Beam Horizontal Irradiance (BHI – Mean Irradiance)
Interactive map with scientific data analysis, point lookup, and detailed environmental information
Map Information
Description: Direct beam solar radiation received on a horizontal surface. This excludes diffuse radiation and represents only the direct component of sunlight. Important Note: This is not Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI).
Data Legend
Location Analysis
Technical Specifications
Beam Horizontal Irradiance (BHI) – Mean Surface Direct Solar Radiation
Global | ~1 km Resolution | 2020–2024
Short Description
This dataset represents the spatial distribution of mean direct beam solar radiation incident on a horizontal surface. Beam Horizontal Irradiance (BHI) quantifies the portion of solar radiation reaching the surface without atmospheric scattering.
Technical Specification
The dataset is derived from ERA5 surface direct solar radiation fields and represents mean beam horizontal irradiance for the period 2020–2024.
ERA5 hourly radiation data were aggregated across the 2020–2024 period to produce a multi-year climatological mean expressed as radiative flux.
This dataset is developed by AtmosphericIQ LLC and processed for distribution and deployment by Engineering Director, Inc.
Note: This dataset is not equivalent to Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI).
Key Characteristics
- Units: watts per square meter (W/m²)
- Represents mean direct beam solar radiation on a horizontal surface
- Derived from ERA5 direct radiation fields
- Represents climatological mean conditions for 2020–2024
Spatial Characteristics
- Coordinate System: GCS_WGS_1984
- Native Resolution: ~0.25°
- Resampled Resolution: ~1 km (30 arc-second)
- Coverage: Global (±85.0511° for web compatibility)
Role in SSI™ Model
Beam Horizontal Irradiance (BHI) is one of several radiative variables incorporated into the Solar Suitability Index (SSI™) model developed by AtmosphericIQ LLC.
As a measure of direct beam solar energy reaching the surface, BHI contributes to the radiative component of the SSI™ scoring framework.
This dataset is provided as a supporting climatic input layer and does not independently represent solar suitability.
Applications
- Solar resource assessment
- Climatological and environmental analysis
- Geospatial screening workflows
- Supporting solar suitability modeling
Data Source
Derived from Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) ERA5 reanalysis data, with processing including temporal aggregation (2020–2024), spatial resampling to ~1 km resolution, and web-compatible clipping.
Related SSI™ Dataset
This dataset is a supporting climatic input to the Solar Suitability Index (SSI™), a global multi-parameter model developed by AtmosphericIQ LLC.
For the full solar suitability model and derived classification datasets, see:
Global Solar Suitability Index (SSI™) – Continuous Score (1–100)
Data Access & API Services
This dataset is available through Engineering Director, Inc. platforms:
www.engineeringdirector.com
Use beyond visualization, including API access, automated queries, or integration, is subject to the Engineering Director API Terms of Service.
Legal & Licensing
© 2026 AtmosphericIQ LLC and Engineering Director, Inc. All rights reserved.
This dataset is provided for informational and analytical use only and is supplied "as is" without warranty of any kind. Users assume all risk associated with its use.
Data Distribution Analysis
These histograms show the distribution of pixel values across the entire raster dataset, helping you understand the range and frequency of different measurements.