Solar forecast

Also known as PV forecast, solar PV forecast, solar generation forecast

A solar forecast estimates how much electricity a solar PV system may generate over a future period, using weather data and site details rather than measured output.

A solar forecast is an estimate of future solar PV generation or solar irradiance for a particular system or location. It normally combines weather forecasts with details such as location, panel tilt, azimuth, array size and sometimes inverter limits or recent production data. In home energy systems it can appear in monitoring dashboards, APIs (application programming interfaces), battery controls, EV charging automation and home energy management systems. It can help a control system decide when to charge a battery or schedule a flexible load, but it is not a measured generation record, annual yield estimate, MCS performance estimate, tariff promise, DNO approval or guarantee that the forecast energy will be available.