Estimation of Direct Normal Irradiance at Antarctica for Concentrated Solar Technology

Abstract

The estimation of the average daily, monthly and annual direct normal solar irradiation (DNI) was done in the region hosting the Mario Zucchelli Station, in the bay of Terra Nova (Antarctica). Estimates are based on measurements of direct normal (DNI), horizontal global (GHI) and horizontal diffuse (Diff.HI) irradiations, observed by a solar-metric acquisition station installed during the XXVIII scientific expedition carried out in the austral summer 2012/2013 as part of the National Plan of Research in Antarctica (PNRA). The contemporary observations of all three irradiations allowed the setting up of the model for the estimation of the DNI starting from the values of the GHI only, validated for the weather conditions of the Antarctic region. Subsequently, the long-time data reconstruction of the DNI values thanks to the availability of several years' hourly measurements of GHI at the Mario Zucchelli base has been carried out using the meteorological acquisition data installed both at the base and in places scattered around it. The final results make feasible the estimation of solar potential for concentrated solar technology according to long measurements of GHI. Overall, we propose a clean technology based on a renewable power plant and a specific example with a tendency toward a decreased human carbon footprint in the atmosphere of this protected area.

Keywords

• Antarctica
• solar radiation observations
• direct normal irradiance
• global horizontal irradiance
• diffraction model
• concentrating solar technology