SOLASAT 9-Now Solar Radiation Estimation using Himawari 8 & 9 Data.
Services

Japan Weather Association (JWA) provides solar radiation estimations over Japan using satellite imagery from the Himawari 8 & 9 meteorological satellites.

SOLSAT 9-Now utilises the data from the Japanese meteorological satellite Himawari 8 & 9 to provide high-resolution solar radiation estimates for any location of choice. This service is an asset for the solar energy industry, enabling precise solar radiation assessments. The estimation data provided in this service is updated every 2.5 minutes, and with a resolution grid of 0.5 km, available online for real-time access.

With the introduction of our newly developed AI model*2, we achieved a 15% increase in estimation accuracy, making SOLSAT 9-NOW an even more reliable and highly credible solar radiation estimate.

The SOLASAT 9-Now supports remote supervision of solar power facilities, fault diagnosis for operation and maintenance services to solar power projects in Japan (O&M Businesses), and when considering the benefits of adding or upgrading equipment or facilities.

(*1) Himawari-8 and Himawari-9 are meteorological satellite operated by Japan Meteorological Agency, launched in 2015 and 2016 respectively. H08 was the operational satellite until 13/12/2022, 14:00 JST, when it was replaced with H09. As each satellite featuring nearly identical imagery technology, the transition did not impact service performance.
(*2) JWA’s newly developed weather model improves accuracy by taking into account cloud reflection transmission and segmentation.

Service Details

The service contents are as follows. Some items can also be provided via ENeAPI, a comprehensive API service for energy companies.

Features:

– For any requested location or electric utility area unit, the solar radiation estimations are updated every 2.5 minutes, and available down to a 0.5 km grid.
– Adapted with JWA’s proprietary AI applied model
– Offline access to historical data is also available

Utilisation:

– Real-time monitoring of solar radiation and solar power output.
– Operational support for VPP projects and other projects using distributed solar energy generation facilities.
– Feasibility assessment for introducing a PPA model to self-consumption solar power instillations.
– Remote monitoring and fault diagnosis of solar power facilities (O&M business)
– Business feasibility analysis of self-consignment system model.

FAQ

1. How is data delivered?
> Real-time data is distributed online via WebAPI (ENeAPI) or FTP-PUT

2. How is the procedure from application to when you can start using the service?
>For use with ENeAPI,
Once a quotation is accepted, the JWA team will send an application form and terms of use.
After submitting the completed form, access credentials are issued within approximately 10 business days.
The service becomes available from the start date specified in the agreement.

3 How is pricing determined?
>Pricing depends on several factors, including:
– Number of locations
– Conversion to inclined surface solar radiation
– Conversion to solar power generation
– Secondary data usage rights

4. Is historical data available?
>Historical data for the past 6 days can be obtained from ENeAPI, and data farther in the past is available separately offline (at a fee).

5 What makes this service different from AMeDAS Solar Radiation Estimates?
> AMeDAS estimates are based on data from approximately 840 stations across Japan. SOLASAT 9-Now uses Himawari-8 & 9 satellite imagery, enabling solar radiation estimates for any requested location with higher resolution.

6 Can this service be purchased for personal use?
> No, SOLASAT 9-Now is intended for corporations only.

News

・Japan Weather Association launches highly accurate solar radiation estimation service “SOLASAT 9-Now”
~ New adoption of AI model improves solar radiation estimation accuracy by about 15% ~ (2023/3/15 Japan Weather Association news release)
https://www.jwa.or.jp/news/2023/03/19385/

・Japan Weather Association supports Nagoya Institute of Technology Solar Car Club with solar radiation estimation and forecast data
~ Finished with highest ranking ever at “Bridgestone World Solar Challenge 2019”! ~ (2019/11/26 Japan Weather Association announcement)
https://www.jwa.or.jp/news/2019/11/8727/

・Japan Weather Association supports Nagoya Institute of Technology Solar Car Club with solar radiation estimation and forecast information
~ Won the OLYMPIA class at “Solar Car Race Suzuka 2018”! ~ (2018/8/10 Japan Weather Association announcement)
https://www.jwa.or.jp/news/2018/08/4358/

・Himawari-8 enhances cloud-snow differentiation, improving solar radiation estimation accuracy by 10%.
~ Used in satellite estimated solar radiation service “SOLASAT 8-Now” ~ (2017/2/1 Japan Weather Association news release)
https://www.jwa.or.jp/news/2017/02/4425/

・Japan Weather Association starts offering new satellite estimated solar radiation service “SOLASAT 8-Now”
~ Himawari-8 data provides four times the resolution of previous models ~ (2016/5/11 Japan Weather Association news release)
https://www.jwa.or.jp/news/2016/05/4585/

*‘SOLASAT’ is the generic name for solar radiation estimation and forecasting services that use analysis technology for meteorological satellite imagery.
*‘SOLASAT’ is a registered trademark of Japan Weather Association (No. 5779712).
*’ENeAPI’ is a registered trademark of Japan Weather Association (No. 6574904)