OVERVIEW OF THE SURFACE METEOROLOGY AND SOLAR ENERGY (SSE) PROJECT: AN INNOVATIVE WEB-BASED DATA SET FOR THE RENEWABLE ENERGY INDUSTRY

摘要

The NASA SSE data set (Release 4) described in this paper contains more accurate and new types of resource information than previous releases and is formulated for assessing and designing renewable energy systems for any region of the world. This type of information has previously only been available from a limited number of ground measurement stations located mainly in populated cities throughout the world. The SSE data are not intended to replace quality ground measurement data. However, the SSE data are considered accurate for preliminary feasibility studies of RETs. When used in conjunction with analysis tools such as RETScreen? these data make it possible to quickly compare the benefits of renewable energy systems to conventional systems. Such analyses can provide substantial cost savings to users installing individual household renewable energy systems, industries developing the technologies, and governments initiating regional renewable energy programs. In the new global energy market where RETs are being considered along with conventional energy sources, the NASA SSE data set provides a consistent climatology of insolation and meteorology data for resource assessment on a global scale.