This network will include ground-based measurements for approximately 50 stations in the Renewable Resource Monitoring and Mapping (RRMM) Solar Radiation Monitoring Network. All stations provide one-minute resolution data for three solar components, along with temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, and barometric pressure. More advanced, higher tier stations gather one-minute data for even more measurements. The network began with three stations in January 2013, and additional stations were added in May and June of that year. Additional stations of the same designs will continue to be added through 2014 and into 2015.
Source
NREL MIDC System
Period of Record
January 2013 to present
Temporal Resolution
1-minute, hourly, daily, monthly and annual averages of 3-sec samples for all solar and meteorological components
Spatial Resolution
Expanding number of stations, to eventually reach up to 70 stations in the Kingdom
Use Limitations
As noted in the Terms and Conditions for the Atlas
Description
The station design includes a 100-m tall wind monitoring mast which takes measurements of multiple wind and meteorological parameters at heights of 100, 98, 80, 60, and 40 meters along the mast.
Source
Barlovento/Vestas Data Center
Period of Record
October 2013 to present
Temporal Resolution
10-minute, hourly, daily, monthly, and annual average of 10-m samples and maximum gusts for all wind and meteorological components
Spatial Resolution
Expanding number of stations, to eventually reach up to 40 stations in the Kingdom
Use Limitations
As noted in the Terms and Conditions for the Atlas
Description
Aramco Wind Stations
Source
ARAMCO
Period of Record
Not provided
Temporal Resolution
Not provided
Spatial Resolution
Not provided
Use Limitations
Not provided
Description
The CDSI (Central Department of Statistics and Information) provided the boundaries of the provinces of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. These provinces include Ha'il, Qasim, Riyadh, Tabuk, Madinah, Bahah, Northern Borders, Jawf, Jizan, Asir, Najran, Eastern Province
Source
Central Department of Statistics and Information (CDSI)
Period of Record
Not provided
Temporal Resolution
Not provided
Spatial Resolution
Provinces of Saudi Arabia
Use Limitations
None
Description
CDSI (Central Department of Statistics and Information) draws out its statistical information from two main sources representing the core of national statistics system, namely:
General statistics of censuses, field surveys, research and statistical studies conducted by the CDSI, and two: Administrative records (administrative data) derived from the records, bulletins and statistical reports issued by the statistical units and information centers in government agencies and institutions in its capacity as responsible for providing the service concerned.
Source
Central Department of Statistics and Information (CDSI)
Period of Record
Not provided
Temporal Resolution
Not provided
Spatial Resolution
City Points
Use Limitations
None
Description
While conducting studies and biological and social surveys necessary to prepare a system for protecting natural areas, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia utilized assistance from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which had expertise in this area. In 1991, experts from the IUCN and the commission wrote a proposal to preserve wildlife and to encourage sustainable rural development in Saudi Arabia. Based on this proposal, a program was established for the protected areas in the Kingdom.
This proposal was recently updated, in accordance with the environmental developments, with a proposal for protection of 75 areas in Saudi Arabia. (62 of them are wilderness areas and the remaining 13 are coastal and marine areas). It is planned that the commission will manage the 35 protected areas (15 of them are already listed and 20 are proposed). The other 40 (listed and proposed) areas will be managed by other parties including the National Park of the Ministry of Agriculture in Riyadh, and Asir, al-Taif, and others. In addition, there will be areas affiliated with the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, United Arab Emirates, the Royal Commission for Jubail, Yanbu and others.
The estimated total area of the proposed system is about 10.42% of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This area is dedicated to the development of renewable natural resources. These areas are for the benefit of mankind.
Source
Saudi Wildlife Authority (SWA)
Period of Record
1991 - current
Temporal Resolution
Not provided
Spatial Resolution
Spatial Polygons
Use Limitations
None
Description
The Ministry of Transport provided information regarding the primary and secondary roadways within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Source
Ministry of Transport Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Period of Record
Not provided
Temporal Resolution
Not provided
Spatial Resolution
Primary and Secondary Roadways
Use Limitations
None
Description
This shapefile includes information on the locations and statuses of electrical grid lines in Saudi Arabia.
Source
SEC (Saudi Electricity company)
Period of Record
2010
Temporal Resolution
Annual
Spatial Resolution
Electrical grid lines, Saudi Arabia
Use Limitations
NONE
Description
This shapefile (ksa_population_province) includes information on Saudi Arabia’s population by province. Data is given for males, females, and totals, broken out by Saudi and non-Saudi born
Source
Central Department of Statistics and Information. Preliminary Results of 1431AH - 2010AD Population and Housing Census
Period of Record
1431AH - 2010AD
Temporal Resolution
Annual
Spatial Resolution
Saudi Arabia, Provinces, Emirates
Use Limitations
NONE
Description
GeoTIFF image of elevation (topography) surface for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, derived from the readily-available SRTM 3-arc second (90-meter) elevation dataset, clipped to the political boundary of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The SRTM data resulted from a collaborative effort by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA,formerly NIMA), as well as the participation of the German and Italian space agencies, to generate a near-global digital elevation model (DEM) of the Earth using radar interferometry. The SRTM instrument consisted of the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C (SIR-C) hardware set modified with a Space Station-derived mast and additional antennae to form an interferometer with a 60 meter long baseline. A description of the SRTM mission can be found in Farr and Kobrick (2000).SRTM radar echo data were processed into elevation information in a systematic fashion using the SRTM Ground Data Processing System (GDPS) supercomputer system at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Elevation data were mosaiced into more than 14,000 one degree by one degree cells and formatted according to the Digital Terrain Elevation Data (DTED) specification for delivery to NGA, who is using it to update and extend their DTED products.A second product with sample spacing of 3 arc-seconds was generated by a 3x3 averaging of the 1 arc-second data, and is publicly available through the U.S. Geological Survey’s EROS Data Center. These 3 arcsecond data were then further averaged 10x10 to produce 30 arc-second data commensurate with GTOPO30.
Source
SRTM30
Period of Record
Not provided
Temporal Resolution
Not provided
Spatial Resolution
900 m x 900 m
Use Limitations
None
Description
GeoTIFF image of degrees slope for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, derived from the readily-available SRTM 3-arc second (90-meter) elevation dataset, clipped to the political boundary of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The SRTM data resulted from a collaborative effort by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA,formerly NIMA), as well as the participation of the German and Italian space agencies, to generate a near-global digital elevation model (DEM) of the Earth using radar interferometry. The SRTM instrument consisted of the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C (SIR-C) hardware set modified with a Space Station-derived mast and additional antennae to form an interferometer with a 60 meter long baseline. A description of the SRTM mission can be found in Farr and Kobrick (2000).SRTM radar echo data were processed into elevation information in a systematic fashion using the SRTM Ground Data Processing System (GDPS) supercomputer system at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Elevation data were mosaiced into more than 14,000 one degree by one degree cells and formatted according to the Digital Terrain Elevation Data (DTED) specification for delivery to NGA, who is using it to update and extend their DTED products.A second product with sample spacing of 3 arc-seconds was generated by a 3x3 averaging of the 1 arc-second data, and is publicly available through the U.S. Geological Survey’s EROS Data Center. These 3 arcsecond data were then further averaged 10x10 to produce 30 arc-second data commensurate with GTOPO30.
Source
SRTM30
Period of Record
Not provided
Temporal Resolution
Not provided
Spatial Resolution
900 m x 900 m
Use Limitations
None
Description
Satellite-based model estimates of solar radiation based on METEOSAT observations of clouds and outputs from the European Center for Mid-range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF) Monitoring Atmospheric Composition and Climate (MACC) model, including monthly averaged aerosol optical depth (AOD) .
Source
GeoModel Solar
Period of Record
1994 - 2012
Temporal Resolution
15 minutes
Spatial Resolution
3 km at sub-satellite point
Use Limitations
None
Description
Satellite-based model estimates of solar radiation based on METEOSAT observations of clouds and outputs from the European Center for Mid-range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF) Monitoring Atmospheric Composition and Climate (MACC) model, including monthly averaged aerosol optical depth (AOD) .
Source
GeoModel Solar
Period of Record
1994 - 2012
Temporal Resolution
15 minutes
Spatial Resolution
3 km at sub-satellite point
Use Limitations
None
Description
Satellite-based model estimates of DNI based on METEOSAT observations of clouds and climatological averages of atmospheric constituents such as precipitable water vapor, stratospheric ozone, and aerosol optical depth (AOD).
Source
State University of New York at Albany
Period of Record
March 1999 – February 2013
Temporal Resolution
Monthly mean daily total radiation based on hourly simulations
Spatial Resolution
5 km at sub-satellite point
Use Limitations
None
Description
Satellite-based model estimates of DNI based on METEOSAT observations of clouds and climatological averages of atmospheric constituents such as precipitable water vapor, stratospheric ozone, and aerosol optical depth (AOD).
Source
State University of New York at Albany
Period of Record
March 1999 – February 2013
Temporal Resolution
Monthly mean daily total radiation based on hourly simulations
Spatial Resolution
5 km at sub-satellite point
Use Limitations
None
Description
The mesoscale time series contains hourly values of modeled wind speed, wind direction, temperature and density, all derived from a mesoscale Vestas model simulation (WRF model). Vestas notes that this data should be combined with on-site observational or monitoring data, to estimate long term variability of the wind source. Other notes on the WRF model: the model uses other reports and inputs to provide climate information on an hourly basis from January 2000 to mid 2013. The model produces maps and statistics that illustrate spatial and temporal variability in wind speed and other key drivers of wind energy production.