Which meteorology and topography data sources are compatible?

pvDesign provides default data sources regarding site topography (Google Earth), meteorological data (PVGIS 5, NASA SSE and NASA Power), horizon profile and albedo data (NASA MODIS).

Can I upload my own topography, meteorological data and albedo data sources?

Yes. You can upload your own topography data in a CSV file as well as yours own TMYs from SolarGIS, Meteonorm, Solaranywhere, and PVGIS 5. Meteorological data can also be uploaded by modifying a generic example file. In addition, users can create a custom albedo profile with monthly resolution.

How do I define a site in pvDesign?

In pvDesign, a site is defined by uploading a .kml or .kmz extension file.

What counts as a project in pvDesign?

In pvDesign, we define a project as a given area extension within which unlimited designs can be simulated.

Get an accurate PV energy yield by connecting your trusted meteo data streams

An accurate meteorological data is the foundation of your future PV plant. You can easily upload your own TMY dataset in .csv or connect to your trusted sources to ensure the bankability of the solar project.

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Open source meteorological data streams

PVGIS

pvDesign is seamless integrated with PVGIS. It's a free database with information about solar radiation and PV system performance.

Coverage area: Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas

Solar radiation and temperature, as monthly averages or daily profiles

Full time series of hourly values of both solar radiation and PV performance

TMY data for nine climatic variables, formatted for building energy calculation tools

NASA POWER

Pull meteorology and solar related parameters directly from NASA POWER into pvDesign. This open source stream is tailored to assist in the design of solar powered renewable energy systems.

Coverage area: Global

Resolution: 1° lat by 1º long for the radiation data sets and ½° latitude by ⅝° longitude for the meteorological data sets

Solar radiation and temperature, as monthly averages or daily profiles

Premium data streams

SolarAnywhere®

SolarAnywhere is an accurate global solar data partner for project developers, financiers and operators. Bring bankable-grade data depth and accuracy for your next solar project directly to pvDesign.

Data fields: Solar irradiance (GHI, BHI, DHI) and temperature

Coverage: Global

Resolution: Up to 0.5 km nominal gridded tile 5-minute or 1-minute data (for selected geographies)

Use the built-in templates to bring your own meteo data

Drag and drop your .csv file with TMY data. pvDesign supports:

SolarGIS hourly and monthly

SolarAnywhere hourly

NREL TMY3 hourly

PVGIS5 hourly

Meteonorm hourly

In case you have meteorological data from other sources, you can adapt your .csv following the available templates.

Sharing is caring

Stop emailing project files with colleagues and mess it up with document versions. Access, clone, iterate, and compare site projects across the entire organization. All plans include unlimited seats.

Design & energy yield

The PV plant design and the energy estimates are two faces of the same coin. pvDesign’s integrated energy yielding tool is the perfect match for the layout module, helping you better understand how topography and equipment impact your yield. All in the same browser window.

Secure & compliant

Securing your business data is at the core of what we do. Our cybersecurity program is based on international best practices, such as the CSA STAR program. Plus, to protect access to your data, multi-factor authentication is available to ensure your peace of mind. With our dedicated team of experts, your projects will be even safer than in your own computer.

Multiplayer enabled

All our plans come with unlimited users and allow for creating as many designs per project as needed.

Lives in the cloud

pvDesign is efficient and scalable. It offers a SaaS deployment model to push new features instantly. Leave to our experienced team the hassle of maintaining the software. It enables you to grow as you go. Login and work on your browser.

Making it simple

pvDesign bridges the gap between technical and non-technical users. So both types of roles can perform complex calculations and analysis in minutes with a very intuitive and user-friendly interface and recommended parameters included.