Mapping Australia’s solar energy potential

The Australian Solar Energy Information System, or ‘ASEISonline’, presents 25 years of solar data collected by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. The information was derived primarily from satellite data and indicates the amount of energy which has been received on a flat horizontal surface over a period of time. Using Google Map interface, users can easily identify areas with the highest average monthly solar exposure (ie. the amount of sun an area receives on average, per hour, across an average day - for each month of the year).

The Portal aims to assist in selection of potential locations for large-scale solar power plants in Australia. Solar data are complemented with information on regional topography, distance to closest electricity transmission lines, location of water sources as well as existing power stations. The Portal has been developed as a collaborative project between Geoscience Australia and the Bureau of Meteorology through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). Raw data are available for download from BOM’s website.