Abstract
Solar Energy in one form or another is the source of nearly all energy on the earth. It can also be harvested to generate electrical energy that can be used in everyday life. This is done by implementing Photovoltaic cells that exhibit photoelectric effect. The cells are capable of releasing electrons when sun light strikes the cell and the flow of these electrons produces current. The magnitude of solar radiation at a location at a given point of time is termed Solar Irradiance. The Solar Irradiance incident on the cells is converted into electricity, but the amount of irradiance available at a location depends on several factors such as geographical location and climatic conditions. Solar variation is the change in the amount of radiation emitted by the Sun and in its spectral distribution over years to millennia. The primitive method is to measure such solar activities using 'proxy' variables. Recent technological advancements have allowed monitoring and measuring of these solar irradiation changes via satellite more accurately. Since the solar variation of the power plant is used to comprehend the effects caused by seasonal and regional changes on solar irradiance, it is important to provide the information on how the solar irradiance varies with the seasons and regions. This study focuses on the variability assessment of Solar Irradiance in the Sacramento County zone using 8 Rotating Shadowband ‘RSR’ ground station equipment. The Global solar irradiance data of all the RSR sensors is analyzed for data gaps and processed through statistical analysis. After analyzing and filtering the data gathered, the data is fed through PV power plant modeling tools to find the impact of solar variability on the power plants. Finally, the collected impact data is used for the Ramp rate analysis signifying the solar power variability of the power plants.