Title:	Global Irradiation in North-Western South America – A Comparison of Long-Term Datasets of Average Annual Irradiation Taken from Five Different Data Sources
Author(s):	M. Egler
Keywords:	Simulation, Solar Radiation, Energy Rating
Topic:	PV - A MAJOR ELECTRICITY SOURCE
Subtopic:	PV Business Opportunities
Event:	28th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition
Session:	6CV.5.10
Pages:	4707 - 4711
ISBN:	3-936338-33-7
Paper DOI:	10.4229/28thEUPVSEC2013-6CV.5.10
Price:	0,00 EUR
Document(s):	paper, poster

Abstract/Summary:

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The present paper focuses on long-term average global horizontal irradiation, which is of great importance for assessing the average annual generation of grid-connected and/or stand-alone photovoltaic systems. For this purpose, site- or area-specific datasets of average annual irradiation as taken from five different date sources (METEONORM 6.1, NASA SSE, 3TIER, INPE (BRASIL-SR) and NREL CSR) are compared. There, in total, 38 locations (Panama (2), Colombia (2), Venezuela (20), Ecuador (5) and Peru (9)) are taken into account, which have been selected considering the availability of long-term ground measurements of global horizontal irradiation. With these data further evaluation is possible, if necessary. For Panama and Colombia a mean standard deviation has been found of ±6.1 % or ±7.9 %, respectively. The corresponding value for Venezuela is ±6.4 %, for Ecuador ±13.3 % and for Peru ±9.0 %. In total, the smallest standard deviation has been found for Piura, Peru (±3.1 %) and the most pronounced one for El Puyo, Ecuador (±14.6 %). For Caracas, Venezuela, it will be demonstrated that accounting for long-term changes of average annual irradiation the deviation between the information decreases (here: by up to 1 %). Furthermore, when adding a cross-comparison of the datasets, it is possible to rule out implausible data and to reduce the standard deviation by a factor larger than three.