Hourly Solar Irradiance Estimates From GOES Satellite

EUMETSAT provides hourly estimates of shortwave solar irradiance reaching the Earth's surface, derived from GOES-E geostationary satellite imagery. The data is produced by applying a physical parameterization algorithm to each pixel and remapping results onto a 0.05-degree regular grid. Products are interpolated to rounded Universal Time hours, though pixel observation times vary by up to 24 minutes.

Use Cases

• Forecasting solar power output by analyzing the hourly W/m2 irradiance values.
• Mapping regional solar resource potential using the 0.05-degree gridded geospatial data.
• Validating and calibrating ground-based solar radiation measurements against satellite-derived irradiance estimates.
• Studying diurnal and seasonal solar energy patterns from the hourly time-series data.

Strengths

• Data is derived from the authoritative GOES-E geostationary satellite.
• Provides high-resolution spatial data on a 0.05-degree regular grid.
• Offers hourly temporal resolution, interpolated to rounded UT hours.

Limitations

• The exact temporal coverage, row count, and update frequency are unknown.
• Pixel observation times are not homogeneous, varying by up to 24 minutes across the image.
• The algorithm's accuracy for specific surface conditions or atmospheric events is not detailed.

Provenance

Source

EUMETSAT, derived from GOES-E geostationary satellite data.

Collection Method

Physical parameterization algorithm applied to satellite imagery, remapped to a regular grid.

Geography

Coverage area of the GOES-E satellite, likely focusing on the Americas and surrounding oceans.