Satellite-Derived Irradiance Data for PV Performance Assessments in High Latitudes
Year: 2025
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: The rapid adoption of photovoltaic (PV) systems in Nordic countries, has made accurate performance evaluation increasingly important. In Finland, microgenerators below 1 MW now collectively exceed 1 GW, and large-scale PV plants are being considered as part of the national energy strategy. Reliable performance assessments help verify energy yield, identify operational issues, and support planning for future installations. A key challenge is the limited availability of high-resolution meteorological data. Ground-based measurements are sparse and often located far from PV sites, reducing their usefulness for site-specific analysis. Satellite-derived solar radiation data offers a promising alternative, but its accuracy can be affected by latitude. Above 60° N, where many Finnish PV systems are located, geostationary satellite coverage becomes less precise, potentially introducing bias. This study evaluates the suitability of EUMETSAT’s CMSAF SARAH-3 data for PV performance modelling in Finland. Multi-year PV production data from several sites is compared against simulations using both satellite-derived and ground-station datasets. Results indicate that SARAH-3 achieves good agreement with measured data with coefficient of determination above 0.9 for global horizontal irradiance, suggesting it can serve as a reliable alternative where ground data is unavailable, enabling improved PV performance monitoring and planning in high-latitude regions.
Source: EU PVSEC
Authors: Huerta, Hugo E., Karhu, Juha, Wang, Shuo, Jouttijärvi, Sami, Ranta, Samuli, Lindfors, Anders, Miettunen, Kati
Language: English
Subfield: Artificial Intelligence
Field: Computer Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7106288650
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