“The most important factor in the new version is the greater resolution on the land", said the representatives at the Renewable Energy unit of the Joint Research Centre, the Commission's arm that developed the map. The resolution has improved from 1 Km2 to 100 m2.
"This has resulted in a considerable improvement of the irradiation estimates in mountain areas, both due to better knowledge of exact altitude of locations and better calculations of shade effects in the mountains and adjacent hills".
The map, created by a PVGIS system (Photovoltaic Geographical Information System), shows various performance levels for example in Spain, ranging from slightly more than 1,500 kWh in the Northwest of the Iberian Peninsula and as much as 2,200 kWh in the South. However, there are many variations in the yields in the two areas, due to the altitudes, shade effects and other aspects.
Besides the chart, the PVGIS offers world figures on different solar PV technologies, so as a tracking system assessment. It also offers estimates, with a less accurate resolution, of solar radiation levels in the world.
For additional information:
www.jrc.cec.eu.int
