AI solar radiation forecast data can be obtained using automatic access (API). This page describes the input parameters to fill in to get the data.

Automatic access with WGET

1. Subscribe an annual access to AI Forecast service (Contact us)
2. Download wget.exe in a directory (on Windows - wget is available by default on Unix)
3. In the same directory, create a text file and copy-paste in a single line the following instruction to test this permanent access to Carpentras, France:

4. Rename the text file with the .bat extension and double click on it to retrieve the output.csv output file in a Windows environment. Rename the text file with a .sh extension and run it using ./my_script.sh in a Unix environment

  WGET, in details

Request:

Inputs:

• login/password authentication: login and password provided by the SoDa team to access HelioClim-3 within the framework of your subscription. Note that a free permanent automatic access is set up for the site of Carpentras, France, where a Baseline Surface Radiation Network (BSRN) station is available with the login/password guest/guest
• server: By default, use our load balancer thanks to "api.soda-solardata.com". It will redirect your request on the fastest server available.
  
• predictor: predictor name (defined by Vaisala )
• latitude and longitude: in degrees, with at least 4 digits after comma
• altitude: in meters. Set "elevation=-999" to let SoDa get the elevation from Nasa SRTM database
• yyyy-mm-dd: set the first and the last days of the request. Use "d" for the current day and "d+1" for the tomorrow
• time_step: set the interval among "1", "5", "10", "15", "30", "60"
• time_reference: the time reference must be "UT" (universal time)

tilt_of_panels: from "0" (horizontal) to "90", or "-999" for tracking. az_of_panels: from "0" (North), "90" (East), "180" (South) to "270" (West), or "-999" for tracking. ground_albedo: from "0.0" to "1.0". A usual inland value is "0.2" More details on plane orientations and on how to set the tilt, azimuth and albedo parameters =>

• boolean_horizon: optional. Takes into account (if "1") or not (if "0") the shadowing effect due to the far horizon. If not set, default value is "0".
• output_format: optional. Possible values are standard formats "excel", "netcdf" and "json"; "unified" to get Unified csv format; "classic" for Classic csv format (deprecated). Default format is "classic" for HC3 requests without meteo data. For HC3 requests with meteo data, the "classic" format is not supported and the default format is "unified".
• calib_name: calibration name (default is none). Please refer to the page describing our calibration procedure or/and contact us to ask your questions and receive a quotation.
• meteo_parameters: optional. This option allows you to select one or several meteorological data among all: "meteo_info=temperature,relative_humidity,pressure,wind_speed,wind_dir,rain_fall,snow_fall,snow_depth". Output format is not modified: not selected meteo parameters are set to -999. Default is all meteorological parameters.

⇒ To add meteorological data along with the solar radiation data in the same file:

Automatic access using CURL

You can also automatically retrieve time series using the CURL command. The advantage is two fasten the requests by an approx. factor of 2. Note that all parameters described in the WGET section are valid for CURL, except that CURL outputs don't have any header.

Request: 

With the following stations.txt file format:

# Columns:
# id: predictor name
# latitude and longitude: in degrees, with at least 3 digits after comma
# altitude: in meters. Use -999 to let SoDa get the elevation from Nasa SRTM database.
# time reference: "UT" (universal time) or "TST" (True Solar Time)
# duration: "1", "5", "10", "15", "30", "60"
# firstday and lastday: first and last days of the request. Use "d" for current day and "d+1" for tomorrow.
# slope of panel: from "0" (horizontal) to "90" (deg). Use -999 for sun tracking.
# azimuth of panel: from 0° (North), 90° (East), 180° (South), ... Use -999 for sun tracking.
# ground_albedo: from "0.0" to "1.0". A usual inland value is "0.2".
# horizon: "0" to ignore relief shadows (default), "1" or "SRTM" for an horizon computed from SRTM
# calibration: calibration name (default is none)
# format: Format is unified
#
#id         lat    lon   elevation time duration firstday   lastday    slope azimuth albedo horizon calibration format
carpentras 44.083 5.059 -999      UT   15   d d+1 15    180     0.2    1        ""         unified
...
 

⇒ To add meteorological data along with the solar radiation data in the same file:

Archives of AI Forecast using WGET

The archives of AI Forecast are available to users who subscribed to AI Forecast service.
 

Request:

Inputs:

• login/password authentication: login and password provided by the SoDa team to access HelioClim-3 within the framework of your subscription. Note that a free permanent automatic access is set up for the site of Carpentras, France, where a Baseline Surface Radiation Network (BSRN) station is available with the login/password guest/guest
• server: By default, use our load balancer thanks to "api.soda-solardata.com". It will redirect your request on the fastest server available.
  
• predictor: predictor name (defined by Transvalor)
• latitude and longitude: in degrees, with at least 4 digits after comma
• altitude: in meters. Set "elevation=-999" to let SoDa get the elevation from Nasa SRTM database
• the first and the last days of the request, in the past (up to yesterday). The available shortcuts to use for first and last days of the requests are: d, d-x, d+x, m, m-x, with "x" representing numerical value, "d" = day, "m" = month
• time_step: set the interval among "1", "5", "10", "15", "30", "60"
• time_reference: the time reference must be "UT" (universal time)

tilt_of_panels: from "0" (horizontal) to "90", or "-999" for tracking. az_of_panels: from "0" (North), "90" (East), "180" (South) to "270" (West), or "-999" for tracking. ground_albedo: from "0.0" to "1.0". A usual inland value is "0.2" More details on plane orientations and on how to set the tilt, azimuth and albedo parameters =>

• boolean_horizon: optional. Takes into account (if "1") or not (if "0") the shadowing effect due to the far horizon. If not set, default value is "0".
• output_format: optional. Possible values are standard formats "excel", "netcdf" and "json"; "unified" to get Unified csv format; "classic" for Classic csv format (deprecated). Default format is "classic" for HC3 requests without meteo data. For HC3 requests with meteo data, the "classic" format is not supported and the default format is "unified".
• calib_name: calibration name (default is none). Please refer to the page describing our calibration procedure or/and contact us to ask your questions and receive a quotation.