Vaisala Energy Support
What data has been created?
3TIER has created a satellite derived dataset composed of more than 10 years of hourly values of Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI), Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI), and Diffuse Horizontal Irradiance (DIF) at a horizontal resolution of roughly 3 km covering the entire globe. The specific satellites and length of time varies slightly by region due to differences in the availability of data from region to region. See the chart below for more details.
| Regions | Satellites | Start Date |
| Western Hemisphere | GOES 8 - 13 |
15 years (January 1997 - present) |
| South Asia & Middle East | Meteosat 5, Meteosat 7 |
13 years (January 1999 – last quarter) |
| East Asia & Oceania | GMS 5, GOES 9, MTSAT 1-2 |
13 years (December 1998 – present) |
| Europe & Africa | Meteosat 7, Meteosat 9 |
15 years (July 1998 – last quarter) |
The dataset is based on actual, half-hourly, high-resolution visible satellite imagery observations via the broadband visible wavelength channel at a 2 arc minute resolution. In other words, we provide values in a 2 arc minute by 2 arc minute box surrounding a particular location, and the size of this area changes depending on your latitude. For example, 2 arc minutes of longitude are 3.7 km at the Equator and 2.6 km at 45º N.
Satellite data was originally processed by the University of Wisconsin from the geostationary satellites GOES 8-13. Satellite data was originally processed by the Bureau of Meteorology from the geostationary satellites GOES 9, GMS 5 and the MTSAT satellite operated by the Japan Meteorological Agency. Satellite data was originally processed by EUMETSAT from the geostationary satellites Meteosat 5, 7, and 9.
More Solar Online Tools Questions
- How do I enter a location?
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- What is Global Horizontal Irradiance?
- How can I compare sites side-by-side?
- What is Direct Normal Irradiance?
- How do I change locations for individual tools?
- What is Diffuse Horizontal Irradiance?
- Why does the map disappear?
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- What affects solar radiation at a given site?
- How much area is covered by the Solar Prospecting Tools?
- How accurate are the Solar Prospecting Tools?
- How was the data behind your map created?
- How do I convert the 3TIER values to peak sun hours?
- Why does the data not match my observations?
- What were 3TIER's solar data validation procedures?
If you didn't find what you were looking for, please contact 3TIER Support for additional assistance.