RE+ 2025 insights: The top 3 challenges facing solar teams & how to solve them

After three packed days at RE+ 2025 in Las Vegas, a few challenges stood out across our discussions with solar developers, operators and engineers:

• The need for more reliable power model, including clarity on the role of AI/ML
• Frustration with tool-hopping and disconnected workflows
• The demand for trust in a crowded solar software and data space

If any of these challenges are on your radar, this blog explores how our experts are approaching them.

Reliable PV power models: What to look for

One of the recurring themes from RE+ was the industry’s growing need for more reliable PV power models. If you are assessing the reliability and accuracy of your own power model or comparing multiple data vendors and power models, here are some key factors to keep in mind:

1. Check the quality of your input data: The reliability of any power model is only as strong as the data that feeds it. Both weather data inputs and the power model can be sources of bias and error.

2. Choose the right model for the use case: Different approaches to modelling suit different applications. For example, when you’re working on project financing or resource assessment, you need a detailed physical model and explicitly treat things like snow soiling losses, thermal efficiency, and inverter clipping separately. But if you are looking for day-ahead forecasting, machine learning can play a valuable role with long training periods and detailed input data.

3. Evaluate the role of AI/ML carefully: Machine learning can be a powerful complementary tool to physical modelling, however, it should be used with care. ML requires clean, long training datasets and can struggle with outsized impacts such as eclipses, soiling, or extraordinary weather events (like bushfires and wildfire smoke) unless those factors are treated explicitly.  

4. Review your vendor’s documentation & published accuracy information: Vendors should make model details and accuracy validation easy to find. Look for information about how the models are built, what level of academic rigour has been applied and where it has been validated. You can find information about Solcast’s Rooftop PV, Advanced PV and Premium PV models on our website.

Trying to assess the accuracy of your PV power model? This guide breaks down what to look for in PV modelling, which data matters and how to run your own assessment based on our experience supporting 350+ companies managing over 300GW of solar assets globally.

Cutting down on tool-hopping

Engineers and developers are continually frustrated by juggling multiple subscriptions, switching between siloed tools and manually moving data from one platform to another - driving up costs and leaving workflows disconnected.

Fortunately, progress is being made with a number of solar tools prioritising integration.

• Solcast's API-first products: With the Solcast API you can integrate accurate, high-resolution solar irradiance data directly in your platform or tool. And with a single API call, you can model historical, live and forecast PV power, either in your own notebooks, inside energy platforms or in your own energy software tool.

• Solesca + Solcast & SolarFamer APIs: Through recent integrations with the Solcast API and DNV’s SolarFarmer API, Solesca brings together high-resolution, accurate irradiance data and bankable power modelling all within one solar design platform, enabling users to conduct energy yield assessments directly within the design environment.

If you’re interested in the high-quality irradiance data and bankable power model powering the Solesca integration, learn more about the Solcast API and SolarFarmer API.

Building trust in a crowded software landscape

With so many solar software products on the market (each offering different features, claims and accuracy), it can be challenging for developers and operators to know which tools to rely on. And if you can’t rely on the data or models you use, your project design, financing and operations are at risk.

Despite continued innovation in solar software, independent engineers remain essential for validating data, models and tools. DNV’s role in the market is to provide that assurance - helping developers, operators and investors make confident decisions about which models, software, and equipment to trust.

When choosing tools or vendors, don’t just compare features, look for independent validation. Engage trusted engineers like DNV to help you assess models, software and equipment so you can make confident, risk-informed decisions across the full project lifecycle.

Driving the energy transition with confidence

RE+ 2025 reinforced the commitment organisations are making to accelerate the energy transition. And Solcastss vision is to enable the organisations driving this transformation with the data they need.  

As one of DNV’s Green Data Products, we deliver trusted data, models, and platforms for the global renewable energy industry, modelling energy and power for solar and wind portfolios and markets all over the world.

If any of the challenges we’ve highlighted resonate with you or if you’re looking for high-resolution, accurate data to power your projects, let’s get in touch.