Study of Daily Diffuse Solar Radiation-Estimation Using Empirical Models

Abstract

Abstract The growth of world energy demand, the inevitable depletion of fossil fuels, and the environmental deterioration caused by these types of energy, has prompted the development of new, renewable energy sources, ensuring sustainability and environmental protection. The use of photovoltaic solar energy seems to be a necessity for the future. After all, solar radiation is the most abundant energy resource on earth. The amount of energy released by the sun (captured by planet Earth) during one hour could be enough to cover the world's energy needs for a year. To exploit this energy and optimize its collection by photovoltaic collectors, photovoltaic systems need to be correctly dimensioned. This requires a precise and detailed study of the various components of solar radiation. Hence the aim of this work is to develop an empirical model for estimating diffuse radiation on a daily scale, which will make it possible to quantify solar potential. Consequently, the developed model presents satisfactory results, with errors not exceeding 5%.