Integrating Temporal and Feedforward Models for Solar Energy Prediction: LSTM and ANN Hybrid Approaches

The increasing reliance on renewable energy, particularly solar power, necessitates accurate models for predicting energy output to optimize storage and distribution systems. Traditional methods such as Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks and Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) offer unique strengths in forecasting photovoltaic (PV) system outputs. LSTM excels in capturing temporal dependencies in time-series data, while ANNs effectively model nonlinear relationships between variables. This study aims to develop and evaluate a hybrid LSTM-ANN model for improving the accuracy of PV energy output predictions, focusing on voltage, power, and irradiance. Using data collected from a solar-powered greenhouse in Talang Kemang, Indonesia, the model was trained and validated. The hybrid model demonstrated significant improvements in prediction accuracy. For voltage, the model achieved a Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of 0.1016 and a Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) of 0.1417, while irradiance predictions resulted in an MAE of 0.0895 and RMSE of 0.1149. Power predictions also yielded strong results, with an MAE of 0.1506 and RMSE of 0.1954. These results highlight the hybrid LSTM-ANN model's effectiveness in combining temporal and nonlinear data processing capabilities, leading to superior accuracy in predicting PV system outputs. This approach can enhance the reliability of energy forecasting models, enabling better integration of solar power into electrical grids. The model holds promise for broader applications in renewable energy systems, improving their efficiency and sustainability