Measured solar irradiance data for resource assessment at four sites in Geba catchment, Tigray, North Ethiopia

Properly recorded solar radiation data are very important in providing accurate information on solar radiation intensity and potential for the application of any solar energy technology. Since such type of data is hardly available in most developing countries like Ethiopia, analysis of temporal and spatial variations of solar radiation is essential for exploring the true potential of a specific area. This scientific data article is, therefore, related to the research work entitled “Temporal and Spatial Solar Resource Variation by Analysis of Measured Irradiance in Geba Catchment, North Ethiopia” (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seta.2021.101110). In this work, we present the solar radiation measurement data collected for five years (from January 2011 to December 2015) from four sites of the Geba catchment (Dera, May Derhu, Hagere Selam, and Mekelle University) located in the Northern part of Ethiopia. Data were measured at ten-minute intervals using Pyranometers mounted on wind masts. The data was used for the analysis of the temporal variation and spatial distribution performed using MS Excel spreadsheet and Inverse Distance Weight (IDW) method of the ArcGIS software, respectively. Accordingly, the data revealed insight on the solar variation and potential of the catchment and is expected to contribute significantly to further decision-making by governmental and non-governmental agencies, investors, consultants, and project developers. It is also expected to help for future research and solar project implementation directions across similar catchments.