# NREL Solar Resource MCP for AI Agents AI Agent Connect

> NREL Solar Resource lets you pull solar irradiance and NSRDB data into your AI agent. It handles queries for specific coordinates or addresses to get metrics like DNI and GHI, making it a go-to for site assessments and renewable energy research without manual API hunting.

## Overview
- **Category:** data-analytics
- **Price:** Free
- **Endpoint:** https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_vozoJPfyvOpeLBHn6HylTeaw9PYPiArrhRiAuFug/ai-agent-connect
- **Tags:** solar-irradiance, renewable-energy, climate-data, geospatial-data, environmental-science, historical-data

## Description

NREL Solar Resource connects your AI agent to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's solar data. You can now talk to the database directly instead of hunting through documentation and manually hitting endpoints to find out how much sun hits a specific zip code. This connection handles the heavy lifting of querying the National Solar Radiation Database for you. You get back specific irradiance metrics like Direct Normal Irradiance and Global Horizontal Irradiance for any US location. If you're trying to figure out if a piece of land is viable for a solar farm, you can ask for the nearest datasets based on a street address or even a set of coordinates. It's a huge time saver for anyone who needs to pull historical radiation data or identify specific satellite-based models for climate studies. Because Vinkius hosts this connection, you can plug it into your existing workflow and get these data points in plain English. It turns a complex data retrieval process into a simple conversation.

## Tools

### get_solar_resource
The get_solar_resource tool pulls average solar irradiance data for a specific location. This helps you see how much sun hits a site on a typical day.

### query_nsrdb_data
The query_nsrdb_data tool finds the closest datasets in the National Solar Radiation Database. You can search by address, coordinates, or geometry.

## Prompt Examples

**Prompt:** 
```
What's the average solar irradiance for a farm in rural Nevada?
```

**Response:** 
```
I've pulled the solar resource data for the Nevada region. Here are the average metrics:

| Metric | Value |
| :--- | :--- |
| **Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI)** | 6.82 kWh/m²/day |
| **Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI)** | 5.45 kWh/m²/day |

These figures represent the average annual values for that area.
```

**Prompt:** 
```
Can you find the nearest NSRDB dataset for a residential lot in Austin, Texas?
```

**Response:** 
```
I searched the National Solar Radiation Database for Austin, TX. I found the following nearby dataset:

* **Station Location:** 30.2672, -97.7431
* **Data Model:** PSM V3 (Satellite)
* **Coverage:** High-resolution satellite data including 30-minute intervals.

Would you like me to pull the specific irradiance metrics for this location?
```

**Prompt:** 
```
I need solar data for coordinates 34.05, -118.24. What are the metrics?
```

**Response:** 
```
I've retrieved the solar resource data for those coordinates:

* **DNI:** 6.24 kWh/m²/day
* **GHI:** 5.12 kWh/m²/day

This data is pulled directly from the NREL Solar Resource API.
```

## Capabilities

### Get average solar irradiance
Pull DNI and GHI metrics for any specific US location.

### Search NSRDB datasets
Find the closest radiation records using addresses or coordinates.

### Identify satellite datasets
Locate specific station-based models for renewable energy research.

### Assess site potential
Get the data needed to determine if a location is viable for solar.

### Search for radiation data using Well-Known Text (WKT) geometry.
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## Use Cases

### Site Feasibility Study
An analyst asks for the solar potential of a farm in rural Nevada to see if it meets project goals using get_solar_resource.

### Research Data Sourcing
A researcher needs a high-resolution satellite dataset for a specific county and uses query_nsrdb_data to find it.

### Engineering Specs
An engineer needs to know the average GHI for a specific latitude to calculate panel tilt for a new installation.

### Rapid Prototyping
A developer builds a tool that summarizes solar potential for various US cities using get_solar_resource.

## Benefits

- Stop manually searching for datasets by using query_nsrdb_data to find the nearest records instantly.
- Get precise DNI and GHI metrics for site planning using get_solar_resource to improve project accuracy.
- Reduce research time for climate studies by pulling historical radiation data directly into your chat.
- Simplify site feasibility checks for energy analysts by asking for solar potential at any US address.
- Access official government data from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory without managing complex API calls.

## How It Works

The bottom line is you get instant access to official US solar data without writing a single line of code.

1. Subscribe to the NREL Solar Resource MCP on Vinkius.
2. Add your NREL API Key to your client settings.
3. Ask your agent for solar data at a specific location.

## Frequently Asked Questions

**What kind of solar data can I get with the NREL Solar Resource MCP?**
You can get average solar irradiance metrics like Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI) and Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI) for any US location.

**Can I use the NREL Solar Resource MCP to find the best spot for solar panels?**
Yes, it helps you assess solar potential by retrieving data for specific addresses or coordinates, which is perfect for site feasibility studies.

**Does the NREL Solar Resource MCP include historical radiation data?**
It allows you to query the National Solar Radiation Database, which contains historical data for various US regions.

**Is the data from the NREL Solar Resource MCP accurate for research?**
Yes, it pulls directly from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, making it a reliable source for climate and energy studies.

**Can I search for solar data using a street address?**
Yes, the Connector can find the nearest datasets based on a specific address, latitude, longitude, or even a geometry description.

**How does the NREL Solar Resource MCP help energy analysts?**
It speeds up the project assessment phase by providing quick access to solar irradiance metrics without the need for manual data scraping.

**How do I get solar irradiance for a specific coordinate?**
Use the `get_solar_resource` tool by providing the latitude and longitude. The agent will return average DNI, GHI, and Tilt at Latitude data for that location.

**Can I search for solar data using a physical address instead of coordinates?**
Yes! The `query_nsrdb_data` tool allows you to provide an `address` string. The system will locate the nearest NSRDB datasets associated with that address.

**What types of data sources can I filter by in the NSRDB?**
When using `query_nsrdb_data`, you can use the `type` parameter to filter results by 'satellite' or 'station' data sources.