The solar radiation data made available here have been calculated from the National Solar Radiation Database (NSRDB), developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The data available here are only long-term averages, calculated from hourly global and diffuse irradiance values over the period 2005-2015.
Metadata
The data sets in this section all have these properties:
- Format: ESRI ascii grid
- Map projection: geographic (latitude/longitude), ellipsoid WGS84
- Grid cell size: 2'24'' (0.04°)
- North: 60° N
- South: 20° S
- West: 180° W
- East: 22°30' W
- Rows: 2000 cells
- Columns: 3921 cells
- Missing value: -9999
Solar radiation data sets all consist of the average irradiance over the time period in question, taking into account both day and night-time, measured in W/m2. Optimum angle data sets are measured in degrees from horizontal for a plane facing the equator (south-facing in the northern hemisphere and vice-versa).
Note that the NSRDB data do not have any values over the sea. All raster pixels over the sea will have missing values (-9999).
Available data sets
- Monthly average global irradiance on a horizontal surface (W/m2), period 2005-2015
- Yearly average global irradiance on a horizontal surface (W/m2), period 2005-2015
- Monthly average global irradiance on an optimally inclined surface (W/m2), period 2005-2015
- Yearly average global irradiance on an optimally inclined surface (W/m2), period 2005-2015
- Monthly average global irradiance on a two-axis sun-tracking surface (W/m2), period 2005-2015
- Yearly average global irradiance on a two-axis sun-tracking surface (W/m2), period 2005-2015
- Optimal inclination angle for an equator-facing plane (degrees), period 2005-2015