sunshine by zip code??

Re: sunshine by zip code??

here's a map - by seasons

http://rredc.nrel.gov/solar/old_data/nsrdb/1961-1990/redbook/atlas/

www.city-data.com has solar info for each zipcode. (sunshine and clouds) Los Angeles:

Re: sunshine by zip code??

maybe you are thinking about this?
http://rredc.nrel.gov/solar/pubs/redbook/

or possibly pv watts?

Re: sunshine by zip code??

BB. wrote: »

There was a RSS News feed a day or so ago that listed a bunch of solar calculators:

http://www.solarfeeds.com/solar-calculator-review/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+solarfeed+%28Solar+Feeds%29

Take their review with a grain of salt...

A very large grain of salt. Here's what they say about PV Watts:
"PV-Watts – This solar calculator is highly graphical, and includes a detailed map of the US. Once you enter the required information, you’ll get an extensive list of information that includes the DC rating of the best suited photovoltaic system, as well as the energy value and solar radiation PER MONTH. However, some may find this solar calculator to be a little too detailed and somewhat confusing."

There is so much misinformation in there that I don't know where to start (it's not a graphical program, the DC rating of the system is an input not an output, it is very straightforward in the way it presents results...). The person who wrote this has obviously never used PVWatts and what they said about it casts serious doubt on the veracity of the entire article.

EDIT: After I wrote that it occurred to me that the reviewer may have gone straight to version 2 of PVWatts without looking at version 1. The interface in version 2 can be a little baffling, though once you get past the positional stuff it works just like version 1. Version 1 is plenty accurate for most applications, though, and is very simple to run.

Re: sunshine by zip code??

FreeBrrd wrote: »

All my stuff from when I was doing research is on some other computer. I backed it all up, but keep forgetting to grab the hard drive so I don't know when I'll get to find it. This brain injury stuff slows me down a bit.

It seems to me that I just got a number from what ever page ya'll sent me to back than, but if Neil or BB don't know, I'm probably mistaken. I'm pretty sure it would have been one of them that showed me where to find all I needed.

The map makes it appear that most of the country would be pretty much the same. The better areas do not seem to have much trees.

Now I'm interested in Ely, MN. Lots of very reflective snow. Dog sledding on chamber of commerce web site. Bet they don't use too much RoundUp.

Here is where you will find the insolation data for St Cloud, MN, which is very near Ely:
http://rredc.nrel.gov/solar/old_data/nsrdb/1961-1990/redbook/sum2/14926.txt

Re: sunshine by zip code??

FreeBrrd wrote: »

The info I put into the calculator as:
"average sun hours per day in your area"

In San Francisco area, I have 5.3 in the calculator. I might have used a place in the east bay.

Can you tell where that number would have come from?

Thank you.

"Average sun hours per day in your area" I will assume means averaged over the year for an optimally tilted surface (latitude) at optimum azimuth (due south). On the page I linked to, look at the "SOLAR RADIATION FOR FLAT-PLATE COLLECTORS FACING SOUTH AT A FIXED-TILT" (their shouting, not mine).

A few rows down you will see "Lat ","Average", 3.4, 4.5, 5.0, 5.1, 5.4, 5.6, 5.8, 5.6, 4.9, 4.1, 2.9, 2.6, 4.6

The last number in that series (4.6) is the average for the year.