Solar Lattice

Measurement

Flat output below available power

ID
meas:flat-output-below-available-power
IRI
https://solarlattice.org/kb/meas/flat-output-below-available-power
Status
active
Also known as
meas:export-below-available-power, Export below available power, meas:daily-power-plateau, Flat plateau at power peak

The signature is a production trace that stays flat, or at a controlled level, below the power the measured irradiance would support. Inverter and tracker availability can look normal while this happens. It is easy to log the loss as underperformance unless setpoints and dispatch signals are checked. Grid curtailment losses produce this pattern. The limit can come from grid operator dispatch, an interconnection constraint, a plant controller command, a response to negative prices, or a site export cap. To confirm it, compare plant setpoints, inverter active power limits, operator dispatch, meter output, irradiance-based available power, battery charging behavior and curtailment flags. Inverter clipping looks similar: output stops rising with irradiance once the inverter reaches its maximum output or another limit. Inverter voltage floor losses can also look like clipping or general underperformance. To tell them apart, review DC voltage, AC voltage, reactive power and the Vmp derived from IV curves together. Inverters can carry an active power limit set as a percentage of rated or nameplate power. Some also report the theoretically available power, which can be compared with actual output.

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Signals

Monitoring channels where this signature appears, named by SunSpec model point.

PointUnitPattern
model_103.WWflat or controlled level below irradiance-supported available power
model_302.POAIW-PER-M2irradiance would support higher output
model_103.DCVVMay move away from the MPP voltage while output is held down

Claims

typical_power_loss

c1 verified · fact nominal 0.05 PERCENT

Conditions: Annual energy lost to inverter power limitation in one example PV system, estimated by PR extrapolation from measured data (PR 200-900 W/m² vs 900-1200 W/m²)

Here the limitation shows up as output that stops rising above about 897 W/kWp. This is inverter clipping, not curtailment.

verified by: review-workflowverified on: 2026-10-20review note: possible conflict with c2 (same source; check the conditions)

c2 verified · fact nominal 0.03 PERCENT

Conditions: Simulated inverter limitation loss for the same example system at a PV-to-inverter ratio of 1.12

This is a model estimate, not a measurement.

verified by: review-workflowverified on: 2026-10-20review note: possible conflict with c1 (same source; check the conditions)

Referenced by

Data