Deep Learning for Solar Power Forecasting by Integrating Historical and Meteorological Data

Abstract

With the global shift toward green energy, solar photovoltaic (PV) power has expanded rapidly. However, the unpredictable nature of PV generation, caused by changing weather conditions like irradiance and temperature, challenges grid stability and power scheduling. Therefore, developing smart forecasting models for high-precision PV power prediction is essential for modern grid management. This paper introduces an optimized forecasting framework using Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks. By integrating historical power generation data with localized meteorological factors, a multivariate predictive model was developed and validated using empirical data from a 100 MW PV plant. Based on Pearson correlation analysis, four key features—temperature, direct normal irradiance (DNI), relative humidity, and cloud cover—were chosen as the main drivers of PV output. A multivariate LSTM model was then trained and carefully tested using time series cross-validation. Results show the multi-feature architecture consistently outperforms and surpasses single-feature benchmarks. Specifically, the model achieved a peak R2 of 0.9864 and minimum MAE of 1.4057 kW. Across four validation sets, R2 remained stable (0.9755–0.9836), with most errors tightly bounded within ±5 kW. These findings confirm the model’s excellent accuracy and its value for improving power system dispatch and resource planning.