TMY3 data not available from NSRDB anymore?
Question:
A few months ago I was able to download TMY3 data from NSRDB and use it with pvlib.tmy.readtmy3
Now I have tried to download files for other locations but these seem to come in a different format. I am using NSRDB Data Viewer, more specifically the Data Download Wizard. I click on MTS2, as this seems to be the only model that now provides data in TMY3, and I click on the TMY3 button when I select the file for download. But the internal structure of the obtained CSV file is clearly different from what I got a few months ago and is also clearly different from what pvlib.tmy.readtmy3 expects (I have checked the current python source code).
At https://nsrdb.nrel.gov/tmy I get the following info:
Format of TMY Data
All TMY data are now in the System Advisor Model (SAM) CSV file
format. Formerly, TMY data were available only through TMY file
formats (i.e., TMY, TMY2, TMY3). By switching to the more
user-friendly SAM CSV, TMY data are more flexible than ever and can be
plugged into the vast majority of solar modeling programs.
This seems to imply that data is no longer available in TMY3 format, even though TMY3 data seems to be available in the NSRDB Data Download Wizard.
Do I need to write my own code to adapt NSRDB files to what pvlib expects?
Answers:
The TMY3 files available at the link below are readable by pvlib:
https://rredc.nrel.gov/solar/old_data/nsrdb/1991-2005/tmy3/by_state_and_city.html
I’m not experienced with the NSRDB Data Viewer or how the format of its TMY3 files might differ. We’d welcome a contribution to improve compatibility with the new files, if necessary.
It seems that the data is not available any longer. Even this old_data link is not working now. Any suggestions as to how to access TMY3 data?
A few months ago I was able to download TMY3 data from NSRDB and use it with pvlib.tmy.readtmy3
Now I have tried to download files for other locations but these seem to come in a different format. I am using NSRDB Data Viewer, more specifically the Data Download Wizard. I click on MTS2, as this seems to be the only model that now provides data in TMY3, and I click on the TMY3 button when I select the file for download. But the internal structure of the obtained CSV file is clearly different from what I got a few months ago and is also clearly different from what pvlib.tmy.readtmy3 expects (I have checked the current python source code).
At https://nsrdb.nrel.gov/tmy I get the following info:
Format of TMY Data
All TMY data are now in the System Advisor Model (SAM) CSV file
format. Formerly, TMY data were available only through TMY file
formats (i.e., TMY, TMY2, TMY3). By switching to the more
user-friendly SAM CSV, TMY data are more flexible than ever and can be
plugged into the vast majority of solar modeling programs.
This seems to imply that data is no longer available in TMY3 format, even though TMY3 data seems to be available in the NSRDB Data Download Wizard.
Do I need to write my own code to adapt NSRDB files to what pvlib expects?
The TMY3 files available at the link below are readable by pvlib:
https://rredc.nrel.gov/solar/old_data/nsrdb/1991-2005/tmy3/by_state_and_city.html
I’m not experienced with the NSRDB Data Viewer or how the format of its TMY3 files might differ. We’d welcome a contribution to improve compatibility with the new files, if necessary.
It seems that the data is not available any longer. Even this old_data link is not working now. Any suggestions as to how to access TMY3 data?