Global Solar Energy Potential Estimates by Class and Country, 1961-2008

NREL-derived estimates of total annual solar energy potential organized by country and solar class, with spatial resolution varying from 1 km to approximately 100 km. Data sources include NASA's Surface Meteorology and Solar Energy (SSE) Version 6 database and other high-resolution models. The energy values represent kilowatt-hours per square meter per day, calculated using a 10% conversion efficiency and a 365-day year.

Use Cases

• Modeling regional solar energy potential based on solar class and land area.
• Comparing national solar resources for energy planning based on kWh/m²/day estimates.
• Supporting site selection for solar projects using high-resolution (1-40 km) modeled data.

Strengths

• Integrates data from authoritative sources like NASA's SSE database.
• Provides data at multiple spatial resolutions, from 1 km to approximately 100 km.
• Covers a long temporal baseline, with source data measured or modeled between 1961 and 2008.

Limitations

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

Provenance

Source

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and NASA Surface Meteorology and Solar Energy (SSE) database.

Collection Method

Derived from the best available solar resource data, with high-resolution gaps filled using NASA SSE Version 6.

Time Range

1961 to 2008 (depending on source dataset).

Freshness

Source data spans 1961-2008; last update for the compiled dataset is unknown.

Geography

Global, organized by country.