The State University of New York/Albany satellite radiation model was developed by Richard Perez and collaborators at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and other universities for the U.S. Department of Energy. Specific information about this model can be found in Perez, et al. (2002). This model uses hourly radiance images from geostationary weather satellites, daily snow cover data, and monthly averages of atmospheric water vapor, trace gases, and the amount of aerosols in the atmosphere to calculate the hourly total insolation (sun and sky) falling on a horizontal surface. Atmospheric water vapor, trace gases, and aerosols are derived from a variety of sources. The procedures for converting the collector at latitude tilt are described in Marion and Wilcox (1994).
These maps were developed from the Climatological Solar Radiation (CSR) Model. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy developed the CSR model. Specific information about this model can be found in Maxwell, George, and Wilcox (1998) and George and Maxwell (1999). This model uses information on cloud cover, atmospheric water vapor and trace gases, and the amount of aerosols in the atmosphere, to calculate the monthly average daily total insolation (sun and sky) falling on a horizontal surface. The cloud cover data used as input to the CSR model are an 8-year histogram (1985 - 1992) of monthly average cloud fraction provided for grid cells of approximately 40km x 40km in size. Thus, the spatial resolution of the CSR model output is defined by this database. The data were obtained from the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, North Carolina, and were developed from the U.S. Air Force Real Time Nephanalysis (RTNEPH) program. Atmospheric water vapor, trace gases, and aerosols are derived from a variety of sources, as summarized in the references. The procedures for converting the modeled global horizontal insolation into the insolation received by a flat plate collector at latitude tilt are described in Marion and Wilcox (1994).
Where possible, existing ground measurement stations are used to validate the data. However, there is uncertainty associated with the meterological input to the model, because some of the input parameters are not available at a 10km or 40km resolution. As a result, the modeled values are estimated to be accurate to approximately 10% of a true measured value within the grid cell. Due to terrain effects and other micoclimate influences, the local cloud cover can vary significantly even within a single grid cell. The uncertainty of the modeled estimates also increases with distance from reliable measurement sources and with the complexity of the terrain.
These maps provide monthly average daily total solar resource information on grid cells of approximately 40 km by 40 km in size. The insolation values represent the resource available to a flat plate collector, such as a photovoltaic panel, oriented due south at an angle from horizontal equal to the latitude of the collector location. This is typical practice for PV system installation, although other orientations are also used.
These maps were developed from the Climatological Solar Radiation (CSR) Model. The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory developed the CSR model. Specific information about this model can be found in Maxwell, George, and Wilcox (1998) and George and Maxwell (1999). This model uses information on cloud cover, atmospheric water vapor and trace gases, and the amount of aerosols in the atmosphere, to calculate the monthly average daily total insolation (sun and sky) falling on a horizontal surface. The cloud cover data used as input to the CSR model are an 8-year histogram (1985 - 1992) of monthly average cloud fraction provided for grid cells of approximately 40 km x 40 km in size. Thus, the spatial resolution of the CSR model output is defined by this database. The data were obtained from the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, North Carolina, and were developed from the U.S. Air Force Real Time Nephanalysis (RTNEPH) program. Atmospheric water vapor, trace gases, and aerosols are derived from a variety of sources, as summarized in the references. The procedures for converting the modeled global horizontal insolation into the insolation received by a flat plate collector at latitude tilt are described in Marion and Wilcox (1994).
Where possible, existing ground measurement stations are used to validate the model. Nevertheless, there is uncertainty associated with the meteorological input to the model, since some of the input parameters are not available at a 40 km resolution. As a result, it is believed that the modeled values are accurate to approximately 10% of a true measured value within the grid cell. Due to terrain effects and other microclimate influences, the local cloud cover can vary significantly even within a single grid cell. Furthermore, the uncertainty of the modeled estimates increases with distance from reliable measurement sources and with the complexity of the terrain.
These maps provide monthly average daily total solar resource information on grid cells of approximately 40 km by 40 km in size. The insolation values represent the resource available to concentrating systems that track the sun throughout the day. Such systems include concentrating solar power stations such as trough collectors or dishes. The values are also useful for assessing the resource available to solar hot water systems.
These maps were developed from the Climatological Solar Radiation (CSR) Model. The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory developed the CSR model. Specific information about this model can be found in Maxwell, George, and Wilcox (1998) and George and Maxwell (1999). This model uses information on cloud cover, atmospheric water vapor and trace gases, and the amount of aerosols in the atmosphere, to calculate the monthly average daily total insolation (sun and sky) falling on a horizontal surface. The cloud cover data used as input to the CSR model are an 8-year histogram (1985 - 1992) of monthly average cloud fraction provided for grid cells of approximately 40 km x 40 km in size. Thus, the spatial resolution of the CSR model output is defined by this database. The data were obtained from the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, North Carolina, and were developed from the U.S. Air Force Real Time Nephanalysis (RTNEPH) program. Atmospheric water vapor, trace gases, and aerosols are derived from a variety of sources, as summarized in the references.
Where possible, existing ground measurement stations are used to validate the model. Nevertheless, there is uncertainty associated with the meteorological input to the model, since some of the input parameters are not available at a 40 km resolution. As a result, it is believed that the modeled values are accurate to approximately 10% of a true measured value within the grid cell. Due to terrain effects and other microclimate influences, the local cloud cover can vary significantly even within a single grid cell. Furthermore, the uncertainty of the modeled estimates increases with distance from reliable measurement sources and with the complexity of the terrain. Concentrating solar collectors are much more sensitive to solar resource characteristics than flat plate collectors, so these sources of uncertainty are more important to concentrator applications.