Solar Radiation Climatology in Camagüey, Cuba (1981–2016)
The transition to renewable energies is an unavoidable step to guarantee a peaceful and sustainable future for humankind. Although solar radiation is one of the main sources of renewable energy, there are broad regions of the planet where it has not been characterized appropriately to provide the ne...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Remote Sensing |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/2/169 |
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| author | Juan Carlos Antuña-Sánchez René Estevan Roberto Román Juan Carlos Antuña-Marrero Victoria E. Cachorro Albeth Rodríguez Vega Ángel M. de Frutos |
| author_facet | Juan Carlos Antuña-Sánchez René Estevan Roberto Román Juan Carlos Antuña-Marrero Victoria E. Cachorro Albeth Rodríguez Vega Ángel M. de Frutos |
| author_sort | Juan Carlos Antuña-Sánchez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The transition to renewable energies is an unavoidable step to guarantee a peaceful and sustainable future for humankind. Although solar radiation is one of the main sources of renewable energy, there are broad regions of the planet where it has not been characterized appropriately to provide the necessary information for regional and local planning and design of the different solar powered systems. The Caribbean, and Cuba in particular, lacked until very recently at least one long-term series of surface solar radiation measurements. Here we present the first long-term records of solar radiation for this region. Solar radiation measurements manually conducted and recorded on paper were rescued, reprocessed and quality controlled to develop the solar radiation climatology at the Actinometrical Station of Camagüey, in Cuba (21.422<inline-formula><math display="inline"><semantics><msup><mrow></mrow><mo>°</mo></msup></semantics></math></inline-formula>N; 77.850<inline-formula><math display="inline"><semantics><msup><mrow></mrow><mo>°</mo></msup></semantics></math></inline-formula>W; 122 m a.s.l.) for the period 1981–2016. The diurnal cycle based on the average hourly values of the global, direct and diffuse horizontal variables for the entire period have been determined and analyzed showing the dependence on solar zenith angle (SZA) and clouds. The annual cycle of global solar component given by the mean monthly daily values presents two maxima, one in April and another one in July with values of 5.06 and 4.91 kWh m<inline-formula><math display="inline"><semantics><msup><mrow></mrow><mrow><mo>−</mo><mn>2</mn></mrow></msup></semantics></math></inline-formula>, respectively (18.23 and 17.67 MJ m<inline-formula><math display="inline"><semantics><msup><mrow></mrow><mrow><mo>−</mo><mn>2</mn></mrow></msup></semantics></math></inline-formula> per day for insolation), and the minimum in December (3.15 kWh m<inline-formula><math display="inline"><semantics><msup><mrow></mrow><mrow><mo>−</mo><mn>2</mn></mrow></msup></semantics></math></inline-formula> or 11.33 MJ m<inline-formula><math display="inline"><semantics><msup><mrow></mrow><mrow><mo>−</mo><mn>2</mn></mrow></msup></semantics></math></inline-formula>). The maxima are governed by the direct solar components and are modulated by cloudiness. Both, diurnal and annual cycles of the diffuse solar component show a smoothed bell shaped behavior. In general solar radiation at this station presents a strong influence of clouds, with little seasonal variation but with higher values during the rainy season. Daily global radiation annual averages showed its maximum value in the year 1983, with 17.45 MJ m<inline-formula><math display="inline"><semantics><msup><mrow></mrow><mrow><mo>−</mo><mn>2</mn></mrow></msup></semantics></math></inline-formula> explained by very low cloudiness this year, and the minimum value was reported in 2009 with a value of 12.43 MJ m<inline-formula><math display="inline"><semantics><msup><mrow></mrow><mrow><mo>−</mo><mn>2</mn></mrow></msup></semantics></math></inline-formula> that could not explained by the cloud coverage or the aerosols optical depths registered that year. The effects of the 1982 El Chichón and 1991 Mount Pinatubo volcanic eruptions on the solar radiation variables at Camagüey are also shown and discussed. The results achieved in this study shown the characteristics of solar radiation in this area and their potential for solar power applications. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T05:54:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-45f0598bc52246f69c592c57083d2ecb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T05:54:10Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj.art-45f0598bc52246f69c592c57083d2ecb2023-12-03T12:14:40ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922021-01-0113216910.3390/rs13020169Solar Radiation Climatology in Camagüey, Cuba (1981–2016)Juan Carlos Antuña-Sánchez0René Estevan1Roberto Román2Juan Carlos Antuña-Marrero3Victoria E. Cachorro4Albeth Rodríguez Vega5Ángel M. de Frutos6Atmospheric Optics Group (GOA), Valladolid University, 47011 Valladolid, SpainGeophysical Institute of Peru, 15012 Lima, PeruAtmospheric Optics Group (GOA), Valladolid University, 47011 Valladolid, SpainAtmospheric Optics Group (GOA), Valladolid University, 47011 Valladolid, SpainAtmospheric Optics Group (GOA), Valladolid University, 47011 Valladolid, SpainAtmospheric Optics Group of Camagüey, Meteorological Institute of Cuba, 70100 Camagüey, CubaAtmospheric Optics Group (GOA), Valladolid University, 47011 Valladolid, SpainThe transition to renewable energies is an unavoidable step to guarantee a peaceful and sustainable future for humankind. Although solar radiation is one of the main sources of renewable energy, there are broad regions of the planet where it has not been characterized appropriately to provide the necessary information for regional and local planning and design of the different solar powered systems. The Caribbean, and Cuba in particular, lacked until very recently at least one long-term series of surface solar radiation measurements. Here we present the first long-term records of solar radiation for this region. Solar radiation measurements manually conducted and recorded on paper were rescued, reprocessed and quality controlled to develop the solar radiation climatology at the Actinometrical Station of Camagüey, in Cuba (21.422<inline-formula><math display="inline"><semantics><msup><mrow></mrow><mo>°</mo></msup></semantics></math></inline-formula>N; 77.850<inline-formula><math display="inline"><semantics><msup><mrow></mrow><mo>°</mo></msup></semantics></math></inline-formula>W; 122 m a.s.l.) for the period 1981–2016. The diurnal cycle based on the average hourly values of the global, direct and diffuse horizontal variables for the entire period have been determined and analyzed showing the dependence on solar zenith angle (SZA) and clouds. The annual cycle of global solar component given by the mean monthly daily values presents two maxima, one in April and another one in July with values of 5.06 and 4.91 kWh m<inline-formula><math display="inline"><semantics><msup><mrow></mrow><mrow><mo>−</mo><mn>2</mn></mrow></msup></semantics></math></inline-formula>, respectively (18.23 and 17.67 MJ m<inline-formula><math display="inline"><semantics><msup><mrow></mrow><mrow><mo>−</mo><mn>2</mn></mrow></msup></semantics></math></inline-formula> per day for insolation), and the minimum in December (3.15 kWh m<inline-formula><math display="inline"><semantics><msup><mrow></mrow><mrow><mo>−</mo><mn>2</mn></mrow></msup></semantics></math></inline-formula> or 11.33 MJ m<inline-formula><math display="inline"><semantics><msup><mrow></mrow><mrow><mo>−</mo><mn>2</mn></mrow></msup></semantics></math></inline-formula>). The maxima are governed by the direct solar components and are modulated by cloudiness. Both, diurnal and annual cycles of the diffuse solar component show a smoothed bell shaped behavior. In general solar radiation at this station presents a strong influence of clouds, with little seasonal variation but with higher values during the rainy season. Daily global radiation annual averages showed its maximum value in the year 1983, with 17.45 MJ m<inline-formula><math display="inline"><semantics><msup><mrow></mrow><mrow><mo>−</mo><mn>2</mn></mrow></msup></semantics></math></inline-formula> explained by very low cloudiness this year, and the minimum value was reported in 2009 with a value of 12.43 MJ m<inline-formula><math display="inline"><semantics><msup><mrow></mrow><mrow><mo>−</mo><mn>2</mn></mrow></msup></semantics></math></inline-formula> that could not explained by the cloud coverage or the aerosols optical depths registered that year. The effects of the 1982 El Chichón and 1991 Mount Pinatubo volcanic eruptions on the solar radiation variables at Camagüey are also shown and discussed. The results achieved in this study shown the characteristics of solar radiation in this area and their potential for solar power applications.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/2/169solar radiationinsolationcloud covercubaclimatologydiffuse and direct radiation |
| spellingShingle | Juan Carlos Antuña-Sánchez René Estevan Roberto Román Juan Carlos Antuña-Marrero Victoria E. Cachorro Albeth Rodríguez Vega Ángel M. de Frutos Solar Radiation Climatology in Camagüey, Cuba (1981–2016) Remote Sensing solar radiation insolation cloud cover cuba climatology diffuse and direct radiation |
| title | Solar Radiation Climatology in Camagüey, Cuba (1981–2016) |
| title_full | Solar Radiation Climatology in Camagüey, Cuba (1981–2016) |
| title_fullStr | Solar Radiation Climatology in Camagüey, Cuba (1981–2016) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Solar Radiation Climatology in Camagüey, Cuba (1981–2016) |
| title_short | Solar Radiation Climatology in Camagüey, Cuba (1981–2016) |
| title_sort | solar radiation climatology in camaguey cuba 1981 2016 |
| topic | solar radiation insolation cloud cover cuba climatology diffuse and direct radiation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/2/169 |
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