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Estimation of daily global solar radiation as a function of routine meteorological data in Mediterranean areas

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Abstract

Solar radiation is the main responsible of many processes of the biophysical environment. Temperature changes, snow melt dynamics, carbon sequestration, evaporation from soils, plants, and open water bodies are explained by the amount of radiation received in a surface. Lack of direct observations and insufficient record length limit the ability to use global solar radiation information for resource use management and planning. Based on the general equation of Bristow and Campbell, we propose a modification that allows us to better represent atmospheric transmissivity as a function of routine meteorological variables and improve estimates of global solar radiation in Mediterranean and semi arid areas. The improved Bristow-Campbell model (IBC) is easy to use in any location where measurements of temperature, precipitation, and relative humidity are available, and present a simple solution that can be used as proxy for relative humidity in case that variable is not been measured.

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Acknowledgments

This work has been supported by FONDECYT grant 1120713. María Lorenzo would like to thank Jose Luis Rodriguez Gil (University of Guelph) for valuable advice and revision of an early version of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro Interdisciplinario de Cambio Global, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile

    Francisco Javier Meza

  2. Departamento de Ecosistemas y Medio Ambiente. Facultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile

    Francisco Javier Meza

  3. Escuela Universitaria de Ingeniería Técnica Agrícola, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (España), Madrid, Spain

    María Lorenzo Yebra

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  1. Francisco Javier Meza
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  2. María Lorenzo Yebra
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Correspondence to Francisco Javier Meza.

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Meza, F.J., Yebra, M.L. Estimation of daily global solar radiation as a function of routine meteorological data in Mediterranean areas. Theor Appl Climatol 125, 479–488 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-015-1519-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-015-1519-6

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