Informative Links to Solar and other Alternative Energy

The following are informative links relating primarily to the solar industry and solar trackers in particular. Some additional links of general alternative energy interest have also been included as well.  

 

Comparison of Tracked vs. Fixed Mounts
Independent study by John C. Sagebiel

To Track or Not To Track
Homepower magazine article

Get Your Power from the Sun...A consumer's Guide
By U.S. Department of Energy

Solar Power Answers 
Brochure by Sanyo

The Borrower's Guide to Financing Solar Energy Systems: A Federal Overview
US Department of Energy document provides information that can assist assist both lenders and consumers in financing solar energy systems.

Solar-is-future.com
Great information about solar systems and component technology. Produced by SMA, supplier of industry-leading inverters for Solar-Azimuth GTP line. 

Solar Grid-Tie Systems 101 
Description of system operation and components

National Renewable Energy Laboratory
NREL is the nation's primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development (R&D).

Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program
Collects a wealth of climate-related data for sites throughout the world.

Baseline Surface Radiation Network (BSRN)
Measures solar and atmospheric radiation at stations in contrasting climatic zones, covering a latitude range from 80°N to 90°S, to detect climate change.

EnergyPlus Weather Data
Offers weather data, arranged by World Meteorological Organization region and country, for more than 1,300 locations throughout the world.

NASA Langley Distributed Active Archive (DAAC) Surface Meteorology and Solar Energy Data Set
Provides data for more than 200 satellite-derived meteorology and solar energy parameters.

National Climatic Data Center
Offers the world's largest active archive of weather data.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Earth System Research Laboratory
Develops a number of datasets, experimental forecasts, and climate observations.

NOAA Regional Climate Centers
Provides detailed climate data for regions throughout the United States.

NOAA Surface Radiation Research Branch
Monitors surface radiation in the continental United States.

•  Integrated Surface Irradiance Study (ISIS) Network
• Surface Radiation (SURFRAD) Network

Texas Solar Radiation Database
Provides solar radiation data for sites throughout Texas.

University of Oregon Solar Radiation Monitoring Laboratory
Operates solar radiation monitoring stations throughout the Pacific Northwest.

The World Meteorological Organization
The United Nations' agency for the study of the Earth's atmosphere, oceans, and climate.

World Radiation Data Centre
Serves as a central depository for solar radiation data collected at more than 1,000 sites throughout the world.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory Spectral Solar Radiation Database
Provides spectral solar radiation data for several U.S. sites for 1986–1988.

National Solar Radiation Database (NSRDB)
Provides hourly solar radiation and meteorological data for sites throughout the United States for 1961–1990 and 1991–2005.

Solar Energy Measurement Research and Training Sites (SEMRTS) Data Set
Provides solar resource data for five sites across the United States for dates ranging from 1979 to 1984.

Solar Spectra
Provides integrated standard spectral irradiance data for the United States from a variety of sources.

Typical Meteorological Year Data Sets
Provide hourly values of solar radiation and meteorological elements for U.S. sites and territories for a 1-year period during 1961–1990 or 1991–2005.

WEST Associates Solar Monitoring Network
Provides solar resource data for 52 stations in six Western U.S. states for 1976–1980.

Ecobusinesslinks
Green Directory. Listing  of other solar products and eco-friendly companies.