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.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form. Please refresh the page and try again.

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..