Global solar atlas

The Global Solar Atlas provides a summary of solar power potential and solar resources globally. It is offered as a free service to governments, developers and the general public, and allows users to quickly obtain data and carry out a simple electricity output calculation for any location covered by the solar resource database.

Source globalsolaratlas.info

This map represents average yearly/daily potential electricity production from a 1 kW-peak grid-connected solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant.

The PV system configuration consists of ground-based, free-standing structures with crystalline-silicon PV modules mounted at a fixed position towards the equator, with optimum tilt to maximize yearly energy yield.

Use of high-efficiency inverters is assumed. The solar electricity calculation is based on high-resolution Solargis data and PV modeling software. The model takes into account solar radiation, air temperature, and terrain, to simulate the energy conversion and losses in the PV modules and other components of a PV power plant. The cumulative effect of losses due to dirt, snow and ice on the PV modules, and the losses from cables, inverters and transformers, is 9%. The power plant availability is considered to be 100%.

The Solargis calculation of solar radiation is based on the use of data from five geostationary meteorological satellites (operated by EUMETSAT, NOAA and JMA), and data from global atmospheric and meteorological models (operated by ECMWF and NOAA).

Air temperature is derived from the meteorological models operated by NOAA.

The underlying data is calculated at 10,15 and 30-minute time steps for a period comprising the most recent years, from 1994/1999/2007 (depending on the geographical region) up to the present. The spatial resolution of the grid data in this map is approximately 4 km. The underlying data is available globally, between latitudes 60°N and 45°S, and it is updated in real time. The model performance has been validated by measurements from 200+ high-quality solar monitoring stations. The uncertainty of Solargis yearly values (considering 80% of occurrence) is in the range of ±4 to ±8% for global horizontal irradiation (GHI) and in the range of ±8 to ±15% for direct normal irradiation (DNI).

Via globalsolaratlas.info

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

How Long Does Plastic Take to Decompose?

Plastic: the unwelcome house guest at nearly every corner of our lives — from shopping bags to footwear, coffee cups to car parts. And yet, discarded, plastic doesn't just evaporate into thin air. No, it lingers. For decades. Even centuries. According to statistics presented by Visual Capitalist , plastic daily consumer goods can break down between 20 and 600 years, depending on the composition used, how they were created, and natural elements like water and sunlight they are exposed to. Let's go deeper into why plastic takes so long to break down — and what horrid messes it leaves behind in the process. Why Plastic Isn't "Natural" — and Why That's a Problem Plastic does not naturally exist. It's a product made from petroleum and natural gas. Its long, tough carbon bonds differ from anything naturally found in ecosystems, making it extremely resistant to microbial breakdown. When we toss a plastic bottle or bag away, it's not a matter of if it will s...

Barbie’s Feet Are Getting Flatter—And It Says a Lot About Us

Barbie’s arched feet have long been a part of her image—tiny, pointed, and forever perched for stilettos. But that’s starting to change. A new study reveals that Barbie’s feet are flattening, and that shift isn’t just about doll design—it reflects a broader change in how we think about women’s fashion and comfort. A team of podiatrists at Monash University analyzed 2,750 Barbie dolls produced between 1959 and 2024. They found that while every single doll in the 1960s had permanently arched feet made to fit high heels, only about 40% of Barbies in the 2020s still have that same foot shape. This shift isn’t random. It follows Barbie’s growing list of careers—astronaut, firefighter, doctor—where practical shoes make a lot more sense than stilettos. This change was even acknowledged in the 2023 Barbie movie. In one early scene, Margot Robbie’s Barbie steps out of her heels and her feet stay arched, just like the classic dolls. But later in the film, her feet flatten out, a visual cue ...

Fallingwater: Where Architecture Meets the Wild

Located in southwestern Pennsylvania's woods, Fallingwater is not a house, but a powerful conversation between nature and architecture. Completed in 1935 by Frank Lloyd Wright for the Kaufmanns, it's one of the only buildings that truly does seem alive—as if it grew directly out of the rock. What is so revolutionary about Fallingwater isn't its appearance—it's Wright's philosophy of organic architecture: the idea that houses are there to harmonize with nature, not dominate it. The house was actually constructed into the land, resting directly above a waterfall on Bear Run. Instead of looking out over the waterfall, Wright built the waterfall into the house, and the sound of running water is therefore a constant companion. Crafted From the Land, For the Land The materials used to build Fallingwater tell their own story. The stone was quarried on-site. Local craftsmen helped shape every contour. The horizontal lines of the cantilevered terraces echo the layered rock...

Ecoclimax

Search This Blog