How does Solcast compare to other data sources?
Our goal is to make your work easier. Part of this is making the best data, making it fast and easy for you to download, and giving you free requests to get you started. But we also want to make it easier for you to understand how we compare to some other data providers.
Paid sources comparison summary
| Solcast | Solargis | Meteonorm | Vaisala | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free trial with instant access and data download? | ||||
| Download wait time | 1-3 seconds | 5 minutes to 48 hours | 1 minute | 5 minutes to 24 hours |
| API access? | ||||
| Mean Bias Error (GHI) | 0.1% | 0.0% | N/A | 3.1% |
| Standard Deviation of Bias (GHI) | ± 2.2% | ± 2.9% | N/A | ± 4.9% |
| 90% of sites have bias (GHI) smaller than | ± 2.4% | ± 4-8% | N/A | Not published |
| Mean RMSE (GHI) | 16.5% | 18.0% | N/A | 18.47% |
| Comprehensive, global, independent validation | ||||
| Validation Sites | 70 | 235 | N/A | 196 |
| Satellite based estimation as primary method | ||||
| Global Coverage | ||||
| Resolution of satellite data used | 1-2 km | 3-4 km | 2-8 km | 3 km |
| 15+ years of satellite data at full temporal resolution | ||||
| Ignores older, less reliable satellites | ||||
| Suitable for use in steep mountain terrain with local relief over 1000m |
For more detail read the full comparison of Solcast against some commonly used datasets in the solar development community:
- Compare Solcast vs Solargis
- Compare Solcast vs SolarAnywhere
- Compare Solcast vs Meteonorm
- Compare Solcast vs Vaisala 3TIER
- Compare Solcast vs NSRDB
- Compare Solcast vs PVGIS
Free sources comparison summary
| Solcast | NSRDB | PVGIS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time Series data availability stops | Near real-time | 2021 | 2020 |
| Download wait time | 1-3 seconds | 1 minute | 10-60 seconds |
| Mean Bias Error (GHI) | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.7% |
| Bias Deviation (GHI) | ± 2.2% | ± 2.7% | ± 3.2% |
| 90% of sites have bias (GHI) smaller than | ± 2.4% | Not Published | Not Published |
| Mean RMSE (GHI) | 17.5% | 22.9% | Not Published |
| Comprehensive, global, independent validation | |||
| Validation Sites | 70 | 9 | 22 |
| Satellite based estimation as primary method | |||
| Global Coverage | |||
| Resolution of satellite data used | 1-2 km | 4-10 km | 4 km |
| 15+ years of satellite data at full temporal resolution | |||
| Ignores older, less reliable satellites |
Historic Data Products
Time Series
The complete suite of irradiance and weather data required for effective monitoring, operation, and forecasting at your large-scale solar farm.
Typical Meteorological Year (TMY)
The complete suite of irradiance and weather data required for effective monitoring, operation, and forecasting at your large-scale solar farm.