The Global Solar Atlas is the standard pre-feasibility tool for solar energy development worldwide. Developed by the World Bank Group and produced by Solargis, it maps solar irradiation and photovoltaic power potential for every location on Earth based on over two decades of satellite observations.
For GIS analysts working in renewable energy, the atlas provides the spatial layer that answers the first question in any solar project: how much energy can a system realistically produce here? The PVOUT metric — estimated annual electricity per installed kilowatt-peak, adjusted for panel tilt, temperature, and system losses — lets you compare sites across countries without running detailed engineering simulations.
The atlas sits at a specific point in the solar development workflow: it's designed for screening and comparison, not bankable investment analysis. If you need to narrow thousands of potential sites down to a shortlist, the Global Solar Atlas gives you the spatial resolution and parameter coverage to do that efficiently.
It pairs naturally with the Global Wind Atlas (also World Bank-funded, same resolution) for hybrid renewable assessments, and with land cover, terrain, and infrastructure layers for identifying sites that combine strong solar resource with practical buildability. For the detailed site-specific analysis that investors and lenders require, the data points toward Solargis's commercial products — but for spatial planning, policy development, and early-stage prospecting, the free atlas covers what most projects need.
