Solar and Wind Energy Resource Assessment (SWERA)
Solar and Wind Energy Resource Assessment (SWERA)
The SWERA Programme was a collaboration of worldwide partners with a mission to provide information on renewable energy resources for countries and regions around the world. Funding and support for the SWERA Programme concluded in 2011, at which time all programme data and information were transferred to OpenEI for long-term availability.
The programme partners, which included the U.S. Department of Energy and NREL, are no longer supporting or maintaining the datasets. OpenEI has archived the data and is making it publicly available for historical purposes. While the data may be useful for historical reference, it is suggested that users interested in global renewable resource data consult more recent resources.
Here are a few suggested resources to get started on exploring more current and available renewable resource data:
Global Solar Atlas
A free tool provided by the World Bank Group.
U.S. National Solar Radiation Database
A free, high resolution, serially complete collection of meteorological and solar irradiance data sets for the United States and a growing list of international locations.
Renewable Energy Data Explorer
Provides free access to renewable energy data, analytical tools, and technical assistance to developers, policymakers, and decision makers in select developing countries.
IRENA Global Atlas for Renewable Energy
Maps of renewable energy resources for locations across the world, assembled by the International Renewable Energy Agency.
NASA Surface Meteorology and Solar Energy: Global Data Sets
Provides solar and meteorological data sets from NASA research for support of renewable energy, building energy efficiency, and agricultural needs.
Global Wind Atlas
A free tool provided by the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) in partnership with the World Bank Group.
IRENA Global Atlas for Renewable Energy
Maps of renewable energy resources for locations across the world, assembled by the International Renewable Energy Agency.
WINDExchange: Wind Energy Maps and Data
Free access to maps and charts showing wind energy data and trends, developed by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
Renewable Energy Data Explorer
Provides free access to renewable energy data, analytical tools, and technical assistance to developers, policymakers, and decision makers in select developing countries.
USGS Wind Turbine Database
Provides onshore and offshore wind turbine locations in the United States, corresponding facility information, and turbine technical specifications.
Wind Integration National Dataset (WIND) Toolkit
An update and expansion of the Eastern Wind Integration Data Set and Western Wind Integration Data Set. WIND Toolkit supports the next generation of wind integration studies.
NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies
Datasets and images from the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, including climate simulations, earth observations, and planetary science data.
NASA Surface Meteorology and Solar Energy: Global Data Sets
Provides solar and meteorological data sets from NASA research for support of renewable energy, building energy efficiency, and agricultural needs.