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Renewable Energy · Data sources

Solar Production

Irradiance, weather, module ratings and inverter performance.

Explore selected organizations, manufacturer libraries and research repositories. Each entry explains what it provides, how to access it and which operating conditions to check.

Source guide · Links reviewed

Data sources & references

5 selected sources · Links to original publishers. This is a curated guide, not an exhaustive directory or a hosted dataset.

Satellite-derived resource data

NLR NSRDB — solar resource data

Solar irradiance and meteorological time series, with dataset-specific geography and temporal resolution.

Use it for
Supply solar-resource inputs for production models. Satellite-derived estimates are not a site pyranometer measurement.
Operating conditions
Match coordinates, dataset version, year, interval and time zone; distinguish irradiance components and satellite estimates from on-site observations.
Where & how to access
The documentation describes no-cost downloads and API access. Follow endpoint requirements, limits, attribution and current terms.
Open source ↗
Usage terms & attribution

Follow the selected dataset’s attribution, API and data-use conditions. The no-cost access description is not a blanket license for every related product.

Listed equipment & manufacturer-reported data

California Energy Commission — solar equipment lists

Links to active PV module, inverter and related equipment lists and performance-test documentation.

Use it for
Find exact equipment identifiers and parameters. CEC notes that manufacturer self-reported information is not confirmed; listing is not a blanket performance guarantee.
Operating conditions
Match exact model and listing category; read test-condition definitions and distinguish manufacturer-reported parameters from independently tested fields.
Where & how to access
The program links to an equipment-list application with downloads. Review list definitions and reuse terms before redistributing data.
Open source ↗
Usage terms & attribution

Check the program’s data-use notices and third-party document terms. Listing or download availability does not itself grant republication rights for every attached document.

Resource data & modeled PV output

European Commission JRC — PVGIS

Solar-resource information and location-specific photovoltaic production estimates, with web tools and API documentation.

Use it for
Compare solar-resource scenarios and expected output; modeled production is not measured generation from a site.
Operating conditions
Record PVGIS version, radiation database, location, tilt/azimuth, technology and loss assumptions. Keep typical-year files separate from actual-year series.
Where & how to access
Use the JRC page to choose the web tool or API documentation. Select a location, database, period and PV configuration in the chosen version.
Open source ↗
Usage terms & attribution

Consult the JRC legal notice and the chosen dataset/API terms for attribution and reuse. Software-license information does not automatically define rights for every underlying dataset.

Measured PV characterization & field data

Sandia PVPMC — PV research datasets

Links to module-characterization reports, irradiance/weather measurements and PV model-comparison datasets.

Use it for
Evaluate PV models against a documented experiment or field study.
Operating conditions
Match irradiance, module temperature, spectrum, angle of incidence and measurement interval. Separate indoor characterization from outdoor field observations.
Where & how to access
Choose a named dataset on the PV Performance Modeling Collaborative page; follow its repository and read the accompanying methodology and file descriptions.
Open source ↗
Usage terms & attribution

Follow the selected dataset’s license, required citation and contributor notices. If redistribution terms are not explicit, ask the publisher before reusing files. This page provides links only.

Manufacturer inverter documentation

SMA — inverter Download Center

Model-specific data sheets, manuals, certificates and archived product documents.

Use it for
Find inverter operating limits and documented performance information for an exact model.
Operating conditions
Check model suffix, voltage/frequency, DC operating range, temperature/altitude derating and document revision. Peak or weighted efficiency is not an efficiency curve at every load.
Where & how to access
Filter the Download Center by product and document category; use Archive for discontinued products and choose the appropriate region/language.
Open source ↗
Usage terms & attribution

Manufacturer documents and selection results remain subject to the publisher’s terms and notices. Use the original library; public access or an export option is not a license to republish its tables, curves or software.

Practical use

Combine location-specific solar-resource time series with the selected module and inverter parameters. Distinguish a typical meteorological year from an actual historical year when comparing estimates with measured production.

Check before using the data

  • Record coordinates, time zone, timestamp convention, interval, units and dataset version.
  • Choose the appropriate GHI/DNI/DHI variables and weather period; retain missing-data and quality information.
  • Match module/inverter identifiers and model assumptions, including orientation, shading and losses.

Put the data to work

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