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Topographic Solar Radiation Modeling for Environmental Applications

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Solar Energy

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Definition of the Subject

Solar radiation exhibits strong spatial and temporal variations influenced by many factors. For example, basic patterns of seasonal and daily variations given by astronomic factors are modified by actual atmospheric conditions influencing absorption, scattering, and solar radiation spectrum. Such data offer some basic information about the available solar radiation. However, patterns at regional and local scales may significantly deviate from these general trends. Large land surface features may cause strong local radiation gradients, thus inducing specific microclimate and hydrological conditions. Consequently, in mountainous regions, topography plays a critical role in the spatial distribution of solar radiation incident on the surface.

Currently available solar radiation databases derived from ground or satellite measurements contain data with an insufficient level of detail that in most cases do not represent adequately the spatial variability in solar...

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Abbreviations

Geographic information system (GIS):

Any information system that is used to collect, store, process, and present geographic information. In a narrow sense it means a specific application software dealing with geographic information. In a broader sense, it includes software, hardware, data, and people.

Digital elevation model (DEM):

A digital representation of the land surface expressing a spatial distribution of elevations. It can be represented by a raster or vector data model.

Topography:

A study of Earth’s surface geometry. It is also known as geomorphometry, a science of quantitative land surface analysis. The land surface (relief, terrain) is characterized by a set of morphometric parameters including slope, aspect, curvatures, and other more complex parameters.

Solar radiation database:

A set of digital maps representing a spatial and temporal distribution of solar radiation and related meteorological data over a specific region.

Clear-sky radiation:

Solar radiation under clear-sky atmospheric conditions. The extraterrestrial solar radiation is attenuated only by air mass with atmospheric gases and aerosols.

Real-sky radiation:

Solar radiation under real-sky conditions, that is, including the cloudiness.

Linke turbidity factor:

A measure of solar beam radiation attenuation caused by water vapor and aerosol particles in the atmosphere.

Raster:

A GIS data model representing geographic phenomena as arrays of cells that store attribute values.

Viewshed:

A graph showing the angular distribution of sky visibility and obstruction at the location. It is calculated from a DEM by searching in a specified set of directions around the location.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic under Grant VEGA 1/0355/09.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography and Regional Development, University of Presov, Ul. 17. novembra 1, 081 16, Presov, Slovakia

    Hofierka Jaroslav (Faculty of Humanities and Natural Sciences)

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  1. Hofierka Jaroslav
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Correspondence to Hofierka Jaroslav .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Plataforma Solar de Almeria Institute of Solar Research DLR – German Aerospace Centre, Cologne, Germany

    Christoph Richter

  2. Institute of Research and Development of Photovoltaic Energy, Chatou Cedex, France

    Daniel Lincot

  3. Solar Consulting Services, Colebrook, NH, USA

    Christian A. Gueymard

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Jaroslav, H. (2013). Topographic Solar Radiation Modeling for Environmental Applications. In: Richter, C., Lincot, D., Gueymard, C.A. (eds) Solar Energy. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5806-7_452

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