Prediction of Solar Radiation in Areas with a Specific Microclimate

One of the main objectives of the European Community Programme on Solar Energy is to provide solar energy practitioners -- architects and engineers who design and implement both active and passive solar energy systems, including biomass and daylighting systems -- with well documented meteorological and climatological data so that they can estimate the solar radiation falling on a receiving surface for any location and at any time throughout the year.
As a complement to its other landmark contributions in providing firm data to the solar energy community, the CEC launched a new, 36-month-long programme on 1 April 1986, which was intended to provide a better understanding of the relationship between climatic factors and solar radiation, determine the effect of anthropogenic pollution on the amount of usable solar energy, and establish sound models for the correlation between weather data, pollution, regional orography, coastal influence and the solar radiation pattern.
The current volume presents the results of this research programme, gathered from eight characteristic sites in the EC. The first three chapters deal with the problem in general, present the environmental parameters which influence the radiation climate of a site, and explain the process of modelling microclimate solar radiation for a specific site. Chapter 4 deals with specific methods for evaluating microclimate solar radiation, using both a software package and a pocket calculator. Chapter 5 supplies extensive references.

Inhalt
Part 1 Generalities: Area Presentation. General Principles for Modelling of the Effects of Meteorological Environment on Radiation Climate. Two Alternative Methods for the Prediction of Solar Radiation in Areas with a Specific Microclimate. The Research Concept of the European Solar Microclimates Programme. Scientific Concepts, Symbols and Terminology Used. Part 2 Parameters of the Environment Influencing the Radiation Climate of a Site and their Evaluation: Meteorological Quantities. Anthropogenic Air Pollution Sources. Air Pollution Indexes. Feed-Back Effect of Air Pollution on Solar Radiation and Vice-Versa. Part 3 Modelling of Microclimate Solar Radiation by Adjustment of Environmental Parameters to the Specific Characteristics of the Site: Effect of Air Pollution on Solar Radiation Distribution in Large Urban Areas. Effect of Altitude on Solar Radiation Distribution in Mountainous Regions. Effect of Cloudiness and Weather Type on the Distribution of Sunshine Duration and Global Irradiation in Coastal Regions. Effect of the Origin and the Direction of Circulation of Air and Wind Conditions on Local Climates and Air Pollution Dilution in Large River Valleys. Effect of Sky Radiances and Angular Distribution of Clouds in the Sky on the Diffuse Component of Solar Global Radiation. Part 4 Evaluation of Microclimate Solar Radiation in Specific Areas: A Simple Empirical Method, J. Jimenez, et al. HELIOS Modelling Programme, A. Koussis, D.P. Lalas, C. Papdopoulos. Simplified Pocket Calculator Method, R. Dogniaux.