Solar Irradiation Data
Increase the value of your project by reducing your yield uncertainty with accurate and bankable solar irradiation data
The most-extensively validated satellite-based solar irradiation data source for solar power modelling
Bankable and independently validated data offering global coverage
0.3% mean bias error
Extensive validation campaign including 3rd party, compared over high-quality pyranometers maintained by national public weather services across the world
TMY Pxx
Typical Meteorological Years (TMY) are derived based our historical dataset of solar irradiances, and are likewise delivered at a 15-min, 10-min & 5-min resolution. TMY's can be generated for many different exceedance probabilities, such TMY P50, P90 or P95.
Sub-hourly timeseries
Improve the time resolution of your energy yield and operational performance with sub-hourly resolutions: 15min, 10min and 5min data
Global coverage
Four geo-stationary weather satellites provide us the latest spectral imagery on cloud coverage from all around the globe: Meteosat-11, Meteosat-8 (IODC), GOES-East and Himawari-8. These satellites have a resolution of 2x2 or 3x3 km.
Global, accurate
solar irradiance data
Every 5 or 15 minutes, four geo-stationary weather satellites provide the latest spectral imagery on cloud coverage from all around the globe. In collaboration with the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, this imagery is translated into irradiation data with the most advanced physical cloud (CPP) models available today.
Over the years, 3E has significantly improved the accuracy of satellite-based irradiation data. Our data is constantly evaluated against reference data from over 300 high quality meteo stations across Europe and Africa, making it the most-extensively validated satellite-based irradiation data source available today.
In 2022, Eurac research center validated our data in Europe and concluded that the 3E solar datasets achieved a mean bias error of 0.48% with a standard deviation of 2.3%. The normalized root mean square error ranges from 18% for hourly data to 2.16% for annual data.
- Modelling methodology
- Data availability
- Validations

Historical timeseries
& TMY's
What is it used for?
Solar irradiance data for EPCs and development teams to simulate P50 or P95 long-term yield assessments
Irradiation
Global Horizontal (GHI)
Diffuse Horizontal (DIF)
Direct Normal (DNI)
Global Tilted (GTI)
And more to come
TMY Pxx
Typical Meteorological Years derived from our complete historical dataset of solar irradiances and meteorological conditions. TMY's are delivered at a 15, 10 & 5 minute resolution.
Available for Europe and Africa
Timeseries
Timeseries of the actual solar irradiance & meteorological conditions at a 15-minute resolution. Our irradiance timeseries go back to 2004.
What is it used for?
Solar irradiance data for development and O&M teams to evaluate the performance of solar PV assets in the design & operational stage
Meteo
Air Temperature
Wind Speed
Wind Direction
Relative Humidity
Both include
Irradiation
Global Horizontal (GHI)
Diffuse Horizontal (DIF)
Direct Normal (DNI)
Global Tilted (GTI)
And more to come
Meteo
Air Temperature
Wind Speed
Wind Direction
Relative Humidity
More than 10,000 assets benefit from 3E's solar irradiation data worldwide
We integrate all your resource data needs for your solar projects in your daily routines.