The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has unveiled an initiative set for power system planning and accelerating solar energy deployment across Africa, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East.
As per NREL, with over two decades of solar radiation research, NREL’s latest endeavor offers a new high-resolution solar time-series dataset accessible through the Renewable Energy Data Explorer (RE Data Explorer) tool. This tool caters to the diverse needs of stakeholders in national governments, academia, and private industry within the energy sectors.
As per reports, the project was motivated by the challenges faced by countries like Tanzania and Ukraine, which are collaborating with NREL and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to overcome barriers hindering renewable energy deployment. Such as, in Ukraine, the endeavor aims to revamp and decentralize a grid crippled by conflict, while in Tanzania, a lack of reliable data has historically impeded renewable energy planning efforts.
The partnership between USAID and NREL plays a pivotal role in driving clean energy initiatives in these nations. Further, collaborative efforts involved establishing research priorities tailored to each country’s needs, ensuring the data set addresses critical challenges.
The RE Data Explorer serves as a vital tool for accessing renewable energy data tailored to specific requirements. It integrates with various analysis tools, facilitating informed decision-making in policymaking, power system planning, and clean energy project development.
The creation of this dataset involved compiling data sources spanning Africa, Europe, and the Middle East from 2005 to 2022. the project involves utilizing imagery captured by the European Union’s Meteosat geostationary weather satellites, NREL’s partners at the University of Wisconsin modeled key factors such as cloud cover and composition. Additionally, satellite data from NASA was integrated to estimate solar irradiance reaching the surface on a four-kilometer grid.
Notable, the dataset’s significance lies in its ability to provide accurate, detailed information crucial for solar developers and utilities to estimate electricity generation potential, thereby informing project viability and risk assessment. In Ukraine, where efforts are underway to integrate more renewable energy into the grid, access to this data is invaluable for planning and understanding resource distribution.
Similarly, in Tanzania and other African nations, the availability of reliable solar data is considered to be a game-changer in achieving renewable energy targets. The availability of such data empowers stakeholders to make informed decisions regarding PV deployment and grid planning, thus driving the transition towards a sustainable energy future.
