I'm having some issues with my solar system and want to investigate how historical weather factors correlate with the amount of electricity generated. I'm considering calculating a UV dose value (the cumulative UV index for a day) and figuring out an effective quotient using the formula: Effective quotient = Daily total kWh / daily UV dose. My goal is to see if this effective quotient stays consistent despite fluctuating weather, which might indicate if my system is malfunctioning. Is using UV index the right choice for this calculation, or should I look at different weather parameters?
1 Answer
You might want to check out Accuweather's free API for weather forecasts. It includes a parameter for expected solar energy in watt-hours per square meter for the day. So you can get a more direct measurement of solar output. Just a heads-up, they don't provide historical data for free. But their predictions are solid if you want to stick with that!
Thanks for the tip! I was looking for yesterday's data specifically, but unfortunately, Accuweather doesn't have that available. I found some historical data through NASA's API, but they are still processing the last 5 days. I'll keep digging, but you've definitely helped me narrow it down!