PV Module Standoff and T98 Safety Maps for the United States (IEC 61730, 70 & 80 Celsius)
This dataset provides high-resolution maps of modeled photovoltaic (PV) module standoff distance and associated thermal conditions across the United States for two thermal design scenarios (T98 = 70 degrees C and 80 degrees C), representing distinct module temperature limits used in PV system design. The data are derived from National Solar Radiation Database (NSRDB) weather inputs and processed using the PVDeG (Photovoltaic Degradation) modeling framework.
Each scenario is provided as a separate NetCDF file and represents a distinct module temperature constraint used in system design and reliability assessments.
For each scenario, the dataset contains:
* Standoff distance (x, cm): required to achieve the specified T98 thermal threshold
* T98_inf (degree C): 98th percentile module temperature for a theoretical rack-mounted configuration with infinite standoff
* T98_0 (degree C): 98th percentile module temperature for a no-standoff configuration
All variables are provided on a ~4 km spatial grid (904 - 2424 points), covering the continental United States and surrounding regions.
The T98 metric represents the 98th percentile of modeled module operating temperature and is commonly used to evaluate thermal stress and inform design considerations related to safety standards such as IEC 61730.
These data enable spatially resolved analysis of module thermal behavior, support optimization of mounting configurations (e.g., standoff distance and airflow), and provide insight into geographically varying thermal design constraints relevant to PV system reliability and safety.
Resources
3 resources available
-
PV Degradation Tools - Module Standoff Calculation
IPYNB -
Standoff USA 70C.nc
NC -
Standoff USA 80C.nc
NC
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Complete Metadata
| @type | dcat:Dataset |
|---|---|
| accessLevel | public |
| bureauCode |
[ "019:20" ] |
| contactPoint |
{ "fn": "Silvana Ovaitt", "@type": "vcard:Contact", "hasEmail": "mailto:silvana.ovaitt@nlr.gov" } |
| dataQuality |
true
|
| description | This dataset provides high-resolution maps of modeled photovoltaic (PV) module standoff distance and associated thermal conditions across the United States for two thermal design scenarios (T98 = 70 degrees C and 80 degrees C), representing distinct module temperature limits used in PV system design. The data are derived from National Solar Radiation Database (NSRDB) weather inputs and processed using the PVDeG (Photovoltaic Degradation) modeling framework. Each scenario is provided as a separate NetCDF file and represents a distinct module temperature constraint used in system design and reliability assessments. For each scenario, the dataset contains: * Standoff distance (x, cm): required to achieve the specified T98 thermal threshold * T98_inf (degree C): 98th percentile module temperature for a theoretical rack-mounted configuration with infinite standoff * T98_0 (degree C): 98th percentile module temperature for a no-standoff configuration All variables are provided on a ~4 km spatial grid (904 - 2424 points), covering the continental United States and surrounding regions. The T98 metric represents the 98th percentile of modeled module operating temperature and is commonly used to evaluate thermal stress and inform design considerations related to safety standards such as IEC 61730. These data enable spatially resolved analysis of module thermal behavior, support optimization of mounting configurations (e.g., standoff distance and airflow), and provide insight into geographically varying thermal design constraints relevant to PV system reliability and safety. |
| distribution |
[ { "@type": "dcat:Distribution", "title": "PV Degradation Tools - Module Standoff Calculation", "format": "ipynb", "accessURL": "https://github.com/NatLabRockies/PVDegradationTools/blob/main/tutorials/tools/Tools%20-%20Module%20Standoff%20for%20IEC%20TS%2063126.ipynb", "mediaType": "application/octet-stream", "description": "Jupyter notebook demonstrating the PVDeG-based workflow to calculate module temperature (T98) and required standoff distance for a single site using NSRDB data." }, { "@type": "dcat:Distribution", "title": "Standoff USA 70C.nc", "format": "nc", "mediaType": "application/octet-stream", "description": "NetCDF file containing modeled PV module standoff distance and thermal metrics across the United States for a T98 threshold of 70 degrees C, including standoff distance (x), T98_inf, and T98_0 on a ~4 km grid.", "downloadURL": "https://data.openei.org/files/8659/Standoff_USA_70C.nc" }, { "@type": "dcat:Distribution", "title": "Standoff USA 80C.nc", "format": "nc", "mediaType": "application/octet-stream", "description": "NetCDF file containing modeled PV module standoff distance and thermal metrics across the United States for a T98 threshold of 80 degress C, including standoff distance (x), T98_inf, and T98_0 on a ~4 km grid.", "downloadURL": "https://data.openei.org/files/8659/Standoff_USA_80C.nc" } ] |
| identifier | https://data.openei.org/submissions/8659 |
| issued | 2026-04-13T06:00:00Z |
| keyword |
[ "IEC 61730", "NetCDF", "PV", "PVDeG", "T98", "United States", "analysis", "data", "energy", "high resolution", "installation", "module temperature limit", "mounting configuration", "photovoltaic", "power", "processed data", "residential", "solar", "standard", "standoff distance", "thermal behaviour", "thermal conditions" ] |
| landingPage | https://data.openei.org/submissions/8659 |
| license | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
| modified | 2026-04-23T20:14:46Z |
| programCode |
[ "019:008", "019:009" ] |
| projectNumber |
"38259"
|
| projectTitle | Durable Module Materials Consortium 2 (DuraMAT 2) |
| publisher |
{ "name": "National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR)", "@type": "org:Organization" } |
| spatial |
"{"type":"Polygon","coordinates":[[[-125.8029625,24.58730000000001],[-66.8833625,24.58730000000001],[-66.8833625,49.263700000000014],[-125.8029625,49.263700000000014],[-125.8029625,24.58730000000001]]]}"
|
| title | PV Module Standoff and T98 Safety Maps for the United States (IEC 61730, 70 & 80 Celsius) |
