EuroWire, GENEVA: The World Meteorological Organization has issued new technical guidance aimed at helping governments map national renewable energy resources using consistent, high-resolution methods. The implementation guidelines focus on national renewable energy atlases for wind, solar and hydropower, and are designed for National Meteorological and Hydrological Services working alongside energy ministries and other stakeholders, the UN agency said.
WMO said the guidance responds to a gap identified through its 2022 to 2023 global energy survey, which found many countries lack the high-resolution data needed for effective energy planning. WMO set a target for all its Members to have high-resolution national renewable energy atlases by 2030. The agency said the work supports international objectives to triple global renewable capacity and double energy efficiency by 2030 and aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 7 on affordable and reliable modern energy.
The guidelines combine multiple streams of climate and weather information to produce what WMO described as decision-ready outputs for planning. WMO said the framework integrates reanalysis datasets, ground-based observations, satellite products and future climate projections, and applies data-driven techniques including AI-based statistical downscaling. A core feature is a focus on high spatial resolution of 4 kilometers or less to improve local and regional assessment.
Guidelines for high-resolution renewable mapping
WMO said the document lays out practical steps for building national atlases that can be maintained and updated over time. It includes guidance on data acquisition and preprocessing, statistical downscaling methods, integration of local observational data, use of climate projections from CMIP6, and interpretation of atlas outputs for policy and planning. WMO said the higher-resolution approach is intended to strengthen local and regional planning by enabling more precise assessment of renewable resources across varying terrain and climate conditions.
The agency described the effort as a co-production model that links meteorological services, energy ministries and national stakeholders so the results are both scientifically robust and usable for end users. WMO said it is providing open-access Python code and training materials intended to allow countries to independently maintain and update their atlases. It said the methodology and supporting tools are being made available through the WMO Energy and Meteorology Portal, launched in early 2024 to support weather, water and climate services for the energy sector.
Pilots and tools for national use
WMO said its renewable atlas methodology has already been piloted in several countries, including Croatia, Cuba, Chile, Malawi, the United Republic of Tanzania and Costa Rica. In a first phase that began in January 2024, WMO said four Members received targeted support in developing national atlases in close collaboration with national entities such as energy ministries. The agency said Chile and the Islamic Republic of Iran worked on solar atlases, Malawi on a hydropower atlas, and Costa Rica on a wind atlas.
WMO said the new guidance is intended to help translate meteorological and climate information into consistent national products that can support long-term energy planning and renewable deployment decisions under a changing climate. The agency said the initiative centers on developing and updating national renewable energy atlases for wind, solar and hydropower at high spatial resolution, with an overall goal of equipping all Members by 2030.