The results of the project and, specifically, the solar forecasting system applied to the G.R.A.C.I.O.S.A. project, led by Endesa, were presented last week in Hawaii, within the framework of the World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion (WCPEC), held from June 10 to 15 in Waikoloa.
The WCPEC, with a tradition of nearly 25 years, brings together students, researchers and leaders in photovoltaic energy every four years to exchange information, knowledge and strengthen scientific and technological collaboration in the field of photovoltaic energy. It is one of the most prestigious global forums in its field, which this time featured 1,250 scheduled presentations co-authored by more than 600 laboratories and institutions from 60 countries and a large cast of international guest speakers.
Specifically, the professors of the Department of Physics and Industrial Engineering of the University of La Laguna, collaborating entity in the G.R.A.C.I.O.S.A. project, David Canadillas, Benjamín Gonzalez-Diaz and Ricardo Guerrero-Lemus, presented the design and application of the solar forecasting system of two cameras located on land, low cost and with real-time measurement, with cloud base height estimation capabilities, which was applied in the smart microgrid of La Graciosa.
Endesa, the Technological Institute of the Canary Islands, belonging to the Ministry of Economy, Industry, Commerce and Knowledge of the Government of the Canary Islands, and CEN Solutions have been working since 2015 on this project to develop a smart microgrid on the island that favors the large-scale integration of solar energy; it has sought to test different systems to optimize the operation of the distribution network, making the distributor, marketer and consumer have an active behavior in the efficiency of the electrical system and, with this, advance in stable self-supply solutions with clean energy on the island.
Each of the partners and collaborators of the project, among which is the University of La Laguna, has been involved in a key aspect for the success of the project, basically in the management of the electricity distribution network, the simulation and stability scenarios of the network, the interaction with users and the energy storage system.
The G.R.A.C.I.O.S.A. project, endowed with 2.4 million euros, consists of photovoltaic installations, located in private homes and the educational center of the island and an electrical microgrid, in which different technologies have been implemented -PLC communications, low and medium voltage automation, real-time monitoring and control systems, energy efficiency applications and active demand management, among others- in addition to a storage battery. This project has been subsidized by the Center for Industrial Technological Development (CDTI), supported by the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness and co-financed by the European Union Structural Funds (ERDF), which have contributed one million euros through the Interconecta 2015 Program.
