Is central station photovoltaic power dispatchable?

An operational tool for integrating a photovoltaic system into the utility's generation mix is introduced. The development and implementation of a new approach-a dynamic rule-based (RB) dispatch algorithm-is presented. A Box-Jenkins time-series method is used to model the subhourly solar irradiance. The model is extended to yield forecast parameters which are then used to predict the photovoltaic output expected to occur at certain lead times coinciding with the economic dispatch intervals. The RB dispatch algorithm is introduced to operate as either a substitute for or an aid to the dispatch operator. It is concluded that results depend on the time of the year and the specific utility. The utility generating-capacity mix significantly influences the results.< >