Abstract
This study demonstrates that Hadley cell dynamics could be used as a proxy to determine cloud cover and thus solar energy potential over South Africa. Granger causality was used to investigate causal interactions between the Hadley cell and cloud cover for the period 1980–2015, and such links were established. Areas of strong causality are found over the northwestern parts of South Africa. Moreover, weak causality from cloud cover to the Hadley cell does exist, with vertical velocity being the main variable responsible for this causality, which hence indirectly links cloud cover to Hadley cell causality.
 Significance:
 
 Hadley cell dynamics may be used to identify regions of cloudlessness over South Africa.
 Hadley cell dynamics may further be used as a proxy for cloud cover towards understanding the solar energy potential in South Africa within the context of climate variability and change.
Highlights
The South African government has identified a number of renewable energy options to inform the country‘s energy mix on the 2030 horizon and beyond.[1]
We demonstrate that Hadley cell dynamics could be used as a proxy to determine cloud cover and the solar energy potential over South Africa
According to the Akaike information criterion (AIC) and Bayesian information criterion (BIC) statistics, the optimum lag used in the Hadley cell – cloud cover bivariate model was 2 days
Summary
The South African government has identified a number of renewable energy options to inform the country‘s energy mix on the 2030 horizon and beyond.[1]. We demonstrate that Hadley cell dynamics could be used as a proxy to determine cloud cover and the solar energy potential over South Africa. The abundance in solar radiation and sunshine over South Africa is because the country is located in the subtropical belt – exactly where the Hadley cell descending branch is located. Solar radiation reaching the surface has a strong longitudinal gradient, which exists in relation to the longitudinal gradients in cloud cover, rainfall and sunshine duration.[2] Interactions between the Hadley cell and cloud cover may be key in understanding and anticipating the potential of solar power as a renewable energy source for South Africa
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