My tasks at MeteoSwiss include the analyses of the spatial and temporal variability of the surface solar irradiance with special emphasis on the complex Alpine terrain and the diverse interactions of horizon, snow cover and cloudiness in this terrain. One major result of this work is a satellite-based climatology of solar irradiance including its radiation components derived from Meteosat Second Generation SEVIRI data back to 2004.
The potential yield of solar irradiance (kWh/m2) for Switzerland fo rthe period 2004-2009. The map was derived from Meteosat Second Generation satellite data with special emphasis on the complex interaction of topography, snow cover and cloudiness.
The data set can be used to evaluate the suitability of a photovoltaic or thermal power plant or for calculating the energy consumption of a building. The data set currently covers the area of Switzerland at a spatial resolution of around 1-2 km and a temporal resolution of 15 minutes. It can be extended to any location and region over Europe and Africa upon request, and it can be extended in time by unifying it with our long term climate data record based on the Meteosat First Generation satellite.
More information including a point of contact for ordering the data can be found on the MeteoSwiss Solar Energy website.