Data generated by evaluating the seasonal variability and trend analysis of the solar energy resource in the Northeastern Brazilian region

Abstract

The solar radiation is the primary energy resource for several human activities. Nowadays, the environmental issues and climate concerning are boosting the substitution of fossil fuel resources by renewable energy resources, including the adoption of solar energy for power generation. Although the solar power stands for 0.2% of the Brazilian electricity mix, the solar energy resource in the Northeastern Brazilian region (NEB) is higher than in countries where the solar energy market is already consolidated. Nowadays, it is crucial to deepen the comprehension of solar resource time and spatial variability in NEB to support and promote the solar energy market and save water to other purposes than power generation. The paper presents the data generated by Lima et al. (2019). The database, based on meteorological observations at 129 automated weather stations, provides reliable information on the spatial and seasonal variability of the incoming solar irradiation in NEB. Keywords: Solar irradiation data, Seasonal variability, Cluster analysis, Trend analysis