Vaisala Energy Support
How do I interpret the graphs provided by the Monthly Mean Irradiance Tools in the Prospecting Tools?
For your selected location, these tools show the monthly average (mean) irradiance value (GHI, DNI, DIF) for each month of the year and list the specific month that has the highest monthly value as well as the lowest monthly value. The thick line and the small squares represent Vaisala’s estimate of your monthly solar resource based on 10 year means from our Version 1.0 dataset. The thin vertical lines represent the standard error of that estimate from our global validation.
You have the option of seeing the irradiance values in units of kWh/m²/day (kilowatt-hours per square meter per day) or W/m² (Watts per meter squared). To learn how to change your account settings click here.
Please keep in mind when comparing different geographic areas that each graph scales to its specific location, meaning the values on the y-axis will change depending on the variability and intensity of the solar resource at a location.
More Solar Online Tools Questions
- How accurate is the data in the Solar Time Series Tools?
- The datasets give different answers. Which one is right?
- Why are there so many (5) different versions of solar data?
- Which weather data source should I pick?
- Why do the values in my TMY file change?
- What updates were applied to the datasets in November 2019?
- What's the latest month available in the solar time series tool?
- What solar values are shown on the map in solar prospecting and solar time series tool?
- How do I enter a location?
- Why does the map disappear?
- What do the Annual Mean Irradiance Tools in the Prospecting Tools provide?
- How can I compare sites side-by-side in the Prospecting Tools?
- How much area is covered by the Solar Prospecting Tools?
- How accurate are the Solar Prospecting Tools?
- What data is shown in the Solar Time Series Viewer?
- What data can I get from the Solar Time Series Download tool?
- What is the Vaisala 1.0 dataset?
- What is the Vaisala 1.1 dataset?
- What is the Vaisala 1.2 dataset?
- What is the Vaisala 2.0 dataset?
- What is the Vaisala 2.1 dataset?
- What are the units of irradiance?
- What is the “TMY” Data Type in the Solar Time Series Download tool?
- What is the “Long-Term” Data Type in the Solar Time Series Download tool?
- Why does the data not match my observations?
- How do I input CSV files into PVSyst?
- How can I input time series data into PVSyst?
- What is Global Horizontal Irradiance?
- What is Direct Normal Irradiance?
- What is Diffuse Horizontal Irradiance?
- What affects solar radiation at a given site?
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