the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), 3D Solar Visibility Prize
Challenge Overview
The American-Made Data-Driven Distributed (3D) Solar Visibility Prize is a $250,000 prize designed to incentivize innovators to develop models and algorithms that can provide accurate and real-time information about distributed solar generation in electric power distribution networks. This prize aims to promote awareness and adoption of distribution system state estimation (DSSE) algorithms and software tools to improve the visibility of distribution systems and their operating conditions.
A Prize Competition Structured for Success
Competitors in the 3D Solar Visibility Prize will develop a DSSE tool and be provided with measurements to test them. Competitors will submit their DSSE tool results for two distribution system networks through the Open Energy Data Initiative for solar systems integration (OEDI SI) platform for 14 consecutive days. The OEDI SI team will then compare the DSSE’s performance against a set of industry standard metrics to select the top-performing teams.
Result
Our team, ThinkLabs AI, Inc., is a winner in the 3DSolarVisibility Prize by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the American-Made Program. We were awarded $50,000 for creating one of the most accurate AI-based algorithms and tools in the competition to detect how much solar power is in the electricity grid at a given point in time. By creating a noteworthy tool, our team is playing a small part in catalyzing research and development on grid modernization. More specifically, our work enables utility companies and grid operators to make better-informed decisions that optimize the distribution of solar energy technologies.
Our tool, along with other competitors’, were tested daily over a two-week period in two distribution networks through the publicly available, open-source data and software platform, Open Energy Data Initiative Solar Integration (OEDI SI). The OEDI SI team then compared participants’ performance against a set of industry standard metrics and selected ThinkLabs AI, Inc. as a top-performing team. Check out more about the prize and the other winning teams: