Why the Renewable Energy Industry Depends on Weather APIs

The renewable energy industry is growing rapidly. Driven by policy momentum, high investment interest, and growing decarbonization demands from public and private entities. According to the Energy Information Administration, electricity generated from solar, wind, and hydropower (combined) is expected to account for 24% of the total U.S. power, with solar having the largest capacity growth.

…having integrated real-time, reliable weather insights is crucial to sustained growth.

In an industry where weather impacts all aspects of operation—from site selection to energy generation, safety, and maintenance—having integrated real-time, reliable weather insights is crucial to sustained growth.

And that is why many renewable energy companies are relying on APIs (Application Programming Interfaces), like the DTN Weather API, to deliver more timely information and make better informed decisions.

 

The Advantages of a Weather API

An API defines the protocols that allow different software components to communicate and transfer data. For weather APIs, this offers several compelling advantages to traditional data feeds, which require manual retrieval and manipulation.

For example, the DTN Weather API offers:

• Dynamic, real-time weather data
• Easy set-up and integration into existing legacy systems
• Automatic updates as new data becomes available
• Tailored or filtered criteria for specific data or assets
• Historical data for analysis and trend predictions

For renewable energy, these advantages improve the ability to generate energy even as weather conditions change.

 

Optimizes Energy Production

Without the right insights, relying on Mother Nature to generate power reliably can be challenging. Afterall, solar power production is linked directly to the amount of sunlight and cloud cover, while wind power production is heavily determined by wind speed and direction.

Not only does insufficient data impact energy generation and revenue, but the trickledown effect also disrupts grid balancing and energy storage, potentially feeding public distrust of renewable energy as a reliable source of energy.

Weather APIs provide granular data for specific locations, which is why many renewable companies integrate them into their legacy systems.

Weather APIs, like DTN Weather API, provide real-time weather data that automatically updates as new information becomes available. Integrating and coalescing this data with other sources improves solar and wind energy forecasts to optimize production. The API also provides historical data to inform predictive models for future weather events, enabling better preparedness and more accurate forecasting.

 

Informs Location-Impact Decisions

Weather APIs provide granular data for specific locations, which is why many renewable companies integrate them into their legacy systems. Having real-time information to plan and monitor for weather impacts on a specific asset or location can make a significant difference on power generation and asset protection.

Consider a wind developer with sites located across multiple regions. At one site, sustained winds of 55 mph may exceed risk thresholds while at another site, possibly within the same area, has winds that are still within capacity generation.

If the wind operator placed all the turbines in storm mode, either by feathering or braking the blades, generation capacity would diminish though not necessary.

 

Informs Risk Mitigation

The best weather risk plans can be confidently enacted before bad weather occurs. Case in point, hailstorms are a growing threat to the solar industry. Solar energy operators need detailed storm information with hail alerts, including storm speed, direction, hail probability, and hail size to optimize energy generation and solar module protection.

The best weather risk plans can be confidently enacted before bad weather occurs.

But more than a forecast, solar production owners need real-time weather intelligence for site-specific locations, and 30-60 minute alerts prior to impact to move panels into a hail stow position if necessary.

Solar companies, like Lightsource bp, use the benefits of the DTN Weather API to pair with their solar track technology to automate hail stow when certain risk thresholds are exceeded.

 

Integrated Weather Insights for Sustainable Energy Growth

The world’s capacity to generate renewable electricity is expanding faster than at any time in the last three decades. This trajectory is dependent not only on policy and public sentiment, but on the reliability of sustainable renewable energy.

Accurate weather forecasts minimize risks associated with energy production and investment. Weather APIs expand on operational decision-making by delivering real-time, site-specific information integrated into legacy systems. This accelerates data-driven analysis and informs automation that can help optimize energy for a sustainable future.

Learn how DTN Weather APIs help renewable energy companies reduce risks and optimize energy generation.