Resource Compass

Direct purchase of solar and wind resource time series

Resource Compass is a single source for solar and wind resource time series data. You can find Resource Compass  in the Veracity Marketplace, where you can purchase and obtain time series data on demand.

Three products are available:

  1. DNV’s SunSpot solar irradiance dataset
  2. DNV’s Virtual-Met-Data (VMD) wind dataset
  3. NASA’s MERRA2 weather dataset

Through the map-based interface, users can order time-series of data by selecting a set of coordinates, date-ranges, and weather variables. After ordering, DNV-proprietary physics engines perform the calculations for producing wind and/or solar data.

Resource Compass screenshot 510x276pxl Resource Compass mapping algorithm 255x237pxl
Screenshot of the application Algorithm example map

 

Solar irradiance datasets

DNV’s high-resolution satellite-based irradiance dataset, SunSpot, is based off the Perez model. SunSpot converts 1 km resolution satellite imagery to high quality irradiance data. First, visible imagery is normalized by its historic dynamic range for a given location. Clouds, generally bright, are represented by pixels on the high end of this spectrum. Next, infrared imagery is utilized to retrieve cloud temperature. Cloud temperature can provide information on cloud height, thickness, and composition – all important factors in determining a clouds effect on surface irradiance. Together, the visible and infrared imagery provide an accurate estimate of irradiance at the surface. Validated against the seven United States SURFRAD stations, SunSpot has proven to be accurate for use in solar energy analyses. Currently, SunSpot is available in the United States and parts of Canada at a temporal resolution of 15 minutes from 1 January 2000 to present.