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Data and Analysis Tools

NREL's GIS Team develops technology-specific GIS data maps for a variety of areas, including biomass, geothermal, solar, wind, and renewable hydrogen. The Team has made some of our biomass, solar and wind datasets — in either high resolution or low resolution — available for download through the link below. High-resolution datasets are available for specific states. Low-resolution datasets are available for Alaska, Hawaii, and the lower 48 states. Note: These datasets are designed to be used in GIS software applications.

NREL's GIS Team provides an analysis tool, the Geospatial Toolkit, a map-based software application with predefined queries that can be used for decision-making and policy analysis in addition to planning for future renewable energy projects. The Geospatial Toolkit is available for select countries. Note: Due to licensing issues, we are not able to provide a Geospatial Toolkit for the United States.

The process for downloading data and tools from the GIS server is to first fill out a form with contact information, then read and accept a disclaimer statement before proceeding to download data.

National Wind Resource

This data provides an estimate of the annual average wind resource for the conterminous United States, with a resolution of 1/3 degree of latitude by 1/4 degree of longitude. For more information, please refer to the Wind Energy Resource Atlas of the United States.

Western Wind Resources Dataset

The Western Wind Resources Dataset provides energy professionals with a consistent set of wind profiles across the western United States. This dataset provides ten minute time-series wind data for 2004, 2005 and 2006. More than 30,000 data points are available across the western United States.

High Resolution Wind Data

These datasets are geographic shapefiles generated from the original raster data. The original raster data varied in resolution from 200 m to 1000 m cell sizes. The data provides an estimate of annual average wind resource for specific states or regions. The data are separated into two distinct groups: NREL produced, and AWS TrueWind produced/NREL validated.

The NREL-produced map data only applies to areas of low surface roughness (i.e. grassy plains), and excludes areas with slopes greater than 20%. For areas of high surface roughness (i.e. forests), the values shown may need to be reduced by one or more power classes. The AWS TrueWind-produced resource estimates factor in surface roughness in their calculations, and do not exclude areas with slopes greater than 20%. These data were produced in cooperation with U.S. Department of Energy's Wind Powering America program, and have been validated by NREL and other wind energy meteorological consultants.

NREL Produced

  • Illinois: Produced in 2001, original raster data with 1000 m cell resolution.
  • North and South Dakota: Produced in 2000, original raster data with 1000 m cell resolution.

Validated Maps Produced by AWS TrueWind

  • Alaska (produced in cooperation with state agencies): Produced in 2006, original raster data with 200 m cell resolution.
  • Arkansas (produced in cooperation with state agencies): Produced in 2007, original raster data with 200 m cell resolution.
  • California (produced in cooperation with the California Energy Commission): Produced in 2002, original raster data with 200 m cell resolution.
  • Hawaii (produced in cooperation with state agencies): Produced in 2004, original raster data with 200 m cell resolution.
  • Indiana (produced in cooperation with state agencies): Produced in 2004, original raster data with 200 m cell resolution.
  • Kansas (produced in cooperation with state agencies): Produced in 2008, original raster data with 200 m cell resolution.
  • Kentucky (produced in cooperation with state agencies): Produced in 2008, original raster data with 200 m cell resolution.
  • Michigan (produced in cooperation with state agencies): Produced in 2005, original raster data with 200 m cell resolution.
  • Mid-Atlantic (produced in cooperation with state agencies): Produced in 2003, original raster data with 200 m cell resolution. This region includes the states of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
  • Missouri (produced in cooperation with state agencies): Produced in 2005, original raster data with 200 m cell resolution.
  • Nebraska (produced in cooperation with state agencies): Produced in 2005, original raster data with 200 m cell resolution.
  • New England (commissioned by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, in conjunction with the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund and Northeast Utilities): Produced in 2002, original raster data with 200 m cell resolution. This region includes the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
  • Ohio (produced in cooperation with state agencies): Produced in 2004, original raster data with 200 m cell resolution.
  • Oklahoma (produced in cooperation with state agencies): Produced in 2008, original raster data with 200 m cell resolution.
  • Pacific Northwest (produced in cooperation with Northwest Sustainable Energy for Economic Development (NWSEED), Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and other organizations): Produced in 2002, original raster data with 400 m cell resolution. This region includes the states of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming, and portions of northern California, Utah, and Nevada. Please note the partial data for California, Utah, and Nevada has been updated in the following regional datasets.
  • Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands (produced in cooperation with territorial agencies): Produced in 2008, original raster data with 200 m cell resolution.
  • Southwest (produced in cooperation with state agencies): Produced in 2003 and 2004, original raster data with 200m cell resolution. This region includes the states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. This region is available as individual state files on the FTP site.

For additional information, including state wind resource maps developed by other organizations, please visit the Wind Powering America Web site.

National Solar Photovoltaics (PV)

Low Resolution

This data provides monthly average daily total solar resource information on grid cells of approximately 40 km by 40 km. The insolation values represent the resource available to a flat plate collector, such as a photovoltaic panel, oriented due south at an angle from horizontal equal to the latitude of the collector location. Period of record: 1961 to 1990.

High Resolution

This data provides monthly average and annual average daily total solar resource averaged over surface cells of 0.1 degrees in both latitude and longitude, or about 10 km in size. The insolation values represent the resource available to a flat plate collector, such as a photovoltaic panel, oriented due south at an angle from horizontal equal to the latitude of the collector location. The data are created using the SUNY Satellite Solar Radiation model (Perez, et.al., 2002) (PDF 3.4 MB) Download Adobe Reader. The data are averaged from hourly model output over 8 years (1998-2005). This model uses hourly radiance images from geostationary weather satellites, daily snow cover data, and monthly averages of atmospheric water vapor, trace gases, and the amount of aerosols in the atmosphere to calculate the hourly total insolation (sun and sky) falling on a horizontal surface. The direct beam radiation is then calculated using the atmospheric water vapor, trace gases, and aerosols, which are derived from a variety of sources. The procedures for converting these variables to radiation on a collector at latitude tilt are described in Marion and Wilcox (1994). Where possible, existing ground measurement stations are used to validate the data.

National Concentrating Solar Power (CSP)

Low Resolution

This data provides monthly average daily total solar resource information on grid cells of approximately 40 km by 40 km. The insolation values represent the resource available to concentrating systems that track the sun throughout the day.

High Resolution

This data provides monthly average and annual average daily total solar resource averaged over surface cells of 0.1 degrees in both latitude and longitude, or about 10 km in size. The insolation values represent the resource available to concentrating systems that track the sun throughout the day. The data are created using the SUNY Satellite Solar Radiation model (Perez, et.al., 2002) (PDF 3.4 MB) Download Adobe Reader. The data are averaged from hourly model output over 8 years (1998-2005). This model uses hourly radiance images from geostationary weather satellites, daily snow cover data, and monthly averages of atmospheric water vapor, trace gases, and the amount of aerosols in the atmosphere to calculate the hourly total insolation (sun and sky) falling on a horizontal surface. The direct beam radiation is then calculated using the atmospheric water vapor, trace gases, and aerosols, which are derived from a variety of sources. Where possible, existing ground measurement stations are used to validate the data.

Lower 48 Solar Photovoltaics (PV) Collectors

Low Resolution

These datasets provide solar radiation values for common flat-plate and concentrating collectors for 239 stations in the United States. The solar radiation values are expressed as monthly and yearly averages for the period of 1961-1990. Further information can be found in the publication Solar Radiation Data Manual for Flat-Plate and Concentrating Collectors.

National Biomass Resource Assessment

This data provides an estimate of the biomass resources available by county for the following feedstock categories: crop residues, methane emissions from manure management, methane emissions from landfills and wastewater treatment facilities, forest residues, primary and secondary mill residues, urban wood waste, and dedicated energy crops.

Transmission Lines for Conterminous United States

Data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) circa 1993. This data represents a schematic of transmission line connectivity. The user should not use the data for analysis that would require actual knowledge of easement locations. This coverage is undocumented.