On the clear sky model of the ESRA — European Solar Radiation Atlas — with respect to the heliosat method

Abstract

This paper presents a clear-sky model, which has been developed in the framework of the new digital European Solar Radiation Atlas (ESRA). This ESRA model is described and analysed with the main objective of being used to estimate solar radiation at ground level from satellite images with the Heliosat method. Therefore it is compared to clear-sky models that have already been used in the Heliosat method. The diffuse clear-sky irradiation estimated by this ESRA model and by other models has been also checked against ground measurements, for different ranges of the Linke turbidity factor and solar elevation. The results show that the ESRA model is the best one with respect to robustness and accuracy. The r.m.s. error in the estimation of the hourly diffuse irradiation ranges from 11 Wh.m-2 to 35 Wh.m-2 for diffuse irradiation up to 250 Wh.m-2. The good results obtained with such a model are due to the fact that it takes into account the Linke turbidity factor and the elevation of the site, two factors that influence the incoming solar radiation. In return, it implies the knowledge of these factors at each pixel of the satellite image for the application of the Heliosat method.

Using reduced data sets ISCCP-B2 from the Meteosat satellites to assess surface solar irradiance

“…RLW discuss the choice of the ESRA model (Rigollier et al, 2000). The inputs to this model are the solar zenithal angle θ S , the elevation of the site and the …”

OSIrIS: a physically based simulation tool to improve training in thermal infrared remote sensing over urban areas at high spatial resolution

“…In OSIrIS, we exploit the well known simulator MODTRAN to predict spectral solar incident flux and the direct and diffuse components, in combination with the ESRA analytical model (Rigollier et al, 2000). The atmospheric flux is simulated using the model of Berger (1988).…”

“…In OSIrIS as in SPIRou, each of these contributions is modelled with the parameterisations of, respectively Rigollier et al (2000), Swinbank (1963) and Olseth et al (1994). For the sake of space, we do not reproduce the equations of these models.…”

A non-parametric method for correction of global radiation observations

“…With the statistical clear-sky model the sensor output level under clear-sky conditions is modeled directly from the observations. This is compared to solar radiation calculated with a clear-sky model based on physical modeling of the optical effects through the atmosphere, such as the models described by Davies and McKay (1982), Bird (1984), Rigollier et al (2000), Mueller et al (2004), andIneichen (2006). In the preset study forecasts from a numerical weather prediction (NWP) model is used.…”