Predicted: Photovoltaic Plant Performance

Reliable, scientific prediction of a solar power plant's energy production is of greatest importance for owners, utilities, and project financiers. In this issue of Joule , Peters and colleagues present a highly accurate method to predict solar-energy production using open-source climate data. The authors have validated the model with field data for two different types of photovoltaic (PV) panels. The results confirm that the average air humidity in a given geography can have significant impact on a respective solar panel's performance due to spectral effects—based on physics currently overlooked in leading commercial prediction tools.