Understanding & Mitigating Challenges Utilities Face with the Growth of Distributed Solar

Understanding the temporal and spatial variability of distributed solar PV (DGPV) and its expansion potential are essential for aligning grid services as DGPV penetration increases. UL developed advanced methods to estimate solar irradiance at time scales of hours to minutes, accurately capturing variability in power output. These methods are used to simulate DGPV generation across large regions, urban areas, and at the distribution level to support transmission planning, ancillary services, etc. Long-term historical datasets can be used to evaluate the annual, diurnal or minute variability of DGPV. These datasets help identify atypical weather conditions exceedingly important as penetration DGPV increases.