AtmosGrid — Planetary IntelligenceCOMMERCIAL PRODUCT
A dust plume crossing the Arabian Gulf beneath scattered clouds
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SOLAR INPUT OBSERVATION FEED

Timestamped dust and cloud observations for every site, every hour.

A maintained regional feed of cloud cover, aerosol optical depth, shortwave radiation and estimated PV generation potential. Gives solar operators a consistent satellite-derived input feed to cross-check internal forecasts and diagnose persistent biases.

AVAILABLE · GET ENDPOINTSee how it works ↓
Illustrative solar and atmospheric imagery

THE DECISION IT SUPPORTS

What did the atmosphere look like above the plant in the past 24 hours?

The feed returns a site-level time series of GFS-derived and satellite-informed atmospheric inputs. Each record carries a confidence flag. Live Meteosat-9 and CAMS aerosol feeds are catalogued and will replace heuristic estimates when operator credentials are provided.

Built for

  • Solar plant operators
  • Air quality monitoring teams
  • Energy traders and grid operators
  • Environmental change analysts

WHY TEAMS USE IT

Turn broad data into a clearer next step.

Each result is designed to narrow a decision, show the inputs behind it, and surface what must still be checked locally.

01

Monitor regional dust events

Receive a dust risk score every three hours, derived from GFS visibility, wind and relative humidity.

02

Cross-check internal irradiance forecasts

Compare GFS shortwave radiation against operational plant models to identify persistent regional biases.

03

Build an input archive

Store hourly atmospheric signals alongside plant generation logs for retrospective attribution.

04

Trigger cleaning schedules

Use sustained elevated AOD or dust_risk_score to trigger conditional panel-cleaning dispatch.

FROM REGION TO SITE

See where each signal fits.

Images illustrate the operational setting. They are not live observations; use source timestamps and local measurements for decisions.

Dust and cloud context from orbitSATELLITE LAYER

Dust and cloud context from orbit

Meteosat-9 dust_rgb and GFS shortwave provide the regional picture.

Sub-hourly irradiance and AOD per siteSITE TIME SERIES

Sub-hourly irradiance and AOD per site

Time-series feed links forecast irradiance to aerosol measurements.

Shortwave radiation and PV estimateSOLAR RADIATION

Shortwave radiation and PV estimate

GFS DSWRF feeds an estimated generation figure per kWp installed.

THE INFORMATION STACK

What goes in—and what it helps explain.

Availability is stated for every input. Missing site telemetry, irradiance readings, or atmospheric observations are identified rather than inferred.

INFORMATIONSOURCEHOW IT IS USEDSTATUS
01Latitude / LongitudeCaller (site coordinates)Returns time series for the nearest GFS grid point.OPTIONAL — regional if omitted
02hours_back (1–72)Query parameterControls time series window.OPTIONAL — default 6

A PRACTICAL WORKFLOW

From input to reviewable decision.

The workflow keeps model context, field evidence and human approval in their proper places.

  1. 01

    Call GET with site coordinates

    Latitude and longitude snap to the nearest GFS grid node.

  2. 02

    Review hourly layers

    Cloud cover, AOD proxy, shortwave radiation and dust risk are returned per hour.

  3. 03

    Compare with internal forecast

    Place AtmosGrid values alongside internal plant model output.

  4. 04

    Flag persistent discrepancies

    Consistent gaps suggest a regional bias correction is needed.

  5. 05

    Archive and correlate with SCADA

    Use the time series as ground-truth inputs for error attribution analysis.

HOW INFORMATION BECOMES USEFUL

Examples of decisions it can inform.

These are screening patterns, not automatic instructions. Operational thresholds and local advisories remain authoritative.

SCENARIO 01

Dust risk score > 60 for 3 consecutive hours

Signal
Elevated desert dust over the site.
Useful action
Trigger a conditional cleaning dispatch evaluation.
Check before acting
Confirm with on-site soiling sensor before committing crew.
SCENARIO 02

Shortwave radiation consistently higher than forecast

Signal
Model underestimates clear-sky irradiance.
Useful action
Apply a regional clear-sky correction to the forecast.
Check before acting
Check whether elevated irradiance is linked to a reflective aerosol layer.
SCENARIO 03

AOD spike coincides with generation drop

Signal
Aerosol event causing beam attenuation.
Useful action
Flag for error attribution POST to quantify the loss.
Check before acting
Spike may be transient — review the window before acting.

FOR PRODUCT TEAMS

A transparent API contract.

The response exposes gaps and limitations so an application can explain confidence instead of hiding it.

POST/api/v1/energy/middle-east/solar-feed

Example request

GET /api/v1/energy/middle-east/solar-feed
  ?latitude=24.29
  &longitude=54.61
  &hours_back=24
JSONdecision response

Example response

{
  "latitude": 24.29,
  "longitude": 54.61,
  "hours_returned": 24,
  "time_series": [{
    "utc_time": "2026-10-02T08:00:00Z",
    "shortwave_radiation_w_m2": 812.4,
    "cloud_cover_percent": 14.2,
    "aerosol_optical_depth": 0.24,
    "dust_risk_score": 38.1,
    "estimated_pv_kwh_per_kwp": 0.65,
    "confidence": "medium"
  }]
}

CAPABILITY BOUNDARIES

Useful now. Honest about what comes next.

Supported now

  • Up to 72 hours of back-cast
  • Cloud cover, AOD proxy, shortwave radiation
  • Dust risk score (GFS-derived)
  • Estimated PV kWh/kWp (PR 0.8)
  • Site or regional coverage

Additional data required

  • Copernicus CAMS credentials for live AOD
  • Meteosat-9 IODC credentials for dust_rgb
  • On-site pyrheliometer for calibration
  • Plant SCADA for correlation

BUILD RESPONSIBLY

Use the result to focus attention—not replace field judgment.

Pair AtmosGrid’s regional weather context with local irradiance sensors, site telemetry and operator review.

Read the API documentation ↗Open the Middle East viewer ↗Explore all solar products ↗