Historically Black Colleges and Universities Solar Radiation Monitoring Network

Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, the six-station Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Solar Radiation Monitoring Network provided five-minute averaged measurements of global and diffuse horizontal solar irradiance from November 1985 through December 1996.

These data were processed at NREL to improve the assessment of the solar radiation resources in the southeastern United States. Three of the stations also measured the direct-normal solar irradiance with a pyrheliometer mounted in an automatic sun tracker. All data are archived in the Standard Broadband Format with quality-assessment indicators. Monthly data summaries and plots are also available for each month.

In January 1997, the HBCU sites became part of the CONFRRM solar monitoring network.

Station Information

Access site and data field information for these stations:

Latitude: 29.18° north
Longitude: 81.02° west
Elevation: 20 meters
Time zone: GMT-5

Quality-Assessed Data Field Definitions

August 1985–December 1996
Fields Units
Year,  
Month,  
Day,  
HourMinute,  
Global Horizontal, Flag, W/m2
Diffuse (Shadow Band), Flag W/m2

Latitude: 37.27° north
Longitude: 81.24° west
Elevation: 803 meters
Time zone: GMT-5

Quality-Assessed Data Field Definitions

November 1985–March 1990
Fields Units
Year,  
Month,  
Day,  
HourMinute,  
Global Horizontal, Flag, W/m2
Diffuse (Shadow Band), Flag, W/m2
Direct Normal, Flag W/m2
Tracker error (X), Flag, mV
Tracker error (Y), Flag, mV
Tracker error (sum), Flag mV
April 1990–December 1996
Fields (Units)
Year,  
Month,  
Day,  
HourMinute,  
Global Horizontal, Flag, W/m2
Diffuse (Shadow Band), Flag, W/m2
Direct Normal, Flag W/m2

Latitude: 36.30° north
Longitude: 76.25° west
Elevation: 4 meters
Time zone: GMT-5

Quality-Assessed Data Field Definitions

September 1985–February 1990
Fields (Units)
Year,  
Month,  
Day,  
HourMinute,  
Global Horizontal, Flag, W/m2
Diffuse (Shadow Band), Flag W/m2
March 1990–June 1995
Fields (Units)
Year,  
Month,  
Day,  
HourMinute,  
Global Horizontal, Flag, W/m2
Diffuse (Shadow Band), Flag, W/m2
Direct Normal, Flag W/m2
July 1995–December 1996

Fields
(Units)
Year,  
Month,  
Day,  
HourMinute,  
Global Horizontal, Flag, W/m2
Diffuse (Tracking Disk), Flag, W/m2
Direct Normal, Flag, W/m2
Dry Bulb Temp. (Tower), Flag, oC
Dry Bulb Temp. (CR-10), Flag, oC
Relative Humidity, Flag, Percent
Wind Direction, Flag, Degrees from north
Wind Speed, Flag, m/s
Peak Wind Speed, Flag, m/s
Station Pressure, Flag, kPa
Precipitation, Flag mm

Latitude: 33.50° north
Longitude: 90.33° west
Elevation: 52 meters
Time zone: GMT-6

Quality-Assessed Data Field Definitions

July 1985–April 1992
Fields (Units)
Year,  
Month,  
Day,  
HourMinute,  
Global Horizontal, Flag, W/m2
Diffuse (Shadow Band), Flag W/m2
May 1992–December 1996
Fields (Units)
Year,  
Month,  
Day,  
HourMinute,  
Global Horizontal, Flag, W/m2
Diffuse (Shadow Band), Flag, W/m2
Direct Normal, Flag W/m2

Latitude: 33.45° north
Longitude: 80.85° west
Elevation: 96 meters
Time zone: GMT-5

Quality-Assessed Data Field Definitions

Aug. 1985–May 1996
Fields (Units)
Year,  
Month,  
Day,  
HourMinute,  
Global Horizontal, Flag, W/m2
Diffuse (Shadow Band), Flag W/m2

Latitude: 32.03° north
Longitude: 81.07° west
Elevation: 11 meters
Time zone: GMT-5

Quality-Assessed Data Field Definitions

August 1985–December 1996
Fields (Units)
Year,  
Month,  
Day,  
HourMinute,  
Global Horizontal, Flag, W/m2
Diffuse (Shadow Band), Flag W/m2

Data Files

Access historical data from July 1985 through December 1996—including quality-assessed data, monthly reports, and plots—in the HBCU data file. By accessing this file, you agree to abide by the NREL data disclaimer.

Note the following missing monthly data sets.

  Quality-Assessed Data Report Plot
Bethune-Cookman College 7-92 7-91 11-86, 3-87 (gh+dn), 4-87 (gh+dn), 12-88, 3-91 (df+dn), 7-92
Bluefield State College 3-86, 4-86 3-86, 4-86 3-86, 4-86, 9-94
Elizabeth City State University 8-86, 2-88 thru 4-89, 6-91, 4-95 thru 6-95, 8-96 8-86, 9-86, 1-88 thru 4-89, 4-95 thru 6-95, 8-96 7-86, 8-86, 7-87 thru 10-87, 2-88 thru 4-89, 4-90 thru 7-90, 4-95 thru 6-95, 4-96 thru 7-96 (dn only), 8-96, 10-96 thru 12-96 (dn only)
Mississippi Valley State University None 6-92 11-86 (dn only), 9-87, 10-87, 2-88, 12-88, 6-92, 2-96 thru 8-96 (dn only)
South Carolina State College 2-88 2-88 2-88, 11-88, 12-88, 3-91, 5-96 (dn only)
Savannah State College 7-94, 8-94 3-93, 7-94, 8-94 8-85, 6-88 thru 10-88 (df+dn), 12-88, 7-94, 8-94

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