Daily Surface Solar Irradiance from GOES Satellite

EUMETSAT provides daily estimates of solar energy reaching the Earth's surface, derived from GOES-E geostationary satellite observations. Data is remapped onto a 0.05-degree regular grid, with daily values representing the integration of all hourly measurements for a UT day. The primary variable is surface shortwave irradiance, expressed in watts per square meter (W/m²).

Use Cases

• Model photovoltaic power output by correlating irradiance values with local weather and plant performance data.
• Analyze spatial and temporal trends in surface solar energy using the 0.05-degree grid and daily time series.
• Validate and calibrate numerical weather prediction models by comparing forecasted irradiance against these satellite-derived estimates.
• Assess solar resource potential for new renewable energy installations by mapping long-term average daily irradiance.

Strengths

• Data is derived from the authoritative GOES-E geostationary satellite, ensuring consistent observation.
• Spatial resolution is specified at a 0.05-degree regular grid, providing detailed geographic coverage.
• Daily values are integrated from hourly measurements, improving representativeness over single snapshots.

Limitations

• The exact temporal coverage, data volume (rows), and update recency are unknown, limiting reproducibility assessments.
• Specific data quality metrics, error estimates, or validation against ground stations are not provided in the description.
• The description lacks details on data completeness, potential gaps in the satellite record, or handling of cloud cover.

Provenance

Source

EUMETSAT, derived from GOES-E geostationary satellite data.

Collection Method

Estimates are produced by remapping satellite observations over a 0.05-degree regular grid.

Time Range

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Freshness

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Geography

Coverage corresponds to the field of view of the GOES-E satellite, typically encompassing the Americas and adjacent oceans.