Renewable resource assessment data
Where to build solar and wind, and how much they will generate, rests on resource data. This guide covers renewable resource assessment data and how to source it.
Why resource data matters
Renewable yield, and therefore project viability and financing, depends on the wind and solar resource at a site. Resource data underpins siting, yield assessment and investment.
The data landscape
- Solar: irradiance and PV-relevant variables.
- Wind: speeds and profiles at hub height.
- Long-term datasets: multi-decade baselines.
- Uncertainty: confidence and variability.
Long-term and uncertainty
Resource assessment needs long historical records to capture interannual variability, and quantified uncertainty is essential for financing. Short records mislead.
Common use cases
Site selection and prospecting, energy-yield assessment, financing and due diligence, and operational forecasting.
Sourcing considerations
Satellite-derived and reanalysis datasets provide broad coverage; on-site measurement calibrates them. Methodology and uncertainty must be understood, and geography is central.
In a managed model
A managed partner can source long-term solar and wind resource data with documented methodology and uncertainty.
Long records and uncertainty
Renewable viability depends on the wind and solar resource at a site, so resource assessment needs long historical records to capture interannual variability, and quantified uncertainty is essential for financing. Short records mislead.
Satellite plus on-site
Satellite-derived and reanalysis datasets give broad coverage; on-site measurement calibrates them. Understand methodology and uncertainty, with geography central.
- Renewable viability depends on the resource at a site.
- Combine solar irradiance, wind speeds, long-term data and uncertainty.
- Long records capture variability; quantified uncertainty enables financing.
- Satellite/reanalysis give coverage; on-site data calibrates.
Sources & further reading
- Copernicus and SARAH solar datasets; ERA5 reanalysis.
- National meteorological and energy agencies.
- IEA and IRENA: renewable resource references.
- Industry resource-assessment standards.
We source long-term resource data with documented methodology and uncertainty. Get a no-obligation quote.