US Patent 11487994 Techniques for estimating and forecasting solar power generation

A computer system is configured to group solar power systems that provide electric power to an electricity distribution system into clusters. The computer system identifies a solar source meter in each of the clusters that is representative of the respective one of the clusters as a bellwether meter. Each of the bellwether meters monitors a power output of one of the solar power systems in one of the clusters. The computer system receives solar power generation data from the bellwether meters. The computer system generates a solar power generation forecast for each of the clusters of the solar power systems using the solar power generation data from the bellwether meters in respective ones of the clusters.