Overview

Solar Power Forecast Models

Accurate and flexible PV power models, for the realities of operational solar assets

Complete, end-to-end operational forecasting, for any asset

Solcast offers three solar power forecasting models - Rooftop PV, Advanced PV and Premium PV - that model PV power for assets of any scale or complexity. With a single API call you can model historical, live and forecast PV power, either in your own notebooks, inside energy platforms, or in your own energy software tool.

Choose the PV power model that you want to work on top of the irradiance and weather data you get through the Solcast API. The Rooftop power model is included with Solcast Live and Forecast data.

Premium PV Power Forecast Model

We configure and train for you, assuring world’s best accuracy results

For when accuracy matters a lot. Optimal blend of physical forecast based on system specs, with machine learning models trained on your site measurement history. We configure physical models, clean your measurements, and train ML optimisations to ensure you’re getting the world’s best accuracy.

Flexible options for special data delivery, accuracy reporting, and realtime site conditions and data.

Advanced PV Power Forecast Model

A flexible, powerful model you configure and optimise yourself

High-fidelity physical model for utility-scale plants and asset operations. Built on pvlib with proprietary Solcast extensions, the model accepts up to 20 configurable parameters allowing you to tune the model using your own measurements to improve accuracy.

Rooftop PV Power Forecast Model

Predict PV power at one site or millions, with or without specs and measurement data

A simple, proven 6-parameter empirical model, which can operate on as little as the location and the installed capacity. Specify tilt, azimuth and a loss factor when available, to refine the accuracy. Use our SDK to train the model on your own measurement data. In commercial use at millions of solar assets globally.

Bring investment-grade energy data into your workflow

Leave your details and one of our team will be in touch.

Afghanistan

Albania

Algeria

Andorra

Angola

Antigua and Barbuda

Argentina

Armenia

Australia

Austria

Azerbaijan

Bahamas

Bahrain

Bangladesh

Barbados

Belarus

Belgium

Belize

Benin

Bhutan

Bolivia

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Botswana

Brazil

Brunei

Bulgaria

Burkina Faso

Burundi

Cabo Verde

Cambodia

Cameroon

Canada

Central African Republic

Chad

Chile

China

Colombia

Comoros

Congo (Congo-Brazzaville)

Costa Rica

Croatia

Cuba

Cyprus

Czechia (Czech Republic)

Côte d'Ivoire

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Denmark

Djibouti

Dominica

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

Egypt

El Salvador

Equatorial Guinea

Eritrea

Estonia

Eswatini (fmr. "Swaziland")

Ethiopia

Fiji

Finland

France

Gabon

Gambia

Georgia

Germany

Ghana

Grenada

Guatemala

Guinea

Guinea-Bissau

Guyana

Haiti

Holy See

Honduras

Hong Kong

Hungary

Iceland

India

Indonesia

Iran

Iraq

Ireland

Israel

Italy

Jamaica

Japan

Jordan

Kazakhstan

Kenya

Kiribati

Kuwait

Kyrgyzstan

Laos

Latvia

Lebanon

Lesotho

Liberia

Libya

Liechtenstein

Lithuania

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Explore our Markets & Portfolios Energy Data Models for grid-level generation, portfolio-scale probabilistic forecasts and load insights

Frequently Asked Questions

What outputs do the models provide?

All four models return continuous, gap-free time-series in kW or MW: estimated actuals (-7 days to “now”) and forecasts (“now” to +14 days) at 5-, 15- or 60-minute resolution.

How do I decide which model to use?

Choose by data availability and accuracy target: Advanced PV for high-spec utility sites, Rooftop PV for low-spec sub-MW fleets, Premium PV Power Model (PVML) when you have SCADA and need ultra-low error.

What geographic coverage is included?

Global. The models leverage Solcast’s 1–2 km satellite data and NWP grids, so you can request forecasts for any coordinate worldwide without local sensors.

Can the models handle snow, soiling or curtailment?

Yes. Rooftop PV Power and Advanced PV Power include dynamic snow-cover and soiling factors and Premium PV Power ingests SCADA availability/curtailment tags to refine training.

How do I access the data?

Via RESTful JSON or CSV API endpoints. You can also use the Solcast Toolkit for quick testing, bulk downloads and site management.

Are academic or research licences available?

Yes—discounted licences are offered to accredited researchers and universities.

What support do Solcast and DNV provide?

Solcast offers onboarding guides, sample code, email support and an optional Accuracy-Assist tuning service. DNV provides detailed documentation, training webinars and next-business-day email support..