A planned network of sky cameras would help the solar industry more precisely forecast solar radiation, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said.
The bureau on Dec. 11 said that it would install 10 all-sky cameras to enable accurate weather predictions, which are critical to the efficient production of solar energy and grid management.
Four of the 10 cameras have already been installed for testing at weather stations in Tainan, and Changhua and Pingtung counties, it said.
Photo courtesy of the Central Weather Bureau
Difficulties in predicting cloud cover are partly to blame for inhibiting the growth of Taiwan’s solar sector, which is dependent on weather conditions, said Hung Chin-shan (洪景山), director of the bureau’s meteorological information center.
Light rain or a small cloud can reduce the output of a solar power plant by up to 50 percent, he said.
Clouds are of particular concern because they are made of fine ice and water particles, making them harder to detect by space-based radar systems, he said, adding that cloud formations also change too quickly for satellites to track them.
The bureau’s forecasts of solar radiation over Taiwan are about 80 percent accurate, with errors due to unpredictable factors such as cloud cover, air pollution and dust storms, said Teng jen-hsing (鄧仁星), a researcher at the bureau’s Research and Development Division.
The system uses high-powered, fish-eye cameras that can reveal cloud conditions by detecting visible-spectrum light in the sky within 15km, which the bureau can monitor in real time, he said.
The data would enable the bureau to create accurate estimates and predictions of solar radiation levels to aid solar power plants, he said.
The information helps grid operators anticipate the rise and fall of the solar energy supply to timely switch to conventional power sources to meet demand, he said.
The cameras cost NT$200,000 to NT$300,000 per system, and the bureau plans to procure all-sky infrared imagers to enable nighttime observations should funding become available, he said.
The bureau’s current system is about 90 percent accurate in predicting the volume of solar energy production, and the cameras are expected to improve that figure by 3 to 5 percentage points, he said.
Eight restaurants in Taiwan yesterday secured a one-star rating from the Michelin Guide Taiwan for the first time, while three one-star restaurants from last year’s edition were promoted to two stars. Forty-three restaurants were awarded one star this year, including 34 in Taipei, five in Taichung and four in Kaohsiung. Hosu (好嶼), Chuan Ya (川雅), Sushi Kajin (鮨嘉仁), aMaze (心宴), La Vie by Thomas Buhner, Yuan Yi (元一) and Frassi in Taipei and Front House (方蒔) in Kaohsiung received a one-star rating for the first time. Hosu is known for innovative Taiwanese dishes, while Chuan Ya serves Sichuan cuisine and aMaze specializes
STATS: Taiwan’s average life expectancy of 80.77 years was lower than that of Japan, Singapore and South Korea, but higher than in China, Malaysia and Indonesia Taiwan’s average life expectancy last year increased to 80.77 years, but was still not back to its pre-COVID-19 pandemic peak of 81.32 years in 2020, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday. The average life expectancy last year increased the 0.54 years from 2023, the ministry said in a statement. For men and women, the average life expectancy last year was 77.42 years and 84.30 years respectively, up 0.48 years and 0.56 years from the previous year. Taiwan’s average life expectancy peaked at 81.32 years in 2020, as the nation was relatively unaffected by the pandemic that year. The metric
Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp. (THSRC) plans to ease strained capacity during peak hours by introducing new fare rules restricting passengers traveling without reserved seats in 2026, company Chairman Shih Che (史哲) said Wednesday. THSRC needs to tackle its capacity issue because there have been several occasions where passengers holding tickets with reserved seats did not make it onto their train in stations packed with individuals traveling without a reserved seat, Shih told reporters in a joint interview in Taipei. Non-reserved seats allow travelers maximum flexibility, but it has led to issues relating to quality of service and safety concerns, especially during
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck Chiayi County at 4:37pm today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 36.3km southeast of Chiayi County Hall at a depth of 10.4km, CWA data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage resulting from the quake. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Chiayi County, Tainan and Kaohsiung on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Chiayi City and Yunlin County, while it was measured as 2 in Pingtung, Taitung, Hualien, Changhua, Nantou and Penghu counties, the data
RSS