MeteoSyn

The MeteoSyn module provides site-dependent climate data. The module offers the possibility to extract climate data from a Map and from a List. In addition, under Options new records can be imported and the database updated. New locations or climate data can be generated via Create new location.

Map

The map can show all locations for which climate data are already available. Important: the interactive map requires an Internet connection. If there is no Internet connection, MeteoSyn starts with the page List. With the button new locations or climate data can be created (see Create new location).

To select an existing climate data set, proceed as follows:

1. Select a Country from the country list. The map then displays the selected country. The country list contains only countries for which climate data are available.

2. (optional) Select a federal state. If federal states have been entered in the climate data, a corresponding selection box for federal states appears.

3. Select a location. Only locations for which climate data are available can be selected. There are various options for the choice of location:

   • Selection via the location list. The displayed locations can be further adjusted using the filter.

     

   • Selection by Postcode. After entering the postcode and confirming with , the location found is displayed on the map and symbolized by a yellow marking . Selectable or already existing locations in geographical proximity are marked in red. .

     

   • Selection by Map. By clicking on the map, the selected location and the locations available in the vicinity are displayed. As with the postal code selection, the selected location is indicated by a yellow marker and the available locations, in geographical proximity, by a red marker .

     

List

The menu item List displayed all available locations with detailed information (data source, averaging period, etc.) in list form. For example, the climate data for Germany are mainly obtained from the German Weather Service (DWD). With the button new locations or climate data can be created (see Create new location).

To select an existing climate data set, proceed as follows:

1. Select a Country from the country list. The country list contains only countries for which climate data are available.

2. (optional) Select a federal state. If federal states have been entered in the climate data, a corresponding selection box for federal states appears.

3. Select a location. Only locations for which climate data are available can be selected.

Options

New climate data records can be imported and the MeteoSyn database can be updated in the Options menu item. If the climate database has been changed externally, such as by deleting own climate data records, the MeteoSyn database must be updated with the button . With the button own climate data sets can be imported. Valid formats are:

• DWD (*.xml)
• Meteonorm/meteoblue (*.dat)
• WBV (*.wbv)
• EnergyPlus (*.epw)

Your imported files are saved to the database and copied to the country-specific folder for all users, e.g. C:\ProgramData\Valentin EnergySoftware\MeteoSyn\WBV\_userfiles\DEU\.

If you want to create your own climate data file, select the file format *.dat. The file must be in the following format:

Berlin
52.3032,-13.2556,50,-1,-30

Ta Gh FF RH
4.2 0.0 2.0 69.0
2.9 0.0 1.7 77.4
1.7 0.0 0.2 84.4
1.4 0.0 0.0 87.8
1.3 0.0 0.2 91.0
1.0 0.0 1.4 92.7
...

• The first line contains the name of the location.
  • The country of the location is determined automatically from the coordinates.
  • Optionally, the three-character country code according to ISO standard can be specified after a semicolon (i.e. “Berlin;DEU”)
• The second line contains latitude, longitude, altitude, time zone and a flag.
  • Latitude: North is positive, south is negative.
  • Longitude: West is positive, East is negative. Attention, usually east is positive, here it’s the other way around.
  • The numbers must be given in degrees, followed by a dot, then minutes and seconds. (dd.mmss)!
  • Example:
    • Our office is at 52.5087467 °N, 13.432195 °E in decimal notation, and 50°30'32" N, 13°25'56" E in the notation degrees°minutes’seconds"
    • For the import file you have to write: 52.3032 N and -13.2556 E, i.e. degrees.minutesSeconds
  • The time zone is negative. For UTC+1 write -1.
  • Leave the flag (-30) unchanged.
• The third line remains empty
• Fourth line: Header for measured values, with 4 columns:
  • Ta - Ambient temperature in °C
  • Gh - Global radiation horizontal in Wh/m²
  • FF - Wind velocity in m/s
  • RH - relative humidity in %
• decimal separator is the period (.)
• List separator is the tab (\t)
• There must be exactly 8760 values (lines with data)

Create new location

In this menu item, new climate data can be added. Depending on the location, Meteonorm 8, PVGIS, Solcast, Valentin Software DWD TMY3, SolarAnywhere or your own measurement data in the form of monthly values can be used as a source. If measurement data are available in hourly resolution, they can be imported directly in the form of *.dat files (see previous section).

Global availability and time periods of data sources

• Meteonorm 8:
  • Worldwide
  • 1996 - 2015
• PVGIS TMY:
  • Europe, Africa complete
  • North and South America for the most part (data from NSRDB)
  • Asia for the most part
  • For an overview of the coverage, see point 3 in the PVGIS Manual
  • 2007 - 2016
• Solcast TMY:
  • Worldwide except for
    • northernmost part of North America (about > 56°N)
    • southernmost part of South America (about < 47°S)
    • most north-eastern part of Russia
  • 2007 - 2020
• Valentin Software DWD TMY:
  • Germany-wide for every square kilometre
  • Based on high quality data from the DWD and the TMY3 method
  • 1995 - 2012
• SolarAnywhere TMY:
  • Worldwide up to 60°N and 60°S
  • North and South America (1998 - 2021)
  • Europe (1998 - 2021)
  • Central Asia and Africa (2000 - 2021)
  • East Asia and Oceania (2006 - 2021)
• NREL Meteosat
  • Worldwide up to 60°N and 60°S
  • 1998 - today

To create a new location, proceed as follows:

1. Select a country from the country list.

2. (optional) Search for the location using:

   1. Location
   2. Zip code

   

3. Selection of the location on the map. After selecting the location, the system automatically determines which data sources are available.

4. Select climate data source

   1. Meteonorm
   2. PVGIS
   3. Solcast
   4. Measured data
      1. (optional) Specify data source
      2. (optional) Specify measuring period
      3. Specify monthly global radiation
      4. (optional) Specify monthly average ambient temperature

   

5. Enter location information

   1. Location
   2. (optional) Federal state
   3. (optional) Zip code

   

Solcast

Solcast is a provider of TMY records for payment. New users can evaluate Solcast TMY data according to the conditions described on their website: https://solcast.com/pricing/tmy.Credit for additional data sets can be obtained directly from the Solcast website.

Once downloaded from Solcast, TMY records remain available in PV*SOL® and can be used as often as desired.

If Solcast is selected as the data source, a dialogue opens in which Solcast access data can be stored:

If you don’t have a Solcast account yet, you can simply enter your mail address and leave the Api key field blank. An account will then be automatically created for you at Solcast, you will receive your Api key and an email from Solcast with further information about your account.

The API key is stored in PV*SOL® and automatically entered in the corresponding field the next time.

You can manage your Solcast account at https://toolkit.solcast.com.au/account.

SolarAnywhere

SolarAnywhere is a provider of payable TMY records.

Once downloaded from SolarAnywhere, TMY datasets remain available in PV*SOL® and can be used as often as desired.

If SolarAnywhere is selected as the data source, a dialogue opens in which SolarAnywhere access data can be stored:

If you do not yet have a SolarAnywhere account, you can create your own account and API key on the SolarAnywhere website and then enter it in the corresponding field.

The API key is stored in PV*SOL® and automatically entered in the corresponding field the next time.

You can manage your SolarAnywhere account under https://data.solaranywhere.com/Account/Login.

NREL Meteosat

NREL Meteosat is a provider of free TMY records.

Once downloaded from NREL Meteosat, TMY datasets remain available in PV*SOL® and can be used as often as desired.

If NREL Meteosat is selected as the data source, a dialogue opens in which NREL Meteosat access data can be stored:

If you do not yet have a NREL Meteosat account, you can create your own account and API key on the NREL website and then enter it in the corresponding field.

The API key is stored in PV*SOL® and automatically entered in the corresponding field the next time.

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See also

• Calculation > Irradiation
• Calculation > Irradiation > Climate data