I've cross-posted this from the CIBSE Simulation Linkedin group.

Do we need an "international database of weather data"?
Or, should the E+ format with its meta-data approach be adopted (and
possibly extended).

*Posting on Linkedin: "Can a much clearer and simpler referencing system be
adopted for the plethora of weather files that are now available?"*
I guess this is a universal issue with weather data and will get worse as
the data we have available increases. For example, access to AMY (Actual
Meteorological Year) data is increasing. My main bugbear is when third
parties reference the data. It can be quite wooly! For example, some
planning authority may require me to use the "2030 DSY" weather file.

Meta-data can be useful and E+ seems to embed this and goes so far as
including flags for the source and data quality of each timestep.
What I would like to see is standardized naming and - more importantly -
some rules as to how third parties reference the data.
Meta-data is extensive (e.g. timezone, altitude, daylight saving time,
solar irradiance model used, etc). Trying to capture this in a filename is
folly.

Naming conventions? There are already standard formats but I guess the
files will be of varying quality, do we need an indication of data quality?
Or a central source/ governing body?

plethora of weather files that are now available?