HelioClim-3 database

HelioClim-3 is a satellite-derived solar radiation database exploiting Heliosat-2 method to estimate a "cloud index", based on the analysis of the Meteosat Second Generation satellite images in the visible band.

HelioClim-3 Real-time and Forecast service

This service provides irradiation data for today and tomorrow with a time step ranging from 1 minute to 1 day.

We enhance the native spatial resolution of MSG by computing inside a MSG pixel the irradiation variation due to the altitude and to the shadow of the horizon for a specific point. The relief used to compute the shadowing is obtained from the SRTM digital surface model, with a spatial resolution of ~100 meters.

The service provides global, direct, and diffuse solar radiation at horizontal, tilted and normal planes.

HC3v5 is updated in real time, and time series are completed until the end of the day using a "persistence model". At least one slot after sunrise must be available to trigger the computation.