MODELING SOLAR RADIATION USING PYTHON PROGRAMMING AND COMPARING IT WITH EXPERIMENTAL DATA
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
This article presents the results of comprehensive numerical modelling and validation of the intensity of solar radiation reaching the Earth's surface using three widely applied "clear sky" models - ASHRAE 2001, Hottel (1976) and ASHRAE 2009. The aim of the study is to assess the accuracy of these models throughout the year, and the calculations were carried out in the Python and MATLAB programming languages. Each model was applied to calculate the amount of direct and diffuse solar radiation depending on the day of the year and the tilt angle of the receiving surface. The calculated values were compared graphically with experimental data in order to determine the applicability and the limitations of each model. Key indicators were calculated for the quantitative assessment of model accuracy, and the results showed that the ASHRAE 2001 model has the closest agreement among the models tested. This study provides an open-source Python implementation with the aim of optimising the design of solar energy systems, selecting a model for particular climatic conditions and ensuring reproducibility.
Article Details
Issue
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
References
Noorian, A.M., Moradi, I., & Kamali, G.A. (2008). Evaluation of 12 models to estimate hourly diffuse irradiation on inclined surfaces. Renewable Energy, 33(6), 1406–1412. DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2007.06.027
Wong, L.T., & Chow, W.K. (2001). Solar radiation model. Applied Energy, 69(3), 191–224. DOI: 10.1016/S0306-2619(01)00012-5
ASHRAE (2009). ASHRAE Handbook—Fundamentals. Atlanta, GA: American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers. (Chapter on climatic design information, including solar constant value)
Duffie, J.A., & Beckman, W.A. (2013). Solar Engineering of Thermal Processes (4th ed.). John Wiley & Sons, New York. (Approximate air mass formula)
Gueymard, C.A. (2012). Clear-sky irradiance predictions for solar resource mapping and large-scale applications: Improved validation methodology and detailed performance analysis of 18 broadband models. Solar Energy, 86(8), 2145–2169. DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2011.11.011
Guermoui, M., Rabehi, A., & Melgani, F. (2020). A comprehensive review of hybrid models for solar radiation forecasting. Journal of Cleaner Production, 258, 120357. DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.120357
Bounoua, Z., Ouazzani Chahidi, L., & Mechaqrane, A. (2021). Estimation of daily global solar radiation using empirical and machine-learning methods: A case study of five Moroccan locations. Sustainable Materials and Technologies, 28, e00261. DOI: 10.1016/j.susmat.2021.e00261
ASHRAE (2001). ASHRAE Handbook—Fundamentals. Atlanta, GA: American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers. (Section on solar radiation models)
NASA Atmospheric Science Data Center (2021). Surface meteorology and Solar Energy (SSE) – Solar Radiation Data. (Accessed from https://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov)
Sobirov, M.M., Rozikov, J.Yu., Yusupova, D.A., & Ruziboev, V.U. (2023). Calculation of spectral and angular distribution of diffusely reflected, diffusely transmitted, and unscattered fluxes of solar radiation in atmospheric layers. Applied Solar Energy, 59(5), 761–769. DOI: 10.3103/S0003701X23601187
Hottel, H.C. (1976). A simple model for estimating the transmittance of direct solar radiation through clear atmospheres. In Proceedings of the 1976 Annual Meeting of the American Section of the International Solar Energy Society. (Empirical atmospheric transmission model)
Hay, J.E., & Davies, J.A. (1980). Calculation of the solar radiation incident on an inclined surface. Proceedings of the IMechE, 186(Part A), 25–32. DOI: 10.1243/PIME_CONF_1980_186_519_02
Perez, R., Ineichen, P., Seals, R., Michalsky, J., & Stewart, R. (1990). Modeling diffuse irradiance on inclined surfaces: the Perez model. Solar Energy, 44(5), 271–289. DOI: 10.1016/0038-092X(90)90060-3
Kasten, F., & Young, A.T. (1989). Revised optical air mass tables and approximation formula. Applied Optics, 28(22), 4735–4738. DOI: 10.1364/AO.28.004735
Bird, R.E., & Hulstrom, R.L. (1981). A simplified clear sky model for direct and diffuse insolation on horizontal surfaces. Solar Energy Research Institute Report, Golden, CO (SERI/TR-642-761).
Holmgren, W.F., Hansen, C.W., & Mikofski, M.A. (2018). pvlib Python: A Python package for modeling solar energy systems. Journal of Open Source Software, 3(29), 884. DOI: 10.21105/joss.00884
Roca-Fernández, C., Pons, X., & Ninyerola, M. (2025). A comparison of different solar radiation models in the Iberian Peninsula. Atmosphere, 16(5), 590. DOI: 10.3390/atmos16050590
Yıldırım, H.B., Çelik, Ö., Teke, A., & Barutçu, B. (2018). Estimating daily global solar radiation with a graphical user interface in the eastern Mediterranean region of Turkey. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 82, 1528–1537. DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2017.06.030
Zaaoumi, A., Bah, A., Ciocan, M., Sebarchievici, C., Bălan, M.C., Mechaqrane, A., & Alaoui, M. (2021). Estimation of the energy production of a parabolic trough solar thermal power plant using analytical and artificial neural network models. Renewable Energy, 170, 620–638. DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2021.01.129
Chanchangi, Y.N., Adeniji, A.A., Agbo, S.N., & Mallick, T. (2023). Nigeria’s energy review: Focusing on solar energy potential and penetration. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 25(7), 5755–5796. DOI: 10.1007/s10668-022-02308-4