Temperature extremities-dependent global solar radiation models for country-wide applications in India

Abstract

Calibration of models has been performed for estimating global solar radiation with input as daily temperature extremes. Measured data for 22 locations were obtained from the Indian Meteorological Department (India) for 15 years and ten global solar radiation model forms were selected. Data were then bifurcated, where sixteen locations were used for training and the remaining six for validation. Models were compared using the statistical tools-based error analysis. The ranking of models was introduced using a Global Performance Indicator. Period-based testing of models declared Chen et al. model as the superior one. Location-based validation of the models was further performed which indicated the best suitability of the Bristow and Campbell model for semi-arid climate, Hargreaves et al. model for Arid climate and montane climate, Samani model for Tropical wet climate, Goodin et al. model for Humid subtropical climate and wet-dry climate, with GPI values of 5.3965, 0.5325, 0.5174, 0.5182, 0.5333 and 0.5862, respectively.