CloudCAM detects clouds, predicts cloud movement and provides cloud and solar irradiance forecasts up to 15 minutes in advance.

Clouds have a substantial impact on the sunlight reaching the earth and changes in cloud shading can be very rapid. Predicting such changes can be vitally important for solar power generators. This affects many industries ranging from agriculture to solar power production to naturally lit facilities such as buildings and sports arenas.

CloudCAM detects nearby clouds, measures cloud cover, locates clouds and cloud shadows and predicts their future location. It is designed for the solar energy industry where rapid and significant changes in solar power output result from cloud events, and CloudCAM can be used to ensure effective integration of solar to the grid

The flexible CloudCAM system can be customised to meet the end users’ requirements.

The Fulcrum3D CloudCAM delivers:

• Prediction from seconds up to 15 minutes in advance, allowing the control of local power plant to be optimized for the variable solar conditions;
• FlightDECK support allows easy on-line data access and equipment management;
• Customisable features – sampling rates, alarm thresholds, areas of interest, and plant parameters;
• Equipped with remote communications which transfers data to the Fulcrum3D servers via the cellular network;
• Longer-term forecasts can be made available from satellite or meteorological data, which do not have the resolution available to make near-term forecasts. The two forecasts formats can also be nested, with satellite-based analysis for longer predictions and CloudCAM forecasts for near-term forecasts;
• Automated cloud cover measurement reduces cost for meteorological organisations and researchers.