Does anyone know where I can buy/find 2009 hourly solar data for US Cities?
I'm specifically looking for 2009 Solar Data for New Haven, CT and I need
"Global Horizontal Radiation" and "Direct normal Radiation".
I do not think that NREL provides hourly data from 2009. The links on that
page are all average monthly. The only other place I would think to look
would be the National Solar Radiation Data Base (
http://rredc.nrel.gov/solar/old_data/nsrdb/1991-2005/hourly/siteonthefly.cgi?id=725045)
but that only provides data up to 2005.
I do not think that NREL provides hourly data from 2009. The links on that
page are all average monthly. The only other place I would think to look
would be the National Solar Radiation Data Base (
http://rredc.nrel.gov/solar/old_data/nsrdb/1991-2005/hourly/siteonthefly.cgi?id=725045)
but that only provides data up to 2005.
There are a variety of alternate sources for solar radiation data that are
collected by state and federal agencies. CIMIS is a great source for
weather data in California, and there is a similar network in Arizona, whose
name escapes me at the moment. We have successfully built weather files
for eQuest using both. You are likely to have a hard time finding
measured direct normal solar radiation data for New Haven -- that's a
difficult measurement to take and there aren't all that many sites (I think
NOAA measures this at something like 50 sites across the US, then there are
various somewhat random research stations that might give you additional
options). Are you sure you need measured direct normal solar? That isn't
likely to be any more useful modeled direct normal solar based on global
horizontal solar and date/time/lat/long.
Sorry, I don't have a direct answer for you, but if you hunt around, you
should be able to find some horizontal solar data that's not too far off
from your location.
You can also download data from a Web site like www.wunderground.com which
keeps historical weather data. I've used the attached spreadsheet and
accompanying macro (which may have come from someone on this or the
EnergyPlus list, but I forgot.)
The Building Performance Team
James V. Dirkes II, P.E., LEED AP
Try Google:
http://www.nrel.gov/gis/solar.html
Eric-
I do not think that NREL provides hourly data from 2009. The links on that
page are all average monthly. The only other place I would think to look
would be the National Solar Radiation Data Base (
http://rredc.nrel.gov/solar/old_data/nsrdb/1991-2005/hourly/siteonthefly.cgi?id=725045)
but that only provides data up to 2005.
Any thoughts?
Steve
Steve,
Wouldn't it be better to use data spread over a longer time period?
Try this one it might help you out.
http://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvgis/solrad/index.htm#databases
Kind Regards,
Eric Johnson
Eric,
Try NCDC @ http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/climatedata.html#hourly
Did you try NREL?
Under Solar Resource Center there is a list of sources of Solar Radiation
Info
http://www.nrel.gov/rredc/
Gerard Hazel
Eric-
I do not think that NREL provides hourly data from 2009. The links on that
page are all average monthly. The only other place I would think to look
would be the National Solar Radiation Data Base (
http://rredc.nrel.gov/solar/old_data/nsrdb/1991-2005/hourly/siteonthefly.cgi?id=725045)
but that only provides data up to 2005.
Any thoughts?
Steve
There are a variety of alternate sources for solar radiation data that are
collected by state and federal agencies. CIMIS is a great source for
weather data in California, and there is a similar network in Arizona, whose
name escapes me at the moment. We have successfully built weather files
for eQuest using both. You are likely to have a hard time finding
measured direct normal solar radiation data for New Haven -- that's a
difficult measurement to take and there aren't all that many sites (I think
NOAA measures this at something like 50 sites across the US, then there are
various somewhat random research stations that might give you additional
options). Are you sure you need measured direct normal solar? That isn't
likely to be any more useful modeled direct normal solar based on global
horizontal solar and date/time/lat/long.
Sorry, I don't have a direct answer for you, but if you hunt around, you
should be able to find some horizontal solar data that's not too far off
from your location.
Eric,
Try NCDC @ http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/climatedata.html#hourly
You can also download data from a Web site like www.wunderground.com which
keeps historical weather data. I've used the attached spreadsheet and
accompanying macro (which may have come from someone on this or the
EnergyPlus list, but I forgot.)
The Building Performance Team
James V. Dirkes II, P.E., LEED AP
Did you try NREL?
Under Solar Resource Center there is a list of sources of Solar Radiation
Info
http://www.nrel.gov/rredc/
Gerard Hazel