From fragmented to frictionless: How Ecosuite leverages Solcast for DER asset management

A unified data environment for DER portfolios

Ecosuite is becoming the must have asset management platform. It centralizes and streamlines the management of distributed energy resources for all parties involved and for Ecosuite customers, it is core to being able to run efficiently with extremely low overheads.  

Ecosuite provides a unified data environment, supporting the distributed energy ecosystem with tools to manage, maintain, develop and finance Distributed Energy Resources (DERs). The platform’s core value lies in its ability to aggregate and standardize data from diverse sources, providing a reliable foundation for decision-making and portfolio optimization.

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Operational challenges: Sensor maintenance and data fragmentation

Asset managers overseeing DER portfolios encounter persistent challenges with data acquisition and workflow efficiency. Physical pyranometers, while common in bigger sites, require frequent cleaning, calibration, and maintenance – increasing operational costs. Especially when poorly maintained, these devices are susceptible to faults, drift, and environmental damage, resulting in missing data or inaccurate data. When managing multiple sites, the complexity and cost of maintaining sensors scale rapidly, introducing operational overhead and complicating portfolio growth.

In parallel, spreadsheet-based analysis remains prevalent in the industry, but this approach slows decision-making and makes it difficult to identify performance issues or opportunities for improvement. For portfolios operating on thin margins, these inefficiencies directly impact profitability and scalability.

Modeling expected energy with satellite-derived irradiance data

To help address these challenges, Ecosuite integrates Solcast’s satellite-derived irradiance data as the default input for expected energy calculations. Solcast data is delivered via API, ensuring high reliability, consistency, and 24/7 availability. Its accuracy is validated in independent bankability studies and whitepapers, providing asset managers and financiers with confidence in performance benchmarking.

The use of physics-based modeling (PVLib) within Ecosuite ensures that expected energy calculations account for system-specific factors such as clipping and DC/AC ratios. This scientific approach enables asset managers to focus on actionable metrics - expected versus actual energy - rather than having to deal with raw irradiance values. The result is a streamlined workflow where onboarding new assets is immediate, historical data backfill is automated, and performance analysis is robust from day one.

Ecosuite’s hardware-agnostic architecture further supports portfolio growth, allowing asset managers to onboard assets regardless of inverter, meter, or sensor configuration, without the need for custom integrations or compatibility troubleshooting.

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Reliable data integration: Fast, consistent, and scalable

Solcast’s API integration within Ecosuite is engineered for reliability and simplicity. The data pipeline is robust, with no complex endpoints or confusing options, enabling automated expected energy calculations across entire portfolios. Manual workflows and spreadsheet analysis are replaced by seamless, automated processes, enhancing both speed and accuracy.

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"Solcast's API is, honestly, boring —in the best possible way. It's fast, reliable, and just straightforward data that works every time. For us, boring means reliable integration and zero headaches."
— Thomas Passmore, Software Engineer, Ecosuite

Commercial impact: Efficiency, reliability, and scalability

Major hardware installation and maintenance savings

Customers avoid the time, expense, and operational risk of installing, servicing, and replacing physical sensors. This translates to significant savings on upfront hardware costs, ongoing maintenance contracts, and downtime due to sensor failures.

Improved data reliability and consistency

Ecosuite leverages Solcast’s irradiance data, delivered via API with 99.99% uptime, ensuring data is available 24/7. Reliability is proven in bankability studies and whitepapers, giving asset managers and financiers confidence in the data for performance benchmarking and reporting.

Scalability and simplified onboarding

Onboarding new assets or portfolios is fast and cost-effective - no site visits or hardware installation required. Instant historical data backfill enables asset managers to analyze performance from day one. This is especially valuable for large portfolios, where manual processes and hardware dependencies would create missing or fragmented data environments that slow growth and increase costs.

“We want our customers to focus on what matters - energy generation and asset performance - not on wrangling spreadsheets or chasing sensor faults. By using Solcast’s irradiance data, we instantly provide expected energy calculations, including historical backfill when onboarding new sites. That means less friction, faster insights, and more time spent optimizing DER portfolios.”
— Philip Court, CTO, Ecosuite

Achieving frictionless DER asset management

Ecosuite’s integration of Solcast irradiance data sets a new standard for DER portfolio management. By eliminating the pitfalls of physical sensors and manual workflows, asset managers gain reliable, actionable insights - backed by scientific evidence and proven in real-world operations. The result is a scalable, hardware-agnostic platform that empowers energy professionals to optimize performance, reduce costs, and accelerate portfolio growth.

Visit: Ecosuite

See: Solcast Forecast Data

Note: In this article, “Distributed Energy Resources (DERs)” and “Commercial & Industrial (C&I)” assets refer to the same types of projects. For clarity and consistency, “DER” will be used throughout.