Solar Radiation Data Manual for Flat-Plate and Concentrating Collectors

NOTICE This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States government. Neither the United States government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefuleness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply iots endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States government or any agency thereof.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory '16'17 Cole Boulevard Golden, Colorado 80401-3393 A national laboratory managed for the U.S. Department of Energy by the Midwest Research Institute under Contract No. DE-AC02-83CH-10093

Authors: Artists:

Cover photographs: Editor:

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William Marion and Stephen Wilcox Joe Woodburn, Phyllis S. Kabins, and Jon Leedholm

Warren Gretz Mary Anne Dunlap

For designers and engineers of solar energy-related systems, the Solar Radiation Data Manualfor Flat­Plate and Concentrating Collectors gives the solar re­source available for various types of collectors for the United States and its territories. The data in the manual were modeled using hourly values of direct beam and diffuse horizontal solar radiation from the National Solar Radiation Data Base (NSRDB). The NSRDB contains modeled (93 %) and measured (7 %) global horizontal, diffuse horizontal, and direct beam solar radiation for 1961-1990.

This manual was produced by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL's) Analytic Studies Division under the Solar Radiation Resource Assessment Proj ect Task No. RA310 102 and the Photovoltaic Solar Radiation Research Task No. PV360501. These tasks were funded and monitored by the Photovoltaics Branch of the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

Approved for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory

4~)).~ ----------------------------------

Thomas D. Bath, Director Analytic Studies Division

Daryl Myers, Project Manager Photo voltaic Solar Radiation Research Task Photovoltaics Division

The authors would like to acknowledge Charles Gay (UNISUN), Dave Menicucci (Sandia National Laboratories), Tom Ross (National Climatic Data Center), Frank Vignola (University of Oregon), and NREL staff members Carol Riordan, Dave Renne, Roland Hulstrom, Daryl Myers, Martin Rymes, and Tom Stoffel for their contributions to the manual and for their review.

In the early stages of developing the manual, we received suggestions and recommendations from more than 70 people on what they would like the manual to contain. This group consisted of designers, installers, manufac­turers, consultants, university and national laboratory researchers, utility engineers, meteorologists, and state energy office staff. We appreciate their efforts and hope that this manual meets their expectations.

~?<:/ '-----------------~ Carol Riordan, Manager Technology & Resource Assessment Branch

c2 /------------~-~--------Dave Renne, Project Manager Solar Radiation Resource Assessment Project Technology & Resource Assessment Branch

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Preface ....................................................................... iii

Introduction ................................................................ 1

Technical Background ................................................ 2

Interpreting the Data Tables ........................................ 3

Station Description ................................................. 3

Solar Radiation Data for Flat-Plate and Concentrating Collectors ........................................ 3

Solar Radiation Graph ............................................ 5

Climatic Conditions ............................................... 5

Other Data Formats .................................................... 6

Data Tables ................................................................. 7

Appendix - Methodology ....................................... 247

National Solar Radiation Data Base Version 1.1 Revision........................................... 248

Calculating Solar Radiation for Flat-Plate and Concentrating Collectors ............................. 249

Estimating the Uncertainty of Solar Radiation Data .......................................... 250

Deriving Climatic Data ...................................... 252

Unit Conversion Factors ................... Inside back cover

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Designers and engineers of solar energy conversion sys­tems need solar resource information for different loca­tions and types of collectors. Solar resource information provides data on how much solar energy is available to a collector and how it might vary from month to month and year to year.

This manual provides solar radiation values for common flat-plate and concentrating collectors for 239 stations in the United States and its territories. The solar radiation values are expressed as monthly and yearly averages for the period of 1961-1990. Minimum and maximum monthly and yearly averages are included to show the variability of a station's solar resource.

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In addition to the solar radiation data, this manual con­tains tables listing climatic conditions such as average temperatures, average daily minimum and maximum temperatures, record minimum and maximum tempera­tures, average heating and cooling degree days, average relative humidity, and average wind speed.

The solar radiation and climatic data are presented in tables, with each station having its data presented on a single page. The pages are arranged alphabetically by the state or territory two-letter abbreviation, and within a state or territory the pages are arranged alphabetically by city or island.

OTHER U.S. STATIONS:

* GUAM. PACIFIC

* SAN JUAN, PUERTO AICO

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Map showing the location of the 239 stations in the National Solar Radiation Data Base, whose data were used to calculate values for this manual.

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