Solar Resource Mapping Project
- $443k Funded by ARENA
- $588k Total project cost
Summary
The Solar Resource Mapping Project contributed to the creation of the Australian Solar Energy Information System, funded the development of better satellite models for depicting solar radiation, and funded eight additional solar radiation ground monitoring stations.
Need
Better and more accessible data is needed to help the solar industry identify the regions in Australia best suited for further detailed investigation and potential development of solar energy generation.
Such data can also help to improve understanding of Australia’s solar radiation patterns and develop tools to improve their prediction.
Project innovation
The Solar Resource Mapping Project contributed to the creation of the Australian Solar Energy Information System (ASEIS).
It funded the development of better satellite models for depicting solar radiation, as well as reprocessing of historical data with these improved model processes.
It also funded the purchase, installation and operation by the Bureau of Meteorology of eight additional solar radiation ground monitoring stations to provide additional data with which to validate and improve the satellite solar exposure models.
New products were created that provide information on weather and climate, including the minimum and monthly averages of daily global solar radiation exposures.
Data previously served by ASEIS is now available through the Australian Renewable Energy Mapping Infrastructure, which can be found at http://nationalmap.gov.au/renewables/.
Benefit
The project has improved the availability and quality of solar radiation data across Australia, which is also available more cheaply and in a greater range of formats as a result of this project.
Read more about solar PV.
