HelioClim-3 is a satellite-derived solar radiation database

Spatial resolution and coverage	Temporal coverage	Temporal resolution	Radiation components
		1 min up to 1 month from:

Access to HelioClim-3 archives data from Feb. 2004 up to d-1 for version 4 and up to d-2 for version 5 - automatic access and via the SoDa website (optional)

• "Standard" Annual Subscriptions to access HC3 time series
• "Automatic-only"
• "Per request"

NB: The HC3 version 5 service has been upgraded during the release of Oct. 2017 with the upgrade of the CAMS McClear model to version 3. Please note that the validation results are slightly different.

NB2: It is possible to use calibration parameters "on-the-fly" to HelioClim-3 request. Please contact us to ask your questions or to receive a quotation.

Access to HC3 version 4 time series for the current day

This service provide HelioClim-3 version 4 time series of satellite-derived solar radiation values for the current day (today). The values are from two different origins/models:

1. Real time: updated as soon as a new image is available. If you launch the same request 15 min later, the values won't change,
2. Short-term forecasts: a "persistence model" is applied on the latest irradiation values available to complete the time series until the end of the day. If you launch the same request 15 min later, the values will be modified.

NB: It is possible to use calibration parameters "on-the-fly" to HelioClim-3 request. Please contact us to ask your questions or to receive a quotation.

HC3 maps in real time provides 15 min Global Horizontal Irradiation bitmap Maps or Ultra-violet Maps in TIFF format in real time (h-15 min) on a given area, and during daylight time from 3:00 TU to 20:45 UT.

Access to HelioClim-3 version 4 Similarity Forecast data for tomorrow

NB: It is possible to use calibration parameters "on-the-fly" to HelioClim-3 request. Please contact us to ask your questions or to receive a quotation.

Automatic access to MERRA-2 meteorological data (1985 -> a month ago)

Purchase an annual subscription to automatically access MERRA-2 meteorological data, from 1980 up to about a month ago.

Automatic access to GFS meteorological data (a month ago -> current day + 3)

Purchase an annual subscription to automatically access GFS forecasts 0.25° meteorological data, from about a month ago up to current day + 3 days

Automatic access to HelioClim-1 (1985-2005)

Purchase an annual subscription to automatically access satellite-derived daily solar radiation time series from HelioClim-1 over the horizontal plane, from 1985 up to 2005.
NB: an unlimited automatic access to HelioClim-1 is included to all HelioClim-3 annual subscriptions.

Provision of one, a few, or of a large volume of HelioClim-3 version 5 time series

Please specify :

• the latitude and longitude values with at least 4 digits after comma,
• the HC3 version (default is version 5),
• the time step,
• the temporal coverage (from Feb. 2004 onwards),
• the radiation component and plane orientation,
• the output format (default is CSV, can be HDF5 for large volume)
• If you need the Meteo data as well in the same output file (temperature, wind...)

NB: For more than 5 time series, it is usually more economic to opt for an annual subscription.

Other options:

• Discard glitter
• PVsyst or SAM compatible
• Backtracking

Example of Backtracking: North-South horizontal one axis system, taking into account the following limitations:

• Maximum tilt angle = +/- 60°
• A "simple" backtracking option as follows:
  • At sunrise/sunset, tilt angle is +/- 20°
  • Tilt angle increase linearly from 20 to  60° when the sun elevation angle moves from 0 to 30° in the morning  and decreases from 60 to 20° when the sun elevation angle moves  from 30 to 0° in the evening

Zip compressed sample  HC3v5Meteo time series over Carpentras

Provision of one, a few, or of a large volume of McClear clear sky radiation values over a fix-tilted surface

 Ask for time series in CSV format of McClear clear sky values containing all the radiation components over a fix-tilted and the horizontal plane. It can be used as an envelop for monitoring applications. Please specify :

• the latitude and longitude values with at least 4 digits after comma,
• the time step,
• the temporal coverage (from Jan. 2004 onwards),
• the plane orientation

NB: McClear radiation values over a horizontal plane and DNI are available for free via this Web interface within the framework of the CAMS project. A small fee is applied to computed the values over a fix-tilted plane. Prices on request.

Zip compressed sample  HC3v5Meteo time series over Carpentras

Provision of one, a few, or a large number of Typical Meteorological Years (pessimistic P90 or typical P50 scenario)

TMYs are generated from the satellite-derived solar radiation database HelioClim-3 and from the MERRA-2 meteorological parameters. Please specify:

• the time step of data,
• the output format (PVsyst or SAM)
• the solar technology for which the TMY will be used for (to define our "driver")
• precise as well if you wish to receive the long term HelioClim-3 time series for this location

• Example of TMY over the city of Carpentras
• Example of report of uncertainty: positionning of the TMY compared to the long term HC3 time series

An expertise is provided to offer you a better knowledge on the quality of your in-situ measurements. A NDA is signed. An example of Quality Check report is included in the Calibration report (see below).

Please also try our SoDa online interface to check the quality of your measurements =>

This service delivers a complete report on the quality (QC, which stands for Quality Check) of the in-situ measurements, together with the calibration results of the long term HelioClim-3 (version 5) time series with the short term time series of in-situ measurements.

Quality check and calibration result report over the city of Carpentras =>

When you wish to order such a map, please specify the following elements:

• Database: HelioClim-3 version 5
• Provided format: 16 bits GeoTIFF, [option: 8 bits version compatible with Google Earth]
• Specify: Global Horizontal (GHI), Diffuse Horizontal (DHI), Direct Normal (DNI), Global Normal (GNI) or global Tilted Irradiation (GTI) maps
• Specify: Yearly and monthly averages, monthly maps, ...
• Specify: Calibrated maps (or not) using ground station measurement(s)
• Specify: taking into account (or not) the shadowing effect of the far horizon (SRTM)
• Leadtime: approx. 1-2 weeks

Data completion Service

The routines are able to complete any time series of solar radiation values (satellite-derived or in-situ measurements), as well as the meteorological variables time series containing holes. Please, contact us for a quotation.

Provision of Dust / Soiling analysis report

Please contact us to receive a quotation. Find on the right hand side an example of report on the site of Hafr al Batin (KSA).

Example of content:

• Basics
• In-situ measurements
• Bankable data
• HelioClim-3, satellite-derived data in general
• QGIS
• Matlab pratical field

Take a look to the Solar Training 2018 program