How do I use the Global Solar Atlas?

Welcome to the Global Solar Atlas. Start exploring solar potential by clicking on the map. Select sites, draw rectangles or polygons by clicking the respective map controls. Calculate energy production for selected sites. The Global Solar Atlas provides a summary of solar power potential and solar resources globally.

Is solar PV a good source of electricity?

The potential for clean, carbon-free electricity generation from solar photovoltaic (PV) sources in most countries dwarfs their current electricity demand. Around 20% of the global population lives in 70 countries boasting excellent conditions for solar PV.

What raster data is used to calculate photovoltaic power potential (pvout)?

The primary input is a global raster data layer, representing the long-term average of photovoltaic power potential (PVOUT), calculated by the Solargis approach. We consider a typical large-scale PV power plant.

How do we assess the costs of PV power generation?

We assess the costs of PV power generation at the country level based on the practical potential and the concept of LCOE. By using geospatial analysis of key factors, we identified the theoretical, practical, and economic poten-tial of PV in each country in the form of maps and summary tables. Theoretical physical potential

What is a theoretical solar PV potential?

The long-term energy content of the solar resource available at a certain location defines the theoret-ical solar PV potential (Chapter 2.3). For PV technology, the energy content is well quantified by the physical variable of global horizontal irradiation (GHI).

What is the average solar PV output per kilowatt hour?

In total, 93% of the global population lives in countries that have an average daily solar PV potential between 3.0 and 5.0 kWh/kWp. Around 70 countries boast excellent conditions for solar PV, where average daily output exceeds 4.5 kilowatt hours per installed kilowatt of capacity (kWh/kWp) – enough to boil around 25 liters of water.