SolarStations.org—A global catalog of solar irradiance monitoring stations

Abstract

Ground-based measurements remain the most accurate method for determining solar surface irradiance despite continuous improvements in satellite-derived and reanalysis models. However, identifying and accessing high-quality irradiance measurements is challenging, largely due to incomplete information on available stations. Consequently, many studies use low-quality data or have poor geographical coverage, reducing the scientific outcomes. To address this issue, a global catalog of multi-component solar irradiance monitoring stations has been created, streamlining the identification of relevant stations. Each station entry includes the following metadata: station name, location, elevation, owner, network, period of operation, data availability, instrumentation, and climate zone. The station catalog and an interactive map are available for free at www.SolarStations.org. As of April 2025, the catalog contains information on 808 stations, of which 440 are currently active. Only half of the active stations share data freely, highlighting a widespread issue of data availability. The catalog and website are developed openly on GitHub and welcome community contributions.