Intersolar 2009, Industry Leaders Announce Plans to Enhance Renewable Energy Management with Integrated Access to Solar Meteorological Data
MUNICH, Germany - May 27, 2009 - Fat Spaniel Technologies, Inc., a provider of intelligent management services for renewable energy systems, announced its partnership with METEOTEST, a provider of meteorological data for more than 20 years. METEOTEST’s solar radiation information is based on satellite data, and provides plant managers with insights about sunlight availability related to geographical locations. The partnership will integrate METEOTEST’s data services with the Fat Spaniel Insight PlatformTM, providing low-cost replacement option for on-site weather sensors for small PV plants. The investors, owners and plant operators who rely on Fat Spaniel for portfolio plant management will gain highly accurate third-party solar resource data, and will be able to effectively assess compliance with contract guarantees and calculate that the return on investment is being met.
“By giving our customers access to METEOTEST’s wealth of solar radiation data, we will be helping even the smallest PV solar plants assess operations where the expense of onsite weather collection solutions may be prohibitive,” said Christiaan Beekhuis, founder, president and CTO of Fat Spaniel. “Our collaborative efforts are made possible by the flexibility of the Fat Spaniel open platform, and our customers will be able to easily access and use the meteorological data within Fat Spaniel’s web-based portal service.”
“The Fat Spaniel-METEOTEST partnership gives us a very cost-effective channel for delivering meteorological data services to the people that can put this information to great use,” said Jan Remund, Solar Energy Product Leader at METEOTEST. “By integrating recent solar radiation and weather data with Fat Spaniel’s comprehensive PV management services, plant managers will be able to better evaluate performance as recently as one-hour ago. We’re excited to be able to leverage our data services to benefit the global renewable energy markets.”
The METEOTEST data will first be introduced to Fat Spaniel customers across Europe, including the active and leading photovoltaic markets in Spain, Germany, Italy, France, and Greece. North American solar radiation data will be made available at a later stage to Fat Spaniel’s customers in North America. Eventually, the partnership may also help grid operators in all of these markets better understand how much energy they can expect from solar energy systems based on forecasted meteorological data.
Fat Spaniel’s Insight Manager is an industrial-grade, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) renewable energy plant management system which lets users see a portfolio of PV power plants at a glance, determine each plant’s current states of health, see aggregated production and greenhouse gas statistics, inspect event logs and fault information, and drill down for more performance detail.
About Fat Spaniel Technologies
Based in San Jose, California, Fat Spaniel Technologies, Inc. is the leading independent provider of management and information services to the renewable energy industry. Solar power producers, financiers, system integrators, and OEMs take advantage of Fat Spaniel’s Internet-based software service to increase energy output, reduce operations and maintenance costs, contain risk, and increase the return on investment of renewable energy projects. Fat Spaniel is a trusted third-party monitoring service provider that enables remote plant diagnostics and maintenance; revenue-grade data for billing, REC trading, and performance-based incentive collection; and a compelling platform for energy visualization. Fat Spaniel solutions are deployed in 20 countries and over 2,400 locations across the globe. With our partners and customers, we share the vision of a world where renewable energy is the first and best energy source. For more information about our company, please visit us at Intersolar ‘09, booth #B3.343 or visit our website at www.fatspaniel.com.
About METEOTEST
METEOTEST, based in Bern, Switzerland, was founded 1981 as an independent, private company. The team consists of over 25 scientists in the field of meteorology, environment and computer science. Applied Meteorology: We provide meteorological and climatological expertise. We specialize in site assessments as well as resource studies (e.g. for solar and wind power). We can provide our own measurement equipment and powerful analysis tools. Weather Forecasts: We provide the general public with reliable weather forecasts in newspapers, radio and TV. Furthermore, we also support highly specialized customers such as Mt. Everest expeditions or power utilities. Air Pollution Control: We offer solutions for setting up imission inventories and the analysis of meteorological dispersion conditions. We carry out projects concerning processing of data, analysis in the scope of the climate convention or the Kyoto protocol. Geoinformatics (GIS): We offer a broad palette of services with geographical information systems, such as GIS project design, data management, spatial analyses, cartography, application development as well as professional and technical support. Web Applications: We develop web applications and databases for the internet or your intranet. Presenting current environmental or spatial data online are our specialties. For more information about our company, please visit us at Intersolar ‘09, booth #B6.756 or visit our website at www.meteotest.ch.