Parametrization of instantaneous global horizontal irradiance: clear-sky component

Significance Statement

This paper only introduces the development of SUNFLUX scheme under clear-sky condition. The SUNFLUX scheme can be used to determine global horizontal irradiance (GHI) and direct normal irradiance (DNI) under both clear and cloudy atmospheric conditions using satellite measurements or atmospheric model output data. The significant advantage of SUNFLUX scheme is its applicability uniformly and accurately in a global domain. Refinement for the SUNFLUX is continued to improve the treatment of aerosol properties. The modified scheme will be available in the near future. For results in cloudy-sky and DNI please refer to:

1. Sun Zhian, Liu Jingmiao, Zeng Xianning and Liang Hong, 2012: Parameterization of instantaneous global horizontal irradiance at the surface: cloudy-sky components. J. Geophy. Res., 117, D14202, 10 PP., 2012. doi:10.1029/2012JD017557.

2. Sun Zhian and Aixia Liu, 2013, Fast scheme for estimation of instantaneous direct solar irradiance at the Earth’s surface,   Solar Energy, available online http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2012.12.013

 

 

Journal Reference

Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, Volume 140, Issue 678, pages 267–280, 2014 Part A.

Zhian Sun1,*, Xianning Zeng2, Jingmiao Liu3,4, Hong Liang3 , J. Li5

1 Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research, Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and

2 Nanjing University of Information and Technology Sciences, Nanjing, China and

3 Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, Beijing, China and

4 Institute of Atmospheric Environment, China Meteorological Administration, Shenyang, China and

5 Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis, Science and Technology Branch, Environment Canada, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

 

Abstract

 Based on an accurate atmospheric radiative transfer scheme, a parametrization of instantaneous global horizontal irradiance (GHI) at the Earth’s surface has been developed. The scheme is named SUNFLUX and this article describes the development of the scheme for clear-sky conditions. The work dealing with clouds has been published in a separate article. Unlike traditional methods, this study applies the band model idea used in radiative transfer theory to the development of the surface radiation scheme and, importantly, includes absorption and scattering in the parametrization. Thus the scheme is more accurate compared with those using simple empirical approaches and may be applied to any site without being tuned for local conditions. The parametrization of aerosol transmittance and albedo developed by Kokhanovsky et al. is adopted to account for the effects of aerosols. All variables used in the scheme are available in climate models or from satellite observations. Therefore, the parametrization can be used to determine the GHI at the surface under clear-sky conditions

The scheme is evaluated using observations obtained from three US Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) stations and three stations on the Tibetan Plateau, and the results demonstrate that the scheme is accurate. The relative mean bias difference is less than 4.3% and the relative root-mean-squared difference is less than 0.09%.

 © 2013 Royal Meteorological Society

 

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