Modeling Solar Radiation at the Earth’s Surface

Solar Radiation Measurement: Progress in Radiometry for Improved Modeling

Christian A. Gueymard and Daryl R. Myers

1 Introduction

This chapter is designed to be a concise introduction to modern solar radiometry and how solar radiation measurements can be properly used for optimal solar radi­ation model development and validation. We discuss solar radiation fundamentals, components of solar radiation in the atmosphere, instrumentation used to measure these components, and accuracy of these measurements depending upon instrumen­tation performance, reference scale, calibration techniques, and quality control. The sources of measurement error are explained in detail, and a comprehensive assess­ment of the recent advances in radiometry is presented. Existing measurement net­works and data sources are described. Various data quality assessment methods are also discussed. The concepts presented here can be successfully applied toward a more informed use of solar radiation data in a large range of applications.