An efficient use of the solar radiation for solar energy applications requires a detailled knowledge of the variations of the radiation supply. Hourly values are necessary to optimize solar energy installations. The analysis of multi-year time-series in high resolution is necessary to estimate solar energy yields with high reliability.
For this purpose the Institut für Physik der Atmosphäre (IPA) introduces the Service "Solar Energy Mining" (SOLEMI). Results of this procedure were used in the UNEP-Project SWERA to derice solar maps for China, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Ethiopia and Ghana. The market introduction of solarthermal power plants, also known as concentrating solar power (CSP) is supported by contributions to projects of the German Federal Ministry of Environment like SOKRATES and MED-CSP.
New developments of satellite and modell-based methods for mapping and forecasting of solar energy yields are under way within the Helmholtz virtual Institute of Energy Meteorology (vIEM) in collaboration with Universität Oldenburg and DLR-DFD and DLR-ITT.