The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) released new solar resource
data for India. The 10-km hourly solar resource data were developed using
weather satellite (METEOSAT) measurements incorporated into a site-time
specific solar modeling approach developed at the U.S. State University
of New York at Albany. The new data expands the time period of analysis
from 2002-2007 to 2002-2011 and incorporates enhanced aerosols information
to improve direct normal irradiance (DNI) characterization. The data
is made publicly available in geographic information system (GIS) format
and as static maps at http://www.nrel.gov/international/ra_india.html.
The hourly data can also be downloaded for specific locations from NREL's
Renewable Resource Data Center.
These products were developed by NREL in coordination with the U.S. Department
of Energy (DOE) and India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
under the U.S.-India Energy Dialogue’s New Technology and Renewable
Energy Working Group. The project was funded by DOE’s Office of Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy, International and the U.S. Department
of State.
