Solar Irradiance Measurements and Satellite Data for Tucson, Spring 2014

Metadata and measurements from multiple irradiance sensors and rooftop solar power systems in Tucson, Arizona, collected by Antonio T. Lorenzo of the University of Arizona. The dataset includes clear-sky expectations and irradiance derived from GOES-W satellite images, covering April, May, and June of 2014. Data is provided in multiple formats including CSV, plain text, HDF5, and netCDF4.

Use Cases

• Validate satellite-derived irradiance estimates based on ground sensor measurements mentioned in the description.
• Develop short-term photovoltaic power forecasts based on the real-time irradiance monitoring network described.
• Compare measured irradiance against clear-sky expectation models included in the dataset.
• Analyze spatial and temporal variability of solar resources in the Tucson area during spring 2014.

Strengths

• Data includes measurements from multiple sensor types, including NREL calibrated GHI sensors and custom rooftop PV sensors.
• Covers a specific three-month period (April-June 2014) for focused temporal analysis.
• Provides data in multiple interoperable formats, including HDF5 and netCDF4.
• Includes clear-sky expectations, enabling model validation against theoretical baselines.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale modeling.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

University of Arizona, based on sensor networks and GOES-W satellite data.

Collection Method

Likely collected from a network of ground-based irradiance sensors and processed satellite imagery.

Time Range

April, May, and June 2014

Geography

Tucson, Arizona, USA area