Patent ID: 8655498

Claim:
A system for timely standby power generation supplementing a solar array during periods of cloud coverage, comprising: a power plant comprising one or more solar arrays for normal power production during periods of maximum or reduced solar influx; one or more distributed generating sets (DGS) having a predetermined startup time, for generating standby power generation to supplement the one or more solar arrays during periods of cloud coverage; a plurality of weather stations, each having one or more sensors for acquiring real-time meteorological data in the vicinity of said power plant and a processor for processing said acquired meteorological data so as to generate data related to a solar influx reduction event at said power plant including an event starting time, wherein each of said weather stations is positioned at a location relative to said power plant such that the event starting time, subsequent to the meteorological data acquisition, will be greater than the predetermined startup time; and a controller for receiving said event data from said processor via a communication link and for operating said one or more DGS to generate standby power to supplement the one or more solar arrays in response to said received event data.