NASA Derived and Validated Climate Data For RETScreen Use: Description and Access Paul Stackhouse NASA Langley Research Center Charles Whitlock, Bill Chandler,

NASA Derived and Validated Climate Data For RETScreen Use:

Description and Access

Paul Stackhouse NASA Langley Research Center

Charles Whitlock, Bill Chandler, Jim Hoell, Dave Westberg, and Taiping Zhang

Science Systems Analysis, Inc.

Energy Efficiency and RETScreen Version 4

2March 3, 2008 NASA Langley Research Center

NASA Strategic Goal 3: Develop a balanced overall program of science, exploration, and aeronautics ….• NASA Sub-goal 3A: Study Earth from space to advance scientific

understanding and meet societal needs.

NASA’s Earth science program: • develop a scientific understanding of Earth’s system and its

response to natural or human-induced changes • to improve prediction of climate, weather, and natural hazards• partner for global modeling and assimilation of observations for

science and applications

NASA’s Earth Applied Sciences program:• benchmark NASA research results into policy and management

decision-support tools • support tools vital for the Nation’s environment, economy, safety,

and security.

NASA Strategic Goals and Applied Sciences


Researching Science Questions

How is the global Earth system changing?

What are the primary forcings of the Earth

system?

How does the Earth system respond to natural and human-induced changes?

What are the consequences of changes inthe Earth system for human civilization?

How well can we predict future changes to the Earth system?

Water Cycle

Energy Cycle


4

NASA Observing Spacecraft for Earth System Research


Suites of Earth System Science Models

Earth System Science Models for Research and Applications


6

NASA Applied Science:POWER Project

Prediction of Worldwide Energy Resource

Objective: Improve the Nation’s public and private capability for integrating environmental data into sound management of energy production and energy efficiency systems.

Goals:

1. Establish partnerships to facilitate the integration and adaptation of NASA satellite analysis and modeling data into electric power industry Decision Support System’s (DSS) and databases.

2. Target such datasets for Electric Power, Renewable Energy, Energy-Efficient Building Design and Biomass Crop Development Industries

3. Transition operational capabilities to government and/or private sector entities.

Prediction of Worldwide Energy Resource

Objective: Improve the Nation’s public and private capability for integrating environmental data into sound management of energy production and energy efficiency systems.

Goals:

1. Establish partnerships to facilitate the integration and adaptation of NASA satellite analysis and modeling data into electric power industry Decision Support System’s (DSS) and databases.

2. Target such datasets for Electric Power, Renewable Energy, Energy-Efficient Building Design and Biomass Crop Development Industries

3. Transition operational capabilities to government and/or private sector entities.


SSE

SSE Web Sitehttp://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov/sse/

> 200 solar and meteorology parameters; averaged from 23 years of data

POWER Historical Data Sets

Growing over the last 8 years to nearly 30,000 users, 7.5 million hits

and 1.4 million data downloads

NASA Satellite Measurements, Analysis and Modeling

Terra Aqua

GMAOSRB

Earth Science Research Applied Science Outcome


NASA Parameters For RETScreen

Partner Requested Data from NASA:• RETScreen (NRCan/CETC)• SWERA (UNEP GRID/ USGS, NREL)• MiniCAM (PNNL)• etc


RETScreen’s Use of POWER Climate Data

• NASA directly delivered data used for Database

• Surface measurements for cities from RETScreen (red dots) • NASA data used when surface measurements unavailable (blue dots)

NASA data In Situ data

RETScreen Climate Database

• Data for locations between points are provided through a direct link to NASA SSE.


Retrieving NASA ParametersSSE Release 6.0


NASA Data Project Improvements

Meteorological Products• Improved Atmospheric model and assimilation system• Surface parameters computed at doubled the spatial resolution• Improved validation relative to US/NOAA National Climate Data

Center; observations matched in time and space

Solar Energy products• Improved solar energy algorithms including total, direct and diffuse

irradiance and related products• Improved validation using longer records of more accurate surface

measurements

Improved SSE Data Interface• SSE retrieved data sets now include enhanced parameter sets• SSE Release 6.0 include regional and daily averaged data sets


Overall Accuracy of NASA:Supplied Parameters

Parameter Name Latest Version Altitude Corrected

Bias RMS Bias RMS

1. All-sky Total Solar Radiation -1.8% (-0.7%) 12.1% (7.7%) na na

2. Air Temperature -0.58 oC 2.1 oC -0.02 oC 1.60 oC

3. Relative Humidity -1.9% 9.2% nya nya

4. Heating Degree-Days 17.0 dd 73.2 dd 0.6 dd 60.7 dd

5. Cooling Degree-Days -5.7 dd 28.7 dd 1.4 dd 25.6 dd

6. Earth Temperature varies +/- 1-2 K na na

7. Earth Temperature Amplitude varies +/- 1-2K na na

8. Atmospheric Pressure -10.37 mb 27.43 mb 0.50 mb 3.43 mb

9. Heating Design Temperature nya nya na na

10. Cooling Design Temperature nya nya na na

11. Earth Surface Elevation nya nya na na

() = 60o N - 60o S; na = not applicable; nya = not yet available

Monthly Averaged Assessment Statistics


Example Parameters from NASA:Solar Radiation Times Series


Example Parameters from NASA:All-sky Direct Normal Surface Irradiance


Example Parameters from NASA:Heating Degree-Days (10-meter)


Example Parameters from NASA:Cooling Degree-Days (10-meter)


Example Parameters from NASA:Relative Humidity (10-meter)


Example Parameters from NASA:Earth Skin Temperature


Decade to Decade Changes:Solar Radiation Changes

1

2

3


Decade to Decade Changes:Air Temperature Changes (10-meter)

1

2

3


Decade to Decade Changes:Cooling Degree Day Changes (10-meter)

1

2

3


Summary and Conclusions

NASA’s Earth Science Program is aimed at answering critical questions involving the Earth-Atmosphere system using improved satellite analysis and earth systems science modeling

NASA’s Applied Science Program is aimed at transitioning this information to respond to societal and industrial needs

NASA’s POWER project has demonstrated the potential impact of this information through our continued partnership with RETScreen

The latest release of RETScreen combines it’s advanced capabilities for clean energy projects worldwide with the progress of NASA’s research.

NASA data sets now provide: • 23 years of global parameters required by RETScreen• More comprehensive validation for parameter estimates• Upcoming SSE release to make time series and regional data obtainable

NASA Derived and Validated Climate Data For RETScreen Use: Description and Access Paul Stackhouse NASA Langley Research Center Charles Whitlock, Bill Chandler,

Documents

earth system research

nasa strategic goals

global earth system

renewable energy

energy efficiency systems

nasa subgoal

nasas earth science

study earth