A clear sky irradiation assessment using the European Solar Radiation Atlas model and Shuttle Radar Topography Mission database: A case study for Romanian territory

Abstract

The objectives of this paper are to develop a software application that allows to establish the clear-sky solar radiation on horizontal surface considering the shading effect of complex topography of terrain and to employ it in order to assess the amount of clear-sky irradiation over Romanian territory. In order to achieve the first objective, a clear sky solar radiation model developed in accordance with the latest mathematical equations published in European Solar Radiation Atlas has been adopted and implemented together with a digital elevation model developed based on the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission database. In order to achieve the second objective, based on a digital elevation model of the Romanian territory, the monthly average daily clear-sky irradiation over whole territory has been established. The estimates have been validated using the solar radiation values from other two well known databases, the relative errors shown that the irradiance values have a good accuracy. The software application has been involved in order to build and analyze the maps of monthly average of daily irradiation, in the assumption of the clear-sky conditions and in horizontal surface, over whole Romanian territory.

Preface to Special Issue: Renewable Energy in South-Eastern Europe

“…1. It considers the shading effect of complex topography of the terrain and employs it to assess the amount of clear-sky irradiation over Romanian territory.…”