A network of sky imagers for spatial solar irradiance assessment

Yinghao Chu; Mengying Li; Hugo T.C. Pedro; Carlos F.M. Coimbra

doi:10.1016/j.renene.2022.01.032

A network of sky imagers for spatial solar irradiance assessment

Yinghao Chu, Mengying Li, Hugo T.C. Pedro, Carlos F.M. Coimbra

Research output: Journal article publication › Journal article › Academic research › peer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A network of seven low-cost hemispheric sky-imaging cameras has been installed in the Los Angeles basin. This network of cameras provides wide sky coverage to perform spatial solar irradiance assessments. An Image to Irradiance algorithm (I2I) is proposed to simultaneously derive high-resolution diffuse, direct and global solar irradiance from sky images. Spatial interpolation using the Kriging method is used to derive the irradiance field for the whole basin area. The relatively inexpensive network of cameras can provide spatially resolved GHI that is more accurate than GHI derived from GOES-west satellite images provided by the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) when the distance to the nearest site is less than 40 km. This work successfully demonstrates that, with minor trade-off in accuracy, solar irradiance monitoring can be achieved using off-the-shelf cameras in the absence of radiometers.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1009-1019
Number of pages	11
Journal	Renewable Energy
Volume	187
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2022.01.032
Publication status	Published - Mar 2022

Keywords

Image-to-irradiance
Sky-imaging network
Solar resourcing
Spatially-resolved irradiance

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

More information

10.1016/j.renene.2022.01.032

http://hdl.handle.net/10397/94263

Cite this

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title = "A network of sky imagers for spatial solar irradiance assessment",

abstract = "A network of seven low-cost hemispheric sky-imaging cameras has been installed in the Los Angeles basin. This network of cameras provides wide sky coverage to perform spatial solar irradiance assessments. An Image to Irradiance algorithm (I2I) is proposed to simultaneously derive high-resolution diffuse, direct and global solar irradiance from sky images. Spatial interpolation using the Kriging method is used to derive the irradiance field for the whole basin area. The relatively inexpensive network of cameras can provide spatially resolved GHI that is more accurate than GHI derived from GOES-west satellite images provided by the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) when the distance to the nearest site is less than 40 km. This work successfully demonstrates that, with minor trade-off in accuracy, solar irradiance monitoring can be achieved using off-the-shelf cameras in the absence of radiometers.",

keywords = "Image-to-irradiance, Sky-imaging network, Solar resourcing, Spatially-resolved irradiance",

author = "Yinghao Chu and Mengying Li and Pedro, {Hugo T.C.} and Coimbra, {Carlos F.M.}",

note = "Funding Information: We would like to thank the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) for providing partial funding and on-site assistance. Additional thanks to Dr. Benjamin Kurtz from UC San Diego for his assistance with the cell modem setups, and to Dr. David P. Larson also from UC San Diego, for sensor development, installation and data management. Funding Information: We would like to thank the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) for providing partial funding and on-site assistance. Additional thanks to Dr. Benjamin Kurtz from UC San Diego for his assistance with the cell modem setups, and to Dr. David P. Larson also from UC San Diego, for sensor development, installation and data management. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 The Authors",

year = "2022",

month = mar,

doi = "10.1016/j.renene.2022.01.032",

language = "English",

volume = "187",

pages = "1009--1019",

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N1 - Funding Information: We would like to thank the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) for providing partial funding and on-site assistance. Additional thanks to Dr. Benjamin Kurtz from UC San Diego for his assistance with the cell modem setups, and to Dr. David P. Larson also from UC San Diego, for sensor development, installation and data management. Funding Information: We would like to thank the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) for providing partial funding and on-site assistance. Additional thanks to Dr. Benjamin Kurtz from UC San Diego for his assistance with the cell modem setups, and to Dr. David P. Larson also from UC San Diego, for sensor development, installation and data management. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Authors

PY - 2022/3

Y1 - 2022/3

N2 - A network of seven low-cost hemispheric sky-imaging cameras has been installed in the Los Angeles basin. This network of cameras provides wide sky coverage to perform spatial solar irradiance assessments. An Image to Irradiance algorithm (I2I) is proposed to simultaneously derive high-resolution diffuse, direct and global solar irradiance from sky images. Spatial interpolation using the Kriging method is used to derive the irradiance field for the whole basin area. The relatively inexpensive network of cameras can provide spatially resolved GHI that is more accurate than GHI derived from GOES-west satellite images provided by the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) when the distance to the nearest site is less than 40 km. This work successfully demonstrates that, with minor trade-off in accuracy, solar irradiance monitoring can be achieved using off-the-shelf cameras in the absence of radiometers.

AB - A network of seven low-cost hemispheric sky-imaging cameras has been installed in the Los Angeles basin. This network of cameras provides wide sky coverage to perform spatial solar irradiance assessments. An Image to Irradiance algorithm (I2I) is proposed to simultaneously derive high-resolution diffuse, direct and global solar irradiance from sky images. Spatial interpolation using the Kriging method is used to derive the irradiance field for the whole basin area. The relatively inexpensive network of cameras can provide spatially resolved GHI that is more accurate than GHI derived from GOES-west satellite images provided by the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) when the distance to the nearest site is less than 40 km. This work successfully demonstrates that, with minor trade-off in accuracy, solar irradiance monitoring can be achieved using off-the-shelf cameras in the absence of radiometers.

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KW - Solar resourcing

KW - Spatially-resolved irradiance

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A network of sky imagers for spatial solar irradiance assessment

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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