Estimation of solar resource map at Galicia by using self-learning techniques
Alberto Pettazzi, Jose Antonio Souto Gonzalez*
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lope Gomez de Marzoa St.,
Campus Sur. 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Corresponding author, ja. souto@usc. es
Abstract
A basic target of the Renewable Energies and Energetic Sustainability MSc Degree organized by the University of Santiago de Compostela is to provide to the students an adequate knowledge about the estimation of solar resource. Students of this MSc in 2007-08 academic year were involved in analysing and processing solar radiation measurements provided by the Galician weather stations network (www. meteogalicia. es). By the combination of their results, a solar resource map may be obtained and, in addition, it will be compared to other solar resource estimations at Galicia.
Apart from the good results of this work in terms of self-learning teaching, comparison of solar irradiation distribution to other results obtained processing satellite data shows the necessity to consider local effects in the estimation of the solar resource at this region. Keywords: self-learning, solar resource, ground-satellite comparison
The development of technologies for renewable energies is a priority target in the policy from different fields. To reach this goal, the education on these issues is of primary importance.
A basic target of the Renewable Energies and Energetic Sustainability MSc Degree organized by the University of Santiago de Compostela is to provide the students an adequate knowledge about the estimation of solar resource.
Several works dealing with solar climatology may be found; solar radiation atlases are obtained by different techniques, as satellite measurements ([1], [2], [3]), ground measurements ([4], [5]) or combining ground data with radiative transfer models [6]. In Galicia (NW Spain), Vazquez et al. [7] elaborated a solar radiation atlas using Meteosat-6 satellite measurements [8] over the years 2002-2004. In this work, atlas data were compared against two pyranometers located in Vigo and A Coruna (see Fig. 1).
Following the methodology used by Pettazzi et al. [9], 34 students of the Solar Radiation subject of the MSc above mentioned during 2007-08 academic year were involved in analysing and processing solar radiation measurements provided by the Galician weather stations network [10], from September 2006 to August 2007. The task committed to the students included annual and seasonal analysis of the following parameters: global irradiation, sunshine hours and clearness index, KT. Additional analysis of other climatologically relevant parameters - temperature, relative humidity and precipitations - was also undertaken.
By the combination of their results, solar resource maps have been obtained and, in addition, were compared to results achieved by Vazquez et al. [7].
