Estimating incident solar radiation at the surface from geostationary satellite data.

Abstract

An experiment was undertaken in the summer of 1977 to determine if incoming visible radiation at the surface could be estimated from geostationary meteorological satellite data. The experiment entailed the collection of coincident satellite, conventional meteorological and pyranometer data over the Great Plains of the United States. Regression techniques were used to estimate hourly insolation from the satellite data. Hourly estimates were summed to give daily total insolation. The standard error of the satellite-derived daily insolation when compared against pyranometers was 10% of the mean. -from Author