Edinburgh Napier University

  Preface
Rapid sale of the first edition in a relatively short time plus the need to update information
for an area of significant activity has dictated the need for the second edition of this
book. Of late, the rapid deployment of solar photovoltaic technology across the globe has
also demanded a need for the estimation of the local availability of the solar energy
resource. In this respect the user will find that a considerable amount of new information,
along with computational tools has been added in this edition.
New material and, in most cases, resulting computer programs on the following topics
has been provided:
(a) Sun-path diagrams for abbreviated analysis.
(b) New data files on measured data sets of irradiance and illuminance.
(c) Distance between any two locations (solar radiation measurement site and location
of its utilisation).
(d) Characterisation of sky clarity indices and solar climate for any given location.
(e) Corrections for sky-diffuse irradiance measurements using a shade-ring device.
(f) Quality control of measured solar radiation and daylight data including outlier
analysis.
(g) Cloud radiation model.
(h) Page radiation model (developed by Emeritus Professor John Page).
(i) An extensive section on various forms of turbidity and their inter-relationships.
(j) Newer generation of turbidity-based radiation models.
(k) The European clear-sky solar radiation model (developed by Emeritus Professor
John Page).
(l) Procedures for obtaining sunshine data from cloud cover information and vice versa.
(m) Frequency of occurrence of diffuse and global illuminance.
(n) Zenith luminance models.
(o) New all-sky CIE standard for sky luminance distribution.
(p) Spectral radiation.
(q) Detailed measured data sets of solar radiation and other meteorological parameters.
(r) Web sites that provide solar radiation and daylight data and other related information.
In response to a demand from readers and reviewers of this book a section on estimation
of clear-sky solar irradiance for any part of the globe has been added.
Within the past 5 years there has been an acceleration of activity in the exploitation of
solar energy and this has primarily resulted from protection of environment pressures. The
Kyoto protocol for reduction of carbon dioxide has been an important instrument in this
respect. Subsidies offered for the use of solar water heating and building integrated photovoltaic
installations (BIPV technology) within the European Union countries have resulted in a rapid take-off of these and related technologies.
Another contributing factor that will eventually lead to the use of solar power within the
transport sector is the spiralling monetary and environment costs associated with the current
use of fossil fuels. With the rapid decline in the oil reserves within the Gulf of Mexico
basin, Iraq has become the linchpin in the US strategy to secure cheap oil. Between Saudi
Arabia and Iraq, with their respective proven oil reserves of 262 and 112 billion barrels, a
staggering 40% of world’s oil reserves is shared. With the US invasion of Iraq it appears that
a new phase of ‘Energy wars’ has started that may indeed spill over to other Opec countries.
The repercussions of such actions and the fact that cheaper oil resulting from the ‘capture’
of oil reserves will lead to a faster consumption may indeed herald the true age of solar
energy. In this respect world political leaders would be well advised to promote renewable
energy technologies. That is the only and truly sustainable action for the abatement of the
effects of an increase in atmospheric greenhouse gas loading.