About SolarGIS

SolarGIS is a web based system that includes high-resolution climate databases, software and maps for solar energy applications.

SolarGIS features:
• Four map-based applications
• iMaps - interactive maps
• climData - access to solar radiation and air temperature data
• pvPlanner - high-performance PV simulator with extensive reporting capabilities
• pvSpot - sensor-less monitoring of the PV systems. Currently released in BETA version.
• Operational data services
• Web-services - offering immediate access to data, tools and computation via machine to machine communication
• FTP/email data delivery - fully automatized data delivery to your email inbox or FTP account
• Maps for solar energy projects
• Maps for Google Earth - create your own attractive 3D views
• GIS data & digital maps - data for your own analyses and cartography
• posterMaps - printed, large format wall maps with professional cartography
• freeMaps - small-scale free-to-use presentation maps
• iMaps - interactive maps in the online application

The core of SolarGIS is the DATABASE, containing:
• Solar radiation data, based on in-house developed operational satellite-to-irradiance model
• Air-temperature, air-humidity and wind characteristics, derived from atmospheric models
• Derived characteristics for PV and CSP/CPV systems
• Auxiliary data: Terrain, Landscape, Population

Solar radiation data availability can be seen on the map below. We keep working on a geographical extension of the SolarGIS database.

Solar radiation is derived from:
• Meteorological satellite data, operating on 5 different positions around the Earth
• Other atmospheric parameters (water vapor, atmospheric optical depth)
• Precise sun path geometry
• Detailed terrain model

Presently, SolarGIS database features data from PRIME, IODC and GOES-EAST regions (see map above).

Analysed satellite data:
• Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) satellites: in PRIME region from 04/2004 up to present, temporal resolution 15 minutes
• Meteosat First Generation (MFG) satellites: in PRIME region from 01/1994 to 12/2005, in IODC region from 01/1999 up to present, temporal resolution 30 minutes
• GOES satellites: in GOES-EAST region from 01/1999 up to present, temporal resolution 30 minutes to 3 hours

Other data sources:
• Air temperature, Wind speed and direction at 10 m height, Relative humidity derived from NCEP GFS and CFS models (covering 1989 up to present, temporal resolution 1-6 hours)
• Terrain, Landscape, Population

More detailed information are available in SolarGIS data specification document (PDF, 2.3 MB).

SolarGIS background
• Publication list of the authors of SolarGIS - scientific papers, books, presentations, etc.
• News archive reflects the main milestones of SolarGIS from its roots
• Download the Lecture (PDF, 20 MB) about SolarGIS
• Download the information leaflet about SolarGIS

Video tutorials
Watch all tutorial videos about applications and database
on our SolarGIS YouTube channel.