Impact of Domain Nesting on High-Resolution Forecasts of Solar Conditions in Central and Eastern Europe

Abstract

The article presents a study on the impact of the domain nesting method on the results of simulated solar conditions using the mesoscale Weather Research and Forecasting model. The analysis included 8 consecutive days (July 2022), which were characterized by cloudless conditions, as well as complex situations related to the passing of a cold front. The study covered a region located in Central and Eastern Europe—the southern area of eastern Germany. The results of the model simulations using the adopted domain configurations (with spatial resolutions of 9, 3, and 1 km; 3 and 1 km; and 5 and 1 km) were compared to data from ground measurements from Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD) stations. The effect of the duration of the triggered prediction on the quality of the output data was also investigated, and for this purpose, short-term predictions covering 24 and 48 h, respectively, were selected. Research revealed the advantages of one combination of domains—3 and 1 km—over the others and showed that the results of simulations with different duration lengths were characterized by consistent results. Research supports the demand for high-quality forecasts of solar conditions, which are extremely important in the process of managing energy systems.

Keywords

• solar radiation
• renewable energy sources
• solar energy
• WRF
• cold fronts