pvlib.iotools.read_surfrad

pvlib.iotools.read_surfrad(filename, map_variables=True)[source]

Read in a daily NOAA SURFRAD[1]_ file.

Parameters:
  • filename (str) – Filepath or url.
  • map_variables (bool) – When true, renames columns of the Dataframe to pvlib variable names where applicable. See variable SURFRAD_COLUMNS.
Returns:

  • Tuple of the form (data, metadata).
  • data (Dataframe) – Dataframe with the fields found below.
  • metadata (dict) – Site metadata included in the file.

Notes

Metadata dictionary includes the following fields:

Key Format Description
station String site name
latitude Float site latitude
longitude Float site longitude
elevation Int site elevation
surfrad_version Int surfrad version
tz String Timezone (UTC)

Dataframe includes the following fields:

raw, mapped Format Description
Mapped field names are returned when the map_variables argument is True
year int year as 4 digit int
jday int day of year 1-365(or 366)
month int month (1-12)
day int day of month(1-31)
hour int hour (0-23)
minute int minute (0-59)
dt float decimal time i.e. 23.5 = 2330
zen, solar_zenith float solar zenith angle (deg)
Fields below have associated qc flags labeled <field>_flag.
dw_solar, ghi float downwelling global solar(W/m^2)
uw_solar float updownwelling global solar(W/m^2)
direct_n, dni float direct normal solar (W/m^2)
diffuse, dhi float downwelling diffuse solar (W/m^2)
dw_ir float downwelling thermal infrared (W/m^2)
dw_casetemp float downwelling IR case temp (K)
dw_dometemp float downwelling IR dome temp (K)
uw_ir float upwelling thermal infrared (W/m^2)
uw_casetemp float upwelling IR case temp (K)
uw_dometemp float upwelling IR case temp (K)
uvb float global uvb (miliWatts/m^2)
par float photosynthetically active radiation(W/m^2)
netsolar float net solar (dw_solar - uw_solar) (W/m^2)
netir float net infrared (dw_ir - uw_ir) (W/m^2)
totalnet float net radiation (netsolar+netir) (W/m^2)
temp, temp_air float 10-meter air temperature (?C)
rh, relative_humidity float relative humidity (%)
windspd, wind_speed float wind speed (m/s)
winddir, wind_direction float wind direction (deg, clockwise from north)
pressure float station pressure (mb)

See README files located in the station directories in the SURFRAD data archives[2]_ for details on SURFRAD daily data files.

References

[1]NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory Surface Radiation Budget Network SURFRAD Homepage
[2]NOAA SURFRAD Data Archive SURFRAD Archive