Brussels-headquartered consultancy and software service company 3E Data Services has launched a satellite-based solar irradiance mapping service which can be used to assess the likely profitability and performance of planned solar PV projects.
Suitable for owners, asset managers and operations and maintenance (O&M) contractors, the web-based service uses the Cloud Physical Properties algorithm validated at over 200 meteorological sites in Western Europe. Data comes from Meteosat 9, one of five currently operating weather satellites launched by the intergovernmental European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT).
The service is also embedded in SynaptiQ, 3E Data Services’ software suite for solar installation performance monitoring and optimisation. The company provides data covering “most of Europe” at present with other regions’ data available on request and offers its irradiance mapping as a subscription service and easy to use online resource.
Rivals to 3E offering similar services include Solargis, a Slovakia-headquartered company which claims to have worked with the likes of SunPower, First Solar and ACWA Power.
