Total Global Solar Radiation Estimation with Relative Humidity and Air Temperature Extremes in Ireland and Holland

Abstract. Solar radiation is the earth's primary energy source for all biochemical and physical activities. Accurate knowledge of the solar radiation is important in engineering applications. This study aimed to calibrate some of the existing models in the literature for estimating daily total global solar radiation parameter using available measuring records (maximum and minimum air temperatures) and new models were developed based on maximum and minimum air temperatures, relative humidity and relative humidity extremes. Applicability of the Hargreaves model, Allen model, Bristow-Campbell model and Chen model were evaluated for computing the daily total solar global radiation, the geographical and meteorological data of Irish and Dutch cities were used. Meteorological data were taken from Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute and Irish Meteorological Service. The models were compared on the basis of error tests which were mean percentage error (MPE), mean bias error (MBE), root mean square error (RMSE) and Nash-Sutcliffe equation (NSE). And, monthly MPE errors were given for each model. This study proposed new estimation models which were based on daily average relative humidity, relative humidity extremes and temperature extremes. Error analyses were applied to these models and results were given in the study.