SAM's performance models (except the custom generation profile model) use data from a weather file to represent the renewable resource and ambient weather conditions that affect the system's performance.

For details about weather data in SAM see:

•Folders and Libraries

•Weather Data Elements

•Typical Year and Single Year Data

•Time and Sun Position

•Weather Data and LK

For a description of SAM's weather file formats:

•Weather File Formats

For instructions to download or use your own weather files see:

•Photovoltaic systems: Location and Resource

•Concentrating solar power systems: Location and Resource

•Wind power: Wind Resource

•Biopower: Ambient Conditions

•Geothermal power: Ambient Conditions

Notes.
 
For more information about using weather data in SAM including links to online data sources and documents, see the Weather Data page on the SAM website.
 
For a good discussion of weather data for solar energy modeling, see Sengupta et al., (2017) "Best Practices Handbook for the Collection and Use of Solar Resource Data for Solar Energy Applications: Second Edition" available to download from the Weather Data Publications page on the SAM website.