endeavors, such as franchise
  business, traditional power plants, or oil-exploration.  They need help with some
  quantization of financial risk of a proposed PV project at a site.  Many projects
  don't get approved, because they won't support a project, on account of unknown
  financial risk.                                                                   (Steve, Becker, Powers )