Solar Energy Forecasting and Resource Assessment

Chapter 5

Bankable Solar-Radiation Datasets

Frank E. Vignola,    Solar Radiation Monitoring Laboratory, University of Oregon

Andrew C. McMahan and Catherine N. Grover,    Luminate

Chapter Outline

5.1. Introduction

5.2. Solar-Radiation Datasets: Characteristics, Strengths, and Weaknesses

5.2.1. The SOLMET/ERSATZ Database

5.2.2. The National Solar Radiation Data Base

5.2.3. The Canadian Weather Energy and Engineering Datasets

5.3. Typical Meteorological Year (TMY) Data Files

5.3.1. Limitations of the TMY2 and TMY3 Files

5.4. Satellite-Derived Solar-Radiation Values

5.4.1. Deriving Irradiance from Satellite Images

5.4.2. Geostationary Satellites

5.4.3. Satellite-Irradiance Model Accuracy

5.4.4. The NASA/SSE Database

5.4.5. Comments on Satellite-Data ...