Definition
NSRDB (National Solar Radiation Database) is NREL's free database of hourly GHI, DNI, DHI, temperature, and wind speed for ~2 million US sites from 1998–present. TMY3 is the canonical Typical Meteorological Year format used for solar simulation.
Key Takeaways
- NSRDB = NREL’s free US solar weather database.
- Hourly + half-hourly + sub-hourly data, 1998+ coverage.
- TMY3 is the canonical Typical Meteorological Year format.
- Used widely in PVsyst, SAM, Helioscope.
- Preferred over Meteonorm for US bankable projects.
Frequently Asked Questions
3 commonly searched questions about NSRDB / TMY3.
What is NSRDB?
National Solar Radiation Database from NREL. Free hourly weather data for US sites from 1998–present. Used widely for US bankable solar projects.
What is TMY3?
Typical Meteorological Year version 3 — canonical format for solar simulation. Combines 30 years of data into a representative 8,760-hour annual file. Used by PVsyst, SAM, Helioscope.
Is NSRDB free?
Yes. Free download from NREL's data viewer (nsrdb.nrel.gov). Multiple TMY versions: TMY2, TMY3, NSRDB Half-Hourly (latest).
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