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Using Solcast Commercial Toolkit

With the commercial toolkit, you can access and evaluate irradiance data and forecasts for your locations. Explore our step-by-step guides to get started and maximize the potential of this powerful toolkit.

Solcast Commercial Toolkit is a powerful tool designed to help commercial businesses like you! With this toolkit, you will have full access to Solcast's data API for Forecast, Live, and Historic data, allowing you to evaluate data effectively. You can make evaluations at your own locations with limited requests, and test the volume of API requirements at unmetered locations around the world.

Our commercial account offers flexibility. On top of your account's standard inclusions, you can make adjustments based on your required data. Simply let us know of any additional data for evaluation purposes, and we'll provide it upon request.

Solcast Commercial toolkit inclusions Historic Time Series - Radiation and Weather

• Up to 15 API requests
• Up to 20 locations at a time

Historic Time Series - Rooftop PV Power

• Up to 15 API requests
• Up to 20 locations at a time

Live Solar Irradiance Data

• Up to 10 requests for Radiation and Weather
• Up to 10 requests for Rooftop PV Power

Forecast Solar Irradiance Data

• Up to 10 requests for Radiation and Weather
• Up to 10 requests for Rooftop PV Power

Follow these guides to help you get started and navigate your way through the toolkit!

Getting started with Solcast Commercial Toolkit

It’s important that you have already signed up for an account. If not yet, here’s where you can sign up.

Best yet, when signing up to the Commercial account, there is no expiry, take as long as you need.

A walk-through of your Solcast account

Our toolkit is a user-friendly platform that is easy to navigate. Let’s start with the basics!

In the header, you can find the Solcast data products which you can select to start your request. In addition to the products, your user account username is displayed here.

Clicking the drop-down arrow next to your account username will display various action steps.

Manage Subscription: Discover all your product plans and consumption details. Learn more here.

Your API Key: Get your API key to access our servers. Learn more here.

Change Password: Click this button if you forget or need to update password.

API Documentation: Maximise the use of Solcast API with the detailed documentation here.

Contact Support: If you need any support, click on this tab or the sticky chat icon on the page. Our support team will get back to you as soon as possible.

You can also find helpful articles at the bottom.

Retrieve historical solar data with Solcast Historical and TMY plans

If you need a solar irradiance data from 2007 to 7 days ago, you can access it from the Historical and TMY tab in your toolkit account.

In your dashboard, you can do two actions: First, create Time Series requests based on your required data, and second, view all your data requests.

Learn more about Solcast’s Historical and TMY data here.

Create a request for Time Series solar data

Time Series data is a historical record of solar radiation data, from 2007 to 7 days ago. There are 20+ weather parameters available for a specified location.

In your toolkit account, you add up to 20 locations at a time and have up to 15 requests each for Historic Radiation and Weather and Rooftop PV power. The number of your data requests will depend on the information such as time duration, file format, location or time granularity. To learn how to calculate the number of request needed based on your required data, read it [here: Article to be rewritten - combining TMY API Request + Time Series API request)

Time Series Request Form

Step 1: Select ‘Historical and TMY’ data product on your account header.

Step 2: Click ‘Create a New Time Series Request’ and it will redirect you to the Time Series Request form.

Step 3: Add your location(s) either on the ‘Map’ or ‘Upload CSV’ tab.

On the ‘Map’ tab, you can add in your location by searching or entering latitude/longitude fields. Then, click ‘Add location’ button.

On the ‘Upload CSV’ tab, you have the option to upload your own CSV file. Make sure that each location includes latitude/longitude details.

Scroll down the page to review your location(s). You can delete any of your selected locations when needed.

Step 4: Set up your output file specifications. Solcast Commercial Toolkit offers different options to ensure that it meets your required data.

Request Type: Choose between Radiation and Weather and Rooftop PV Power. Advanced PV power is not available for Time Series data.

Time Granularity: Get data based on required time interval.

Parameters: Choose from Solcast’s 20+ weather parameters depending on your selected request type. Find the detailed list and description in our API documentation.

Date Period: Access data anytime from 2007 to 7 days ago only.

Timezone: Determine the UTC offset added to the date time returned in the dataset. Learn more about it [here: to be linked out to UTC KB article]

Step 5: At the bottom of the form, click ‘Download data now’ to retrieve your file. You can also track your request allowances here.

Create a request for TMY solar data

A TMY (Typical Meteorogical Year) is a collation of historical weather data derived from a multi-year time series selected to present the unique weather phenomena with annual averages that are consistent with long term averages. Within your account, you request data for up to 20 locations at a time. To know more about calculating the number of requests, read this [article: Article to be rewritten - combining TMY API Request + Time Series API request].

If you need data on TMY P50, TMYx Radiation and Weather, and TMYx Rooftop PV power, reach out to our Solar Data Managers to make a request.

TMY Request Form

Step 1: Select ‘Historical and TMY’ data product on your account header.

Step 2: Click ‘Create a New TMY Request’ and it will redirect you to the TMY Request form.

Step 3: Add your location(s) either on the ‘Map’ or ‘Upload CSV’ tab.

On the ‘Map’ tab, you can add in your location by searching or entering latitude/longitude fields. Then, click ‘Add location’ button.

On the ‘Upload CSV’ tab, you have the option to upload your own CSV file. Make sure that each location includes latitude/longitude details.

Step 4: Select your output file specifications. Solcast Commercial toolkit offers different options to ensure that it meets your required data.

Request Type: Pick between Radiation and Weather and Rooftop PV Power. Advanced PV power is not available for TMY data.

Format: For the Radiation and Weather request, you can choose from multiple file formats. However, for your Rooftop PV Power request, CSV and JSON formats are available.

Time Granularity: Retrieve data based on the specified time interval.

Probability: Choose from Solcast’s confidence interval. Read about it [here: can we link it to Probabilistic Forecasting Fields?]

Timezone Picker: Determine the UTC offset added to the date time returned in the dataset. Learn more about it [here: to be linked out to UTC KB article]

Step 5: Adjust the weights of your location’s GHI/DHI using the sliders. You can manually do it or choose from the two buttons above the sliders.

The ‘Set to fixed default’ is the default value for fixed solar panel setups, such as those placed on residential rooftops, while ‘Set to single-axis default’ is the default value for adjustable/moveable solar panels.

Step 6: Choose your output parameters. You can find the detailed parameters in our API documentation.

Step 7: Scroll down below the output parameters to view and edit your locations.

For Radiation and Weather request type, you can view or delete your locations.

For Rooftop PV power request type, you can view, edit, or delete your locations.

To get default values, choose between the two buttons, ‘Optimise for horizontal single axis’ or ‘Optimise for fixed’, based on your solar panel set up.

Below the Actions column, you can click on the edit icon to make changes on your values, Capacity, Tilt, Azimuth, and Efficiency factor. Click on the hyperlinks to read more about these values.

Step 8: At the bottom of the form, click ‘Download data now’ to retrieve your file. You can also track your request allowances here.

Want to upgrade your Historic and TMY plan with additional information and requests? Solcast can do it for you! Reach out to sales@solcast.com.

View your Time Series and TMY solar data requests

You can still access historical solar data requests within your toolkit account. To find a specific request, enter the Batch Id or Request Id in the search bar. From your list of requests, select the desired one and click the 'View Downloads' button. This will take you to a page displaying details about your request, including parameters, probability, granularity, and locations.

For a more detailed steps, you can read about it here.

Now that you have the Solcast historical Time Series and TMY data you need, it’s time to import the data in your PVsyst. Check this [step-by-step guide: LINK to PVsyst article to be written] to help you out.

Access live and forecast solar data

Accurate real-time and forecast irradiance data are crucial in operating and analysing solar assets, grids and markets. If this is the data you require, you can retrieve it from the Live and Forecast tab in your account.

Learn more about Solcast’s Live and Forecast data here.

Create a request for live and forecast data

With your toolkit account, you can access data spanning from 7 days ago to +14 days ahead, at a granularity of 5-60 minutes. There are 20+ weather parameters available for any of your specified location.

You are allowed to create up to 10 requests each for Live Radiation and Weather, Live Rooftop PV Power, Forecast Radiation and Weather, and Forecast Rooftop PV power. One API request is equivalent to one location, one file format, and one time granularity.

The Live and Forecast tab has a single dashboard where you can request data. There are three request types that will require different information from you. Before we discuss this one by one, make sure that you select your time coverage before proceeding to your request.

Now, onto the request types.

Request Type: Radiation and Weather

Step 1: Click ‘Radiation and Weather’ button from the request type options.

Step 2: Enter your location(s) of interest or select from Solcast’s unmetered location.

Step 3: Choose your output parameters. You can find the detailed parameters in our API documentation.

Step 4: Set up your file specifications. Choose your required time granularity and file format.

Step 5: Retrieve your data via two ways. One is by clicking ‘Copy API endpoint URL’ to copy the link, while the other is clicking ‘ Download data now’ to directly get the copy of your data.

Request Type: Rooftop PV Power

Step 1: Click ‘Rooftop PV Power’ from the request type options.

Step 2: Enter your location(s) of interest or select from Solcast’s unmetered location. If you’re adding your own location, provide details such as capacity (kW), tilt, azimuth, install date, and efficiency factor.

Read more about tilt and azimuth, and learn how you can calculate your efficiency factor here.

Step 3: Choose your output parameters. You can find the detailed parameters in our API documentation.

Step 4: Set up your file specifications. Choose your required time granularity and file format.

Step 5: Retrieve your data via two ways. One is by clicking ‘Copy API endpoint URL’ to copy the link, while the other is clicking ‘ Download data now’ to directly get the copy of your data.

Request Type: Advanced PV power

Step 1: Click the ‘Advanced PV Power’ from the request type options.

Step 2: Select your location. You can access Solcast’s unmetered locations without it being counted towards your number of requests.

You can also add up to 1 advanced PV location by clicking ‘+Add a new Advanced PV location’. Once clicked, enter the required details. Then, click ‘Create Advanced PV location’ to complete the set up.

Step 3: Once you’ve selected a test site from the list of locations, it will display a summary of the selected location. Click ‘View details’ to see the Live and Forecasts graph.

Once the ‘View details’ button is clicked, you will be redirected to a new displaying the full details. You can explore the data duration by choosing 7 days or 2 days at the upper right corner of the graph.

On the right panel, click ‘More’ to display additional location details, such as module & inverter details and terrain & dust losses.

Step 4: Choose your output parameters. You can find the detailed parameters in our API documentation.

Step 5: Set up your file specifications. Choose your required time granularity and file format.

Step 6: Retrieve your data via two ways. One is by clicking ‘Copy API endpoint URL’ to copy the link, while the other is clicking ‘ Download data now’ to directly get the copy of your data.

Need additional Live and Forecast information and data requests? Talk to one of our Solar Data Managers and we’ll look into this request.

You’re ready to use the Solcast Commercial toolkit!

If you have more questions about your commercial toolkit, contact Solcast’s support team within your toolkit account or email us at sales@solcast.com.

• Using Solcast Commercial Toolkit
• Getting started with Solcast Commercial Toolkit
• A walk-through of your Solcast account
• Retrieve historical solar data with Solcast Historical and TMY plans
• Create a request for Time Series solar data
• Time Series Request Form
• Create a request for TMY solar data
• TMY Request Form
• View your Time Series and TMY solar data requests
• Access live and forecast solar data
• Create a request for live and forecast data
• Request Type: Radiation and Weather
• Request Type: Rooftop PV Power
• Request Type: Advanced PV power
• You’re ready to use the Solcast Commercial toolkit!