New tool to identify Pacific’s best solar power sites

A new tool which will help Pacific Island nations map areas for solar power generation has been launched. The Global Solar Atlas, developed by Solargis and funded by the World […]

A new tool which will help Pacific Island nations map areas for solar power generation has been launched.

The Global Solar Atlas, developed by Solargis and funded by the World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Programme, is said to be the most detailed tool of its kind.

It displays the annual average for solar energy potential and has the capacity to zoom into areas in greater detail – with a spatial resolution of 1km.

The tool also provides access to high resolution global and regional maps as well as geographic information system (GIS) data, enabling users to print poster maps and use the data in other applications.

The maps are based on satellite atmospheric and meteorological data and provide investors and solar developers with an easily accessible and uniform platform to compare resource potential between sites in one region or across multiple countries.

According to the World Bank, a number of Pacific island states have committed to “significant increases” in renewable use and solar power is a growing source of energy in the region.

Andrew Daka, Executive Director, Pacific Power Association said: “This new tool provides an initial indication of solar resource potential before governments and investors carry out their own more detailed analysis and will likely make it easier for Pacific island countries to adopt solar power where appropriate.”

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