On the Relationship Between Ground- and Satellite- Based Global Horizontal Irradiance

TL;DR

This paper investigates the relationship between satellite-derived and ground-based global horizontal irradiance (GHI), revealing a near-linear correlation that enables approximate mapping between the two data sources for improved GHI analysis.

Contribution

It identifies a near-linear relationship between satellite and ground GHI, facilitating better integration and utilization of satellite data for GHI estimation.

Findings

A near-linear relationship between satellite and ground GHI.

An approximate mapping method from satellite to ground GHI.

Potential for improved GHI analysis using satellite data.

Abstract

Global horizontal irradiance (GHI) plays a significant role in maintaining the earth's ecological balance and generating electricity in photovoltaic systems. While the satellites have more range, they have been shown to over/under-estimate the true values of GHI that are observed at the ground-based stations. Hence, this study aims at analyzing the relationship between these two sources of GHI data in order to better and effectively utilize the reach of satellites for GHI analysis. The paper identifies a near linear relationship between the two and thereby concludes that an approximate mapping from satellite- to ground-based GHI values can be obtained.