Data and Tools

Browse or search this comprehensive listing of data and tools for analyzing photovoltaic (PV) and concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies, solar grid and systems integration, and solar technology markets.

Data or Tool Description CSP PV Grid Integration Market Research Tech to Market metadata
Renewable Energy Materials Properties Database Identifies the type, quantity, source, and other properties of materials used by solar power technologies          
PV Bifacial Irradiance and Performance Modeling Toolkit Enables time-series bifacial PV irradiance and electrical data modeling           Photovoltaics
ATB: Annual Technology Baseline Technology cost and performance projection data for solar systems           Concentrating Solar Power, Photovoltaics
Bird Clear Sky Model Estimates clear sky direct beam, hemispherical diffuse, and total hemispherical solar radiation on a horizontal surface           Concentrating Solar Power, Photovoltaics, CSP, PV
Bird Simple Spectral Model Computes clear sky direct beam, hemisperical diffuse, and hemisperical total irradiances on a receiver plane           Concentrating Solar Power, Photovoltaics, CSP, PV
Cambium Hourly cost, emission, and operational data for modeling U.S. electric sector futures           Concentrating Solar Power, Photovoltaics
Circumsolar Radiation Data: The Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory Reduced Data Base Intensity profiles of the solar and circumsolar region, direct normal radiation data, and total hemispherical solar radiation data in the United States           Concentrating Solar Power, Photovoltaics, CSP, PV
Comparative Photovoltaic Levelized Cost of Energy Calculator Calculates levelized cost of energy for PV systems based on cost, performance, and reliability           LCOE
Concentrating Solar Power Projects Worldwide SolarPACES database of CSP projects           Concentrating Solar Power
CONFRRM: Cooperative Networks for Renewable Resource Measurements Solar radiation resource data at various locations in the United States           Concentrating Solar Power, Photovoltaics, CSP, PV
CREST: Cost of Renewable Energy Spreadsheet Tool Economic, cash-flow models for assessing solar power projects           Concentrating Solar Power, Photovoltaics, CSP, PV
dGen: Distributed Generation Market Demand Model Simulates customer adoption of distributed energy resources           Photovoltaics, PV
DISC Model Estimates direct beam component from empirical relationships between global and indirect clearness indices           Concentrating Solar Power, Photovoltaics, CSP, PV
dsgrid: Demand-Side Grid Model Electricity load model for power systems analyses           Photovoltaics, PV
FESTIV: Flexible Energy Scheduling Tool for Integrating Variable Generation Simulates electric power system behavior to understand variability and uncertainty           Concentrating Solar Power, Photovoltaics, CSP, PV
Historically Black Colleges and Universities Solar Radiation Monitoring Network Global and diffuse horizontal solar irradiance data from 1985 to 1996           Concentrating Solar Power, Photovoltaics, CSP, PV, HBCU
JEDI Concentrating Solar Power Model Estimates jobs and economic development impacts from CSP projects           Concentrating Solar Power
Levelized Cost of Energy Calculator Calculates for both utility-scale and distributed generation solar technologies           LCOE, Concentrating Solar Power, Photovoltaics, CSP, PV
MIDC: Measurement and Instrumentation Data Center Provides irradiance and meteorological data from stations throughout the United States           Concentrating Solar Power, Photovoltaics, CSP, PV
NASA Remote Sensing Validation Data: Saudi Arabia Solar radiation data across Saudi Arabia from 1998 to 2003           Concentrating Solar Power, Photovoltaics, CSP, PV
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Solar Data U.S. climate data from 39 stations in the 1980s           Concentrating Solar Power, Photovoltaics, CSP, PV, NOAA
NSRDB: National Solar Radiation Database Meteorological, global horizontal, direct normal, and diffuse horizontal irradiance solar data           Concentrating Solar Power, Photovoltaics
Photovoltaic Module Soiling Map Soiling parameters of fielded PV panels at 124 locations across the United States           Photovoltaics
PVDAQ U.S PV performance geospatial data           Photovoltaics
PVWatts Calculator Estimates energy production and costs of grid-connected PV systems           Photovoltaics
RAPID: Regulatory and Permitting Information Desktop Toolkit - Open EI Regulations and permitting information for PV systems           Concentrating Solar Power, Photovoltaics, CSP, PV
ReEDS: Regional Energy Deployment System Model Capacity planning model, simulating a power system's evolution           Concentrating Solar Power, Photovoltaics, CSP, PV
Renewable Energy Atlas Solar resource geospatial data           Concentrating Solar Power, Photovoltaics, CSP, PV
Renewable Energy Data Explorer Solar resource data for some countries outside of the United States           Concentrating Solar Power, Photovoltaics, CSP, PV
REopt: Renewable Energy Integration & Optimization Evaluates economic viability, size, and loads of distributed PV systems       Photovoltaics
reV: Renewable Energy Potential Model Geospatial model for assessing renewable energy capacity and generation potential           Concentrating Solar Power, Photovoltaics, CSP, PV
RPM: Resource Planning Model Capacity expansion model for PV systems           Photovoltaics
SAM: System Advisor Model Models techno-economic performance and cost predictions of grid-connected solar systems           Concentrating Solar Power, Photovoltaics, CSP, PV
SAMPA: Solar and Moon Position Algorithm Calculates the solar and lunar zenith and azimuth angles from the year 2000 to 6000           Concentrating Solar Power, Photovoltaics, CSP, PV
SIIP: Scalable Integrated Infrastructure Planning Model Analyzes the scheduling problems and dynamic simulations of quasi-static grid infrastructures           Concentrating Solar Power, Photovoltaics, CSP, PV
SIND: Solar Integration National Dataset Toolkit Modeled subhourly solar power data for integration studies           Concentrating Solar Power, Photovoltaics, CSP, PV
SMARTS: Simple Model of the Atmospheric Radiative Transfer of Sunshine Predicts clear-sky spectral irradiances           Concentrating Solar Power, Photovoltaics, CSP, PV
Solar Energy Meteorological Research and Training Sites Data Hourly data for four U.S. locations from 1979 to 1984           Concentrating Solar Power, Photovoltaics, CSP, PV
Solar for All Visualization of U.S. rooftop solar technical potential           Photovoltaics, PV
Solar Power Data for Integration Studies U.S. power plant data for the year 2006           Concentrating Solar Power, Photovoltaics, CSP, PV
Solar Radiation Research Laboratory: Baseline Measurement System Solar radiation data displays and data sets           Concentrating Solar Power, Photovoltaics, CSP, PV
Solar Resource Data, Tools, and Maps Online geospatial tools, downloadable maps, and data sets showing solar resource potential           Concentrating Solar Power, Photovoltaics, CSP, PV
Solar Resource Variability U.S. solar resource data and maps for 1998 to 2005           Concentrating Solar Power, Photovoltaics, CSP, PV
Solar Spectra Solar spectra data in HTML, text, and spreadsheet formats           Concentrating Solar Power, Photovoltaics, CSP, PV
Solar Trace Transparent permitting, inspection, and interconnection data for residential PV systems           Photovoltaics
SolarAPP Automate and deliver instant permitting data for residential PV systems           Photovoltaics
SolarPILOT: Solar Power Tower Integrated and Optimization Tool Characterizes CSP tower system performance and layout requirements           Concentrating Solar Power
SOLPOS: Solar Position and Intensity Calculates apparent solar position and intensity per date, time, and location           Concentrating Solar Power, Photovoltaics, CSP, PV
SolTrace Models CSP systems and analyzes optical performance           Concentrating Solar Power
SPA: Solar Position Algorithm Calculates the solar zenith and azimuth angles from the year 2000 to 6000           Concentrating Solar Power, Photovoltaics, CSP, PV
Spectral Solar Radiation Data Base Spectral solar radiation data files for three specific locations in Florida, Colorado, and California           Concentrating Solar Power, Photovoltaics, CSP, PV
Standard Contracts and Securitization Resources Example standard contracts and securitization resources for PV systems           Photovoltaics
Standard Scenarios Outlook and Results Viewer Annual U.S. solar power sector scenarios           Concentrating Solar Power, Photovoltaics, CSP, PV
Stochastic Energy Deployment System: Electricity Sector Module Capacity and characteristics of CSP and PV electricity generation technologies           Concentrating Solar Power, Photovoltaics, CSP, PV, SEDS
Thin-Film Solar Cell Current Voltage and Time-Resolved Photoluminescence Simulation Model Determines minority carrier lifetimes, interface recombination velocities, and other material characteristics           JV, TRPL
Tribal Energy Atlas Techno-economic solar energy potential on U.S. Tribal lands           Concentrating Solar Power, Photovoltaics, CSP, PV
WEST Associates Solar Monitoring Network 1970s data for 52 U.S. stations in six western states           Concentrating Solar Power, Photovoltaics, CSP, PV

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