How can I select Dec 22, 2021/2022 etc

Hi,
I am working on SAM 2021 version but the problem I am facing is that when I selected a day like 22 Dec after simulation it is not matched for 2021 or 2022. My question is that how can I select the exact date of 2021/2022 to run the simulation for concern day? Thanks

Regards,
Muhammad Irfan

Hi Muhammad Irfan,

To run a simulation for a specific year, you need weather data for that year. You can download weather data from the NREL National Solar Radiation Database (NSRDB) from SAM's Location and Resource page with the "Choose year" option to download data for a specific year:



Best regards,
Paul.

Hi, 
I have downloaded data for 2020. Would it mean it starts from Jan 1, 2020, and I will go for the third year to consider it in 2022?
Or what does it mean? Simply I am working in Australia what will I do about it the link you send me gives me old data from 2020. Please see attachment.

Hi Muhammad,

A SAM weather file contains a single year of data.

There are two types of weather files that SAM can download from the NREL National Solar Radiation Database (NSRDB):

• A typical metorological year (TMY) file contains combines data from different years so that the data represents the "typical" solar resource over a historical period of many years. See the NSRDB website for a description of TMY data: nsrdb.nrel.gov/data-sets/tmy
  
• A single year file contains data from one year.

If you download a "tmy-2020" file from the NSRDB, it contains data from 1998 - 2020. If you download a "2020" file it contains data from 2020.

The NSRDB does not provide data for the current year. After this year, it will take some time for NSRDB staff to process new data for 2022 and add it to the database.

Best regards,
Paul.

Thanks,
Very helpful for me. If I want to simulate for the next 25 years, which means let's start from 2020/ 2021 to 2045/2046, then what I will do to do? Then from where I will get weather data to predict weather and solar generation, it's cost analysis etc?

Regards,
Muhammad Irfan

Hi Muhammad Irfan,

Simulation results from a TMY file represent the "typical" power output you might expect from a system in the future based on the past.

The NSRDB does not provide forecast data, but this is an area of active research. For example, see the DOE EERE program for solar forecasting here: www.energy.gov/eere/solar/solar-forecasting-2 .

Also, some commercial data providers listed on the SAM website at sam.nrel.gov/weather-data have forecast data products.

Best regards,
Paul.