Comparison of Empirical Models for the Estimation of Monthly Global Solar Radiation at Nigde in Turkey

Aims: Comprehension of the local solar radiation is important for many applications of solar energy systems. The global solar radiation on horizontal surface at the location of interest is the most critical input parameter employed in the design and prediction of the performance of solar energy systems.

Study Design: In this study, 3 empirical sunshine based models are compared correlating the monthly mean daily global solar radiation on a horizontal surface with monthly mean sunshine records for Nigde, Turkey

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Akdeniz University and Nigde University, 2014-2015

Methodology: Models are compared using coefficient of determination (R2), the root mean square error (RMSE), the mean bias error (MBE) and the t-statistic.

Results: The results show that the models fitted the data satisfactorily.

Conclusion: The models can be utilized to estimate the specific global solar radiation on monthly basis.