Hindcast data for solar and wind energy projects

Boost your solar and wind energy projects with historical power forecast and weather data! Leverage our proprietary models to assess accuracy, detect biases, and improve future performance.

Weather, wind and solar hindcast data

Pre-operational weather & production forecasting analysis

Simulate actual forecast performance before your renewable project commissioning.

Our hindcast service applies our current forecasting models to historical weather patterns at your specific project sites, providing critical insights before your first day of operation.

Why hindcast data for renewable projects?
(vs historical data)

Unlike historical weather data, a simulation of retrospective forecasts (hindcast, also called backcast) reveal exactly how our forecasting system would have performed during past periods at your specific specific solar farm or wind power plant location.

Practical uses

Using our proprietary Steadymet and Steadysat models, our historical production forecasts provide a realistic and reliable assessment of solar and wind energy forecast accuracy. They enable you to:

Financial model validation – Measure actual forecast accuracy to secure better Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) terms and financing conditions for solar PV plants, CSP systems, and wind farms.
Revenue optimization – Develop market bidding strategies based on realistic forecast error patterns and anticipate the imbalance costs in energy trading.
Rapid decision support – Evaluate expected forecast performance in weeks instead of waiting for seasons of solar farm or wind park operational data.
System configuration – Pre-optimize Energy Management Systems (EMS) and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) with verified forecast uncertainty data for PV power plants and wind farms.

The benefits of hindcasting for your project timeline

Before commissioning, these simulations help project developers anticipate risks and maximize project revenues by optimizing energy production forecasts.

After commissioning, backcasting allow for a fast and precise evaluation of operational forecast performance, helping grid operators and energy traders reduce forecast deviations without requiring long-term trials.

Steadysun can perform these simulations at solar and wind project sites worldwide, ensuring better energy yield forecasting and optimized grid integration.

Performance table for 3 plants with power capacity, NMAE, nRMSE, and nMBE — Forecast Accuracy for Three PV Plants

NMAE evolution across 5 PV plants from April 2020 to April 2022 — Multi-site NMAE Forecast Evolution

Power production forecast vs. actual at 24h, 36h, 48h horizons — Forecast vs. Actual Power Over Multiple Horizons

NMAE evolution for 24h, 36h and 48h forecast horizons — NMAE Evolution Across Forecast Horizons

CDF plot with forecast error in MW and various quantiles — Forecast Error CDF with Probabilistic Bands

Three plots showing MAE, MBE and RMSE improvement with self-learning — Forecast Metric Evolution with Self-Learning

Annual NMAE performance comparison of different models — Annual Multi-model Forecast Performance (NMAE)

D+1 probabilistic power forecast with quantile bands and estimated forecast — Example of D+1 Probabilistic Power Forecast

Technical specifications of our real-time data

Forecast horizon

2018 & RA5 1940

Max. update frequency

15 minutes

Forecast time step

Up to 1 minute

Weather parameters

Power, GHI, DNI, DHI, GTI, temperature, wind speed & direction, humidity and more...

Global coverage

Get accurate solar forecasts anywhere in the world : forecasts by site, portfolio, city, region or country.

Technologies

PV, CSP, onshore, offshore

Data delivery

API, SFTP, etc.

Confidence intervals

Quantify uncertainty through 11 quantiles (P00, P10, P20, …, P80, P90, P100)

What sets our hindcast service apart

Advanced solar & wind energy forecasts simulation

State-of-the-art forecasting algorithms

Our hindcast simulations leverage today’s most advanced forecasting algorithms for solar irradiance and wind power prediction — not outdated historical forecasts from archived systems.

Site-specific accuracy

Customized to your solar PV plant, CSP system, onshore or offshore wind farm, our forecasts integrate your exact site location, turbine specifications, or PV panel characteristics to ensure the most accurate hindcast data tailored to your asset’s real performance.

Complete uncertainty metrics

Our hindcast simulations provide a full probabilistic output with all quantiles essential for comprehensive risk modeling. Perfect for enabling precise financial risk quantification and advanced trading strategy development.

Multi-horizon coverage

From intraday (15-minute) to long-term (15-day) forecasts, our hindcast simulations offer a comprehensive dataset for evaluating short-term grid balancing, day-ahead market participation, and long-term energy yield analysis for solar and wind projects.

Ready to enhance your project performance with accurate hindcast data?

Our hindcast service is available globally for any site location with customized pricing based on project size and historical period requirements.

Customer success story

Hindcast data helps anticipate costs and risks for your energy project

See how a renewable energy developer optimized their PV+storage project in Mauritius using hindcast analysis

In 2024, an energy developer planning hybrid PV+BESS plants in northern Mauritius used our hindcast service during the design phase to optimize system configuration and mitigate risks, addressing unique forecasting challenges in a grid transitioning from fossil fuels to renewables.

Results

Accurately estimated unbalancing costs and potential penalties payable to the Central Electricity Board
Optimized PV+BESS system sizing based on actual forecast performance metrics
Achieved 15-31% improvement over persistence forecasts across different time horizons
Enabled Grid Code compliance with properly configured day-ahead, intraday, and week-ahead forecasts

How our hindcast service works

4 steps to historical energy forecasts

Data acquisition

Modeling

Optimization

Delivery

Use cases

How hindcast data informs decisions

Solar & wind project developpment

Know the future profitability of your projects, taking into account weather variability.

Research & Innovation

Get vast, timely environmental data to validate models, track phenomena, and accelerate discoveries.

Plant operation

Make your solar and wind power plants more profitable. Limit penalties, maximize revenues.

Solar hybrid power systems & Microgrids

Foster solar energy use. Reduce investment and operating costs.

Insular system management

Maximize the use of renewable energies while ensuring grid balancing.

Renewable energy trading & portfolio management

Optimize transactions on power markets. Reduce unbalancing costs. Manage risks.