Vaisala Energy Support
What were 3TIER's solar data validation procedures?
To access the quality of the irradiance estimates provided by our solar dataset, 3TIER examined 120 high-quality reference stations around the globe. Results indicate that 3TIER's standard error is 5% for GHI and DIF and 9% for DNI. These results are consistent across the globe, which means 3TIER data can be used worldwide with the same degree of certainty.
Compared to publicly available data sources, such as NREL and NASA, 3TIER's dataset has similar bias and standard errors, but significantly lower root mean square errors (RMSE). A lower RMSE indicates that our estimates of irradiance are closer to actual observed values on an hour-by-hour basis.
For additional information, please see 3TIER's global solar validation white paper:
More Solar Online Tools Questions
- How do I enter a location?
- What's the latest month available in the solar time series tool?
- What is the Data Shown in the Solar Time Series Viewer?
- What updates were applied to the datasets in November 2019?
- Which weather data source should I pick?
- What do the Annual Mean Irradiance Tools provide?
- How do I interpret the graphs provided by the Monthly Mean Irradiance Tools?
- What solar values are shown on the map?
- Why do we show a +/- next to the annual values?
- 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?
- What are the units of irradiance?
- 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?
- What data has been created?
- 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?
If you didn't find what you were looking for, please contact 3TIER Support for additional assistance.