U.S. Solar Radiation Resource Maps:

    Atlas for the Solar Radiation Data Manual for Flat-Plate and Concentrating Collectors

These maps show the general trends in the amount of solar radiation received in the United States and its territories. They are spatial interpolations of solar radiation values derived from the 1961-1990 National Solar Radiation Data Base (NSRDB) and published in the Solar Radiation Data Manual for Flat-Plate and Concentrating Collectors. The data from which these maps were generated can be found one directory down at http://rredc.nrel.gov/solar/old_data/nsrdb/redbook.

1.  Select data type

Maps of minimum, maximum, and average solar radiation data are available. Maps of average values are produced by averaging all 30 years of data for each site. Maps of minimum and maximum values are composites of specific months and years for which each site achieved its minimum or maximum amounts of solar radiation. Click on the button next to the type of solar radiation map you want to see.

Average Minimum Maximum

2.  Select a month

To see the 30-year averages for a particular month, click on the button next to that month. To see the overall 30-year average solar radiation atlas for all months, click on the button next to "Annual".

January February March April
May June July August
September October November December
Annual

3.  Select an instrument orientation

Data from fourteen different collector orientations were used to make the solar atlas. Choose the orientation from the following list:

  For descriptions from the Manual  click here.

Single Axis Tracking Concentrator, East-West Axis
North-South Axis Tracking Concentrator Tilted at Latitude
North-South Axis Tracking Concentrator
Two Axis Tracking Concentrator
Two Axis Tracking Flat Plate
Flat Plate Tilted South at Latitude
Flat Plate Tilted South at Latitude - 15 Degrees
Flat Plate Tilted South at Latitude + 15 Degrees
Horizontal Flat Plate
South Facing Vertical Flat Plate
North-South Axis Tracking Flat Plate
North-South Axis Tracking Flat Plate Tilted at Latitude
North-South Axis Tracking Flat Plate Tilted at Latitude - 15 Degrees
North-South Axis Tracking Flat Plate Tilted at Latitude + 15 Degrees

4.  View the map (by pushing this button):     

Return to RReDC home page ( http://rredc.nrel.gov )